Defenseman Cam York and the Flyers agree to five-year contract extension

The hope is that the new season will bring a new Cam York — it will certainly bring a richer one.

On Monday, the Flyers and the defenseman agreed to a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension worth an average annual value of $5.15 million.

“I’m extremely happy to call Philly my home and I’m proud to be a Flyer,” said York via the team’s public relations staff. “It is a true privilege to wear the Flyers crest and I will give everything I have to my teammates and this city to help us win. I believe in this team and I love the direction we are heading. I couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey and build something special together.”

York, 24, was a restricted free agent and received a qualifying offer by the June 30 deadline. The minimum qualifying offer to York had to be one year at $1.6 million, the same AAV as the two-year contract he signed in July 2023. The new deal does not contain any trade protection, a source told The Inquirer.

“We are very happy to have Cam under contract for the next five years and be a main piece on our blue line,” said general manager Danny Brière in a statement released by the team. “Cam has been a workhorse for our team over the last few seasons. We’re excited by his development and look forward to his continued growth and emergence as a young leader within our group.”

Following a breakout year in 2023-24, York struggled to find his game this past season after sustaining a shoulder injury in late October. He finished with 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) and a plus-minus of minus-8 while playing an average of 20 minutes, 47 seconds across 66 regular-season games.

But was York one of the “untapped talents” new coach Rick Tocchet alluded to at his introductory press conference in May? York did put up career highs in goals (10), assists (20), points (30), power-play points (six), and time on ice (22:37) the year before. The hope is that with a new bench boss, he can get back on track.

“I think so,” Brière told The Inquirer when asked whether York was indeed that untapped talent. “Yeah, I think Cam started showing that a couple of years ago, and then last year didn’t take a step forward. There were many reasons for that. He was injured. I agree with that. I think, yeah, there’s a lot more there with Cam York.”

And it sure sounds like it based on the new contract.

Aside from the shoulder, there were plenty of other obvious factors that contributed to York’s downturn — and a lot of it centered on the now-fired John Tortorella. The bench boss didn’t hide his disdain for the Californian, to the media and on the ice.

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This past season, Tortorella scratched York more than once and said in March after the blueliner watched from the press box that he was “terribly inconsistent” and that his struggles had “gone on too long.”

York knew he was having issues and said the shoulder injury impacted him more than he thought. But Tortorella also decided that, despite the power play bottoming out, a guy who ran one for USA Hockey and the University of Michigan shouldn’t get even a crack on the point.

“I know I can, but it was pretty clear early on that that wasn’t going to be the case. I could feel it,” York said. ”Of course, I would have loved to have been on a power play and do that, and probably help my numbers maybe a little bit. But it’s just not how it worked out this year, and that’s all right. I focused on my five-on-five game and tried to be the best that I could there.”

The two nearly came to blows in a heated argument two days before Tortorella was axed.

York served a one-game suspension for his role in the argument, and after he returned to the lineup, the difference in his game was visible.

In his last eight games, York had two assists.

The defenseman is looking forward to playing freer next season because “when I’m not thinking out there, that’s why I’m at my best.” He now has another buddy, in addition to Jamie Drysdale, on the team in the recently acquired Trevor Zegras. York is also hoping for a chance to get back on the power play.

“Being able to play with a little bit more freedom, and maybe not gripping the stick as tight,” York said of the last stretch after Tortorella was fired. “As a player, that’s everything, in a way. It felt good to get back to that and have that mindset.”