Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Flyers ink college star
VOORHEES, N. J.>> Ron Hextall and his young lobbyist Shayne Gostisbehere got their man Friday, as Union College star forward Mike Vecchione has reached an agreement with the Flyers on a oneyear ( or five- game) NHL entrylevel contract.
Vecchione, a finalist and favorite for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey, played as a freshman on the Union team that won a Frozen Four national title in 2014, with Gostisbehere as its senior star defender.
Vecchione is 24, which means he is of senior eligibility for league entry level contracts. Hextall and the Flyers like him enough to be willing to essentially burn this season at the entry level rate ($ 925,000) and allow Vecchione to get a few real games under his belt, then enter the offseason as a pending restricted free agent.
His old teammate feels he’ll be ready to go.
“When he was a freshman, he didn’t really play like a freshman,” Gostisbehere said Friday about Vecchione. “He was too good for you to think he was a freshman. He was a big part of our national title run and you just saw his maturity get better and better. It showed last year. He could have
left, but he stayed and finished his degree. That says a lot about his character.”
Actually, the freshman was a little older than most. Vecchione, a native of Saugus, Mass., went undrafted out of prep school but spent two growing years with Tri- City of the Tier I junior United States Hockey League. He then donned a Union College uniform for that championship 2013- 14 season.
In fact, the guy referred to by Gostisbehere Friday as “a great kid” is actually two months older than Gostisbehere.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Vecchione said. “It’s a dream come true. It was a long week here, I guess, just trying to figure out where I’m going to end up. In my heart I felt I had the best opportunity in Philly and I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out.”
It would seem to have worked out for the Flyers at least partly because Vecchione’s old teammate Gostisbehere exerted a little influence.
At least that’s how this story is going to go.
“I was honest with him, told him about us,” Gostisbehere said. “It’s his decision. He made the best decision for his hockey career. I’m excited he picked us.
“He’s got great skill, but he goes to the dirty areas to
do it. He’s so reliable defensively and he also has the skill to put the puck in the back of the net and make plays. He’s an all- situation guy and he can fit in, in a lot of places.”
Hextall said Friday that Vecchione would likely be here for a practice Saturday morning, but probably wouldn’t be available to play that night’s game against the Devils. He would be possible for Sunday’s game at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers — one of two teams ( Tampa the other) that the Flyers out wooed for Vecchione.
However, Matt Read was announced late Friday as being out for the rest of the season, thanks towhat’s believed to be a broken arm after blocking a shot late in the 6- 3 win Thursday over the Islanders.
No matter when Vecchione is cleared to make his NHL debut, Hextall and a whole lot of other people are looking forward to it.
“We’re excited about it,” Hextall said. “We identified a couple of guys, college free agents, and Mike was one of them. Thankfully, we got him.”
The Flyers likely plan to sign Vecchione to a longterm deal this summer, though Hextall said he wasn’t sure how that would go.
“He is an RFA. We’ll deal with that,” Hextall said. That process should go smoothly. The Flyers have a relationship with Vecchione’s
agent, Lewis Gross — John LeClair’s old agent and one of his best friends. LeClair, who lives in Haverford Township, works with Gross’ agency now.
“Truly, it comes down to a kid,” Hextall said. “You look at opportunity, and what an organization is all about. We fit his needs. He certainly fit ours.”
It’s clear the 5- foot- 10, 195- pound Vecchione has plans to carve a Flyers future, even if he said the lobbying efforts by his old teammate “Ghost” really didn’t play a major role in his decision.
“You can’t really base where you’re going to go with your life on who you know there,” Vecchione said. “With the whole Philly organization, I got to meet everyone when I went to development camp ( in Voorhees last summer). ... I just had that experience being around everybody, learning from their systems and learning from guys.
“I talked to Ghost. He obviously wanted me to go there, but at the same time it’s what’s best for me and my future and it’s ultimately my decision. ( But) it’s nice having around someone I know pretty well. He didn’t have to do much persuading.”
Despite having four returning centers next season in addition to natural center Jordan Weal being expected to re- sign with the club as a pending unrestricted free agent, Hextall indicated Vecchione would
get a long look at the center spot.
“Obviously I’m a centerman ... that’s where my comfort zone is,” Vecchione said. “When you’re in the middle you have a lot more room to make some plays, but obviously at center comes a lot more responsibility in the Dzone.
“I’m really happy that they’re going to put me in at center. It’s that comfort level to stick with what I know best there.”
Vecchione scored 29 goals and tabbed 63 points as a Union College senior this season. He is the favorite for the Baker award, which will be issued April 7 in Chicago during the NCAA’s Frozen Four.
Vecchione is one of a small group of drafted or free agent Union players turning pro. Defenseman Nick DeSimone signed Thursday with the San Jose Sharks and Jeff Taylor with the team that drafted him, Pittsburgh.
But there’s one more Union guy who has announced he’s turning pro, and the Flyers may bid for him, too. That’s Spencer Foo, who played on Vecchione’s line at right wing.
“I couldn’t be happier for him,” Vecchione said of Foo. “He’s worked hard and he’s a tremendous hockey player. ... As for knowing what he’s going to be doing, I know he’ll wait for July 1. I haven’t talked to him much about that.”