Cam York excited about Flyers’ future after signing extension: ‘I wanted to stay and be a part of what’s going on here’
York, 24, also believes he has "much more to give" offensively and on the power play. "I feel like my lateral movement on the blue line is good, and I have a good shot. So, anything I can do to help.”
Sitting in the Flyers’ press room in Voorhees in April at his end-of-season news conference, defenseman Cam York did carry some of the blame for a disappointing season, saying: “You can say all you want about me and the coach, but at the end of the day, I didn’t do my part.”
York, 24, suffered a shoulder injury in late October, and he struggled to recover after missing 13 games with the ailment. Plus, he “didn’t think I had necessarily much of a leash” with former coach John Tortorella — which was evident to everyone watching.
But now the blueliner has a clean slate with a new coaching staff, led by head coach Rick Tocchet and assistant coach Todd Reirden, who will be in charge of the defense.
» READ MORE: Defenseman Cam York and the Flyers agree to five-year contract extension
“That year was obviously really frustrating for me,” York said Tuesday via Zoom from his native California. “I felt like at the end of the day, though, I learned a lot from that year, and I’m going to be able to take that year and kind of use it as an example for me down the road. And, obviously, I don’t want to experience that again, or have that feeling again.
“So obviously extremely motivated to have a big next year. I think it’s important just to continue to have the belief in yourself, and I’m more than confident that I can come back and have a big year.”
The history is there with York, and it appears that the Flyers believe he has it in him, too. The two sides agreed to a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension worth an average annual value of $5.15 million on Monday. Although the new deal does not contain any trade protection, a source told The Inquirer, York is happy with the length, which expires when he is 29.
“I obviously love Philadelphia, and it’s my home and where I’m comfortable, and I just wanted to be there as long as I could, really,” he said. “I wanted to stay and be a part of what’s going on here, and obviously, a really exciting time to join and be a part of this really good group moving forward.”
The group does have a new addition, but it’s someone York knows pretty well. Trevor Zegras, who was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in late June, is a buddy of York’s and a former teammate on the USA Hockey squad that stunned Canada — and fellow buddy and Flyer Jamie Drysdale — to win gold at the 2021 World Juniors.
York was the captain of the team, and Zegras backed up his guarantee-like interview before the gold medal game on his way to being the tournament’s top points producer and MVP.
“Obviously, we were high school troublemakers together; really good friends,” said York, who also played with Zegras for two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program.
“He brings a skill set that we haven’t seen, probably, in a while. And I think it’s going to be really good for our team just to be around him in practice; like, he’s going to make our entire team more skilled. And I think that’s going to be really important for us.
“He’s just a unique player. There’s guys in the league that have skill, and there’s guys that have elite skill, and I would say he’s in that elite category. So obviously, the organization, the fans, should all be super excited, because he’s a guy that can definitely get you out of your seat.”
The connection York and Zegras have should especially help the power play, as York manned the point on the Americans’ man advantage with Zegras. After getting power-play time in his first few seasons with the Flyers, York was surprisingly left out of the mix last season.
Although York hasn’t spoken specifics and roles just yet with Tocchet and Reirden, the blueliner is hopeful he’ll get another shot to prove what he can do with the man advantage.
“I’ve been a power-play guy pretty much my entire career at every level; last year, I wasn’t,” said York, who also filled that role for his two seasons at the University of Michigan.
“I think when you’re on the power play and you’re getting more puck touches, your offensive numbers will go up. Obviously, my familiarity with Trevor, who’s now on the team, I just feel like the familiarity is there and could be a good connection, potentially. But I feel like my lateral movement on the blue line is good, and I have a good shot. So, anything I can do to help.”
York said he wants to work on improving his 200-foot game and bring back some of the offense he has shown during his career, saying, “I think, offensively, I have so much more to give.”
His goal is to put behind him the guy who notched just 17 points last year in 66 regular-season games and revert to the player who was not only called the best defensive blueliner on the team by Tortorella two years ago, but also the puck mover and offensive threat who notched double-digit goals that season.
It’s his confidence in himself and the potential of what is coming for the Flyers that piqued the interest of York to sign a five-year deal. With several players barreling through the pipeline and the recent additions of Zegras and free agents, York likes the skill and depth now with the team — and the new bench boss.
“We’ve been in kind of this little rut here for a few years, and I think every player on the team has kind of learned and adapted to new things. I just feel like we’re at this stage where we’re ready to break out ... and if everybody continues to try to take that next step and get better and better, I think our team is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
“... And, I think you add Tocc into the mix there, I think he’s going to be a great fit for our team, and he’s going to be able to take us to that next level and get to where we want to be, and that’s, obviously, in the playoffs.”