The Philadelphia Flyers are letting a player get some well-earned NHL paychecks after being a very steady farmhand down in the AHL.
Announced by the team on Saturday morning, the Flyers have recalled 34-year-old Garrett Wilson from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Transaction: We have recalled forward Garrett Wilson from the @LVPhantoms (AHL). pic.twitter.com/aPXm9CEA1I
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 14, 2026
Wilson was also a healthy scratch for the Phantoms game Friday evening against the Syracuse Crunch, so it’s possible the forward will be heading to Philadelphia for the stretch run. There’s no word if Wilson will see much action in the remaining 17 games for the Flyers, but it’s probably a good bet that he will see his first action in a Flyers uniform at some point. Should Philadelphia be eliminated sooner than later from playoff contention, Wilson could see a handful of games as a thank you for his time with the Phantoms. Or, if the big club run into a rash of injuries down the stretch, he’ll be called upon to fill in, most likely in a bottom six or fourth-line role.
Flyers recall veteran forward Garrett Wilson from AHL
The forward, who has 84 career National Hockey League games to his credit, has played in the Flyers organization with the Phantoms the last six seasons without playing a game with the big club. This season, in his third year as Lehigh Valley captain, Wilson has scored four goals and 16 points in 54 games.
Philadelphia rewarded Wilson earlier this month by signing him to a National Hockey League contract, a two-way deal that should put a bit more money in his pocket the rest of the season. On the new deal, Wilson earned a $500,000 salary while in the minors, but that gets bumped up to league-minimum $775,000 with the Flyers. Previously, he was on an AHL-only deal, so those figures are not disclosed but even as a veteran forward and deserving of a solid pay, surely this new contract is a sizeable pay bump.
Wilson, who will turn 35 on Monday, was a good team guy for the Phantoms, never rocking the boat in terms of whether or not he’d get the call up to Philadelphia but doing whatever he could to help his teammates develop. It’s also likely that Wilson will be hanging up his skates and retiring at the end of this season.
Of course, Wilson was not averse to fisticuffs, having multiple seasons with 100 or more penalty minutes in his time with Lehigh Valley and as team captain. So while not quite having the pedigree of Nic Deslauriers who the Flyers traded to Carolina at the deadline, Wilson should be able to hold his own if called to answer the bell.
Taken 109th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2009 NHL Draft, Wilson last stint in the NHL was with the Penguins back in 2018-19. In that season he played 50 games with Pittsburgh, scoring twice and adding six assists for eight points. He also played four playoff games that season, scoring once in that time.
Wilson’s arrival with the Flyers will also somewhat help the Phantoms in terms of personnel and their roster. Although they still have a bevy of players who are healthy scratches at times, having one more spot open allows Lehigh Valley to replace Wilson with a younger prospect.
Nonetheless, regardless of how much or how little the veteran journeyman plays at Xfinity Mobile Arena or another other NHL rink, it appears his career is going to end on a high note, seeing playing time again in the National Hockey League after more than half a decade riding the buses. Good for him!
