On Wednesday, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms announced that forward Hayden Hodgson has signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him through the 2023-24 season.
Hayden Hodgson (25-years-old) has been one of the bright spots in the Phantoms roster. He’s played 20 games with six goals and seven assists (13-points). He impressed the Phantoms coaches at Training Camp on a tryout contract from the Reading Royals.
His last stint in the AHL was during the 2017-18 season for the Cleveland Monsters, playing 41 games with three goals and three assists (6-points).
Phantoms Head Coach Ian Laperriere on the extension of Hodgson said. “He’s been our biggest surprise. He came out of nowhere. He came to our training camp, and I didn’t know about him. Nobody knew about him. I was like, ‘Who is this kid?’ and he came on the ice, and I saw what he can do.”
Laperriere added, “What I like about him, he does everything hard, and it starts in practice. He’s got good habits in practice. Sky’s the limit for him. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next couple years he plays at the next level.”
Before joining the Phantoms, Hodgson played in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades, Manchester Monarchs, Wichita Thunder, Wheeling Nailers, Utah Grizzlies, and Reading Royals. He played 98 career games with 22 goals and 22 assists (44-points).
This weekend, the Phantoms return to action, starting Friday, January 14th, against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 7:05 pm.
