Flyers Loan Phil Varone to Phantoms

Lehigh Valley Signs Swavely to PTO

December 19, 2018

Lehigh Valley, Pa. — The Philadelphia Flyers, parent club of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, have announced today that they have loaded forward Phil Varone to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In addition, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms have announced today that they have signed F Steven Swavely to PTO.

Varone, 28, was recalled by the Flyers on December 7, 2018 and made his Flyers debut on December 9 against the Winnipeg Jets. He played in 4 games for Philadelphia, including last night’s victory in Scott Gordon’s first game behind the bench.

A native of Vaughn, Ontario, Varone is currently in the midst of his eighth professional campaign in which he has already amassed 11 goals and 17 assists for a total of 28 points with the Phantoms this season.  Varone ranks ninth in the AHL in points, producing at a rate of 1.27 per game, and is second on the Phantoms in goals, assists, points, and power-play goals with five.

With a total of 70 points (23G, 47A) during the 2017-18 season, the most by a Phantoms player in the last 14 years, Varone captured the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP and finished second in the league’s point race.

Originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the fifth round (147th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the 5-foot-10-inch center has appeared in 54 NHL contests — between the Buffalo Sabres (42), Ottawa Senators (8), and Philadelphia Flyers (4) — in which he tallied five goals and five assists for 10 points.

Swavely, 27, has played 26 games this season for the Reading Royals (ECHL) and currently leads the Royals with 28 points, 12 goals, and 16 assists. He currently sits 15th in the ECHL in points and is coming off a 13-game points streak. He has notched 20 points in his last 14 games for Reading.

A native of Reading, Pa, Swavely is currently in his third full professional season after four years at the University of Maine. He has totaled 96 points on 43 goals and 53 assists in 104 games for the Reading Royals. The 6-foot-1 forward has played 53 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms during the last three seasons.