Flyers prospect Cam York is ‘on the right track’ after strong start with the Phantoms

Until Jan. 5, Cam York will still be only 21 years old. Sometimes, people forget that, Lehigh Valley Phantoms coach Ian Laperrière recently told The Inquirer.

As a first-round pick with 33 NHL games under his belt and the confidence of general manager Chuck Fletcher behind him, York has had a lot of hype swirling around his name. So when he was cut from Flyers in training camp, there was some surprise. But the hype and external expectations have overshadowed the fact that York is young for any NHL player, particularly a defenseman.

“As a forward, the coach can hide you for a game or two,” Laperrière said. “But as a defenseman, there are only six, so you’re going to have to touch the ice. It’s a tough adjustment.”

While York didn’t have a great training camp, he held his own against the NHL’s best when playing on the Flyers’ top pair as well as the second and third pairs last season. However, the Flyers want to see more than “good enough” before they keep him in the NHL.

“When he came up, he was just playing it safe,” assistant general manager Brent Flahr said. “That’s fine initially, but we need him to impact games and be the guy that we drafted.”

York wasn’t happy when he was cut — and he shouldn’t be, Flahr said. But the “worst thing you can do is take it as a negative,” York said, so he pushed aside the disappointment and got to work with the Phantoms. It helped that he had the support of the locker room, with several guys reaching out in support.

Injured Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis, in particular, helped York keep faith in himself. When York was growing up in Anaheim, Calif., he would watch Ellis, now 31, play in Nashville. He connected with Ellis initially because they’re both undersized defensemen, but when he was sent down in October, he discovered something else they had in common.

“He was telling me he was in a similar position when he first came into the league,” York said. “Hockey is not an easy sport. ... I’ve certainly had a lot of ups and downs in my career, and I’m sure Ellie has, too. So it’s part of the game, and you’ve just got to have a positive attitude about things.”

That positive attitude has been evident with the Phantoms. Laperrière said York has come in determined to get better every day. He has been coachable and is putting in the hard work — and he’s having fun while doing it.

“I want to be in the NHL every single day,” York said. “But I’ve been having fun down here. We have a really good group of guys. And just being able to play with a bunch of confidence and playing a lot, it’s been good.”

York has always been described as a “mellow” guy. This season, Laperrière said the No. 1 thing they’ve asked of him is to be more assertive. That’s something Flyers coach John Tortorella mentioned when he cut him, saying it’s great to be mellow off the ice, but he needs to see more aggression from York on it.

Flyers forward Tanner Laczynski was recently loaned to the Phantoms for two games. As someone who hasn’t seen York every day, Laczynski could evaluate York’s progress from a different perspective. Comparing York in training camp and then again after two months with the Phantoms, Laczynski said the difference in his assertiveness was clear.

“I really liked Yorkie’s game,” Laczynski said. “I liked the little things, that he was playing hard on the puck. He’s being a lot more physical, from what I saw.”

Talent has never been York’s problem. And while Laczynski was in Allentown, York’s ability was on full display. York was moving the puck, doing “great on his feet,” and skating “like the wind, like it’s nothing.”

But York faltered in those areas in the preseason. York has always been small and light, and over the summer, he worked hard to bulk up. Overall, that was a good thing, but initially, he seemed to struggle with his new size, Laperrière said.

“I think it took him a little bit of adjustment to get used to it,” Laperrière said. “It’s going to come naturally by keep playing those minutes, keep playing in those situations. ... He’s going to build his game with that new body and the adjustments that he made this summer.”

The continuity has helped as well. Last season, injuries forced the Flyers to call up York earlier than they planned, and it made it hard to maintain chemistry on either team. It was also mentally tough given the NHL team’s struggles. The Flyers are once again dealing with injuries, but the organization is approaching call-ups cautiously, especially amid a 10-game losing streak, trying not to negatively affect York or any other young player’s development this year.

“There’s a process to help players develop, and there’s a purpose to the American League,” Flahr said. “It makes you ready not just for a couple [of] games but for the long haul at the NHL level.”

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So far, the stability York has had seems to be helping him, Laperrière said. He has logged major minutes, and he has contributed in every aspect of the game, from the locker room to even-strength play to special teams. He’s tied with forward Tyson Foerster as the Phantoms’ top scorer with 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) in 16 games.

“From Day 1 of the regular season, I really liked my game,” York said. “Compared to last year, I feel 100 times better.”

The clamoring of fans to call up York is understandable. But the reality is he’s just a shy-of-22-year-old kid who has played just over one full season of professional hockey. With time and the right attitude, York will help out the Flyers at some stage.

“He’s on the right track,” Laperrière said. “Going to keep playing him. He’s going to keep getting rewarded if he plays the right way, and he’s going to be fine.”