Undrafted to Future Star

It’s hard to believe Dieppe, New Brunswick’s Philippe Myers went undrafted.

It’s hard to fathom the thought that a 6’5 200 pound right shot D man that can skate like the wind was passed over by 30 NHL teams almost five years ago.

One can only imagine the disappointment and devastation that the young defender went through being passed over.

Myers never gave up on his dream.

He took all of the adversity in stride and ultimately it’s made him the player he is today.

The quiet soft spoken kid from Dieppe phone must have blown up seconds after the 2015 NHL Entry Draft had ended.

How many offers did Myers get that day?

Why did 30 teams pass on him?

Why did he chose Philly?

Some questions aren’t meant to answered.

Looking back on it now the Philadelphia Flyers brass deserve a lot of credit for giving Myers an opportunity, mind you it didn’t take them to long to figure out what they had.

The Flyers GM at the time Ron Hextall signed the phenomenal two-way defenceman almost instantly to an ELC.

Philippe Myers’ dream had come true, he proved he belonged at the NHL level, now it was time to show twenty nine other teams how wrong they were.

The following two seasons in Rouyn-Noranda saw Myers put up massive numbers.

A star was born, but that star had always shone bright.

Some would say Myers was a late bloomer and that his skating or other aspects of his game lagged behind and perhaps that’s the reason he went undrafted.

Perhaps to the trained eye his skill set at that time didn’t translate or project well to the NHL level?

Again some questions weren’t meant to be answered, but Philippe Myers journey and subsequent success in the game is another perfect example of a player developing and maturing at their own unique rate.

It’s become more apparent than ever that the hockey world is still quick to jump the gun when it comes to projecting talent.

Projecting talent or projecting the intangibles?

It would be great if the hockey world could finally agree that every player is unique, from a growth and developmental perspective.

Intangibles like character, persistence and perseverance ultimately define some players destiny in the game.

You see Philippe Myers’ unwavering commitment passion and love for the game was always there.

His skills may have needed some fine tuning over the years, but everything was in place, it was always there.

All Phil Myers needed was time. Time to mature and develop.

All Myers needed was a chance, an opportunity to prove he could play at hockey’s highest level.

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies gave him time to develop, time to grow and believed in him when it mattered most.

The Philadelphia Flyers gave Myers an opportunity and the rest is history.

From undrafted to future star, Philippe Myers journey in the game continues to inspire.