Determined Myers Returns to Phantoms Ready To Dominate The AHL

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- When the Philadelphia Flyers made the decision to send defenseman Phil Myers down to Lehigh Valley to start the season, nobody was as disappointed as the 22-year-old himself.

After playing up at the NHL level for the final 21 games of Philadelphia's 2018-19 campaign, heading into training camp, Myers’ expected to put himself in a position where he could stick with the Flyers all season long.

It didn’t work out that way.

“I definitely feel I could have done better,” Myers said while reflecting on his performance at camp. ”I got a taste of it last year and it just made me want to stay up there that much more.”

Myers was made aware that he’d be one of the Flyers’ final cuts while the team was already overseas days before they would take on the Chicago Blackhawks in Prague, Czech Republic, for the season opener.

Since he was kept overseas as a precautionary measure in case another Flyers defenseman was unable to play in the opener, Myers didn’t end up seeing game action for about a week-and-a-half before Friday night’s contest against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

But now that he is back state-side, his focus is completely on the Phantoms.

'I’m just going to put all my energy into the here and now and just try to get better and keep it simple out there [on the ice],” Myers said. “[The Flyers] said just ‘keep the right attitude’ and that’s all I can do.”

Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon echoed that sentiment.

“[Myers] is not that far away [from sticking in the NHL],” Gordon said. “I think the biggest thing for him is to understand that the best way to get back [to the NHL] is to come down here and play the way he did when he got called up last year.”

“There isn't a player that doesn't benefit from playing [in the AHL] and as much as he wants to be up there, just worry about today and you'll take care of tomorrow.”

Through his first two games with the Phantoms this season, it seems that this attitude is benefiting him and his teammates on the ice.

Myers tallied an assist in both games over the weekend, including a beautiful two-zone stretch pass to forward Joel Farabee, setting up the first goal of the rookie’s professional hockey career.

He felt it took him about two or three shifts to really get going Friday night before he felt he was in “the zone” again.

“I still had a couple butterflies before the game,” Myers said.

Myers, like most players and coaches around the Phantoms, is bullish about the potential this team oozes as the season has commenced.

“We have a good group down here; good young guys with a lot of skill and good leadership, too,” Myers said.

“We're gonna have a hell of a year here.”