Photo Credit: Lehigh Valley Phantoms
After spending most of his career in the ECHL minus one year with the Monsters (AHL) and another with Detva HC in Slovak, Hayden Hodgson has found his way back to the AHL ranks with the Phantoms. A feat he very much so deserved. Hodgson has seemingly found a home with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and coach Ian Laperriere, who is never short to compliment Hodgson. Actually paraphrasing, the coach has gone so far as to compare Hodgson to Max Willman from the sense of someone who worked his butt off to get from ECHL to AHL and then of course right now in the NHL. Get well soon Max.
Now Hodgson is not the same player as Max Willman of course. Willman is a speedster playmaker, who has some grit, whereas Hodgson is like a mini Ian Laperrière who is all about Grit and standing up for his team and making big hits. So it is no wonder that the Phantoms coach loves Hayden Hodgson. The 6’2 Hodgson weighs 215 pounds, and is from Windsor, Ontario. Hodgson is also at .5 points per game pace with eight points in 16 games. He has four goals and four apples to make up that total. Hodgson is on top of his physical play a very good energizer to lead by example. Phantoms have two of those players in Brennan Saulnier from the left side and Hodgson, who is adding more offensive jam, from the right side. Those are players you need on any team. Guys who can defend the top guys around them.
For Hodgson, he is getting rewarded with some more play with top liners because of his own play this season. For example when he got a nice play against the Wolf Pack on Friday, where Cal O’Reilly threw it from the boards to a smartly cutting Hodgson who was able to deflect the puck in. Or the game prior against the Wolf Pack at home on the 12th, where Hodgson was able to make a nice play in the neutral zone to lead to Isaac Ratcliffe’s goal in that game. It is extremely noticeable how confident Hodgson is on the ice if he keeps this up who knows. He could be the next one to earn a two-way contract just like Willman.
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