Although he was one of the 14 named in the first round of training camp cuts this week for the Flyers, the team has signed defenseman Spencer Gill today to a three-year, entry-level contract. Terms were not initially disclosed.
Gill was drafted in the second round (59th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft and participated in the Rookie Camp earlier this month prior to the past week’s series of practices and exhibition games. Gill appeared in the opening exhibition game against Washington on Sunday and logged over 19 minutes of ice time but was returned to Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Wednesday.
Gill, who just turned 18 last month, had 46 points in 65 games last season for Rimouski and added five assists in the postseason. Overall, the New Brunswick native has 50 points in 106 QMJHL games was part of Team Canada’s roster at the Under-18 World Junior Championships and picked up a gold medal. The biggest thing with Gill this current camp was obviously his size or lack thereof, weighing 185 pounds on a lanky 6-foot-4 frame. It was something Tortorella playfully noted when asked about Gill this week.
The draft pick used to select Gill has a short history dating back to February 2023 when the draft pick was traded from Winnipeg to Nashville for forward Nino Niederreiter during the Jets playoff run that season. From there Nashville traded the rights last June to the Flyers for a third round pick in the 2024 draft (used to pick Viggo Gustafsson) and a third round pick in 2025.
So while Gill still has a few people to jump in the Flyers pipeline to secure a spot in the top six (Oliver Bonk and Hunter McDonald to name two), it’s a good day knowing the Flyers are hoping to see him develop and end up making the club down the road.
