7th year center Philip-Michael Devos(8) gets his option picked up for a third straight season with HC Ajoie of NLB, where he led the league in assists (52) and points (71) en route to capturing the 2016 Championship.
In his 2nd campaign, he finished with a league leading 40 goals, 57 assists and 97 points, so re-signing a player with those numbers was a no-brainer.
He first left North American pro hockey joining Val Pusteria, where he put up a Serie A best 60 assists and 90 points, while helping the team win an Italian Supercup Championship.
As a rookie, he was part of the Norfolk Admirals‘ Cinderella-story 2012 Calder Cup title, appearing in only 9 postseason contests with a goal and an assist but still contributed with a +4 rating.
In his sophomore season he played a career high 70 AHL games in the 2nd year of his initial deal with new Tampa Bay Lightning affiliate Syracuse Crunch but ticked down ever so slightly in scoring.
To start 2013/2014 he agreed with Elmira Jackals with limited success but was loaned on a pair of occasions before a trade brought him back to Florida Everblades.
In 38 ECHL games he was a more than a point-per-game skater (11-29-40) but came up short of a playoff berth.
The 27-year old should continue to excel in Switzerland’s tier 2 league once again and might look to climb the ladder to NLA, if offered.
Philip-Michael Devos(88) Norfolk Admirals
Undrafted Norfolk Admirals‘ rookie center Philip-Michael Devos(88) season couldn’t have had it much better with either of the two leagues he skated in 2011/2012.
Upon receiving his second recall from the ECHL Florida Everblades on the day after Christmas, he never looked or went back down.
Signed in the offseason to a 2-year, two-way AHL contract with the Admirals, the 5’11” 185 lbs. forward would have maybe suffered a bit of a pay cut playing in the lower league, but he would have been skating with a Kelly Cup Championship team.
In 22 ECHL games he scored 6 goals and 14 assists. Up in the A, he had 7 goals and 17 assists through 52 contests and has a goal and an assist in 8 Calder Cup appearances.
With four more in the W column, he will have earned himself a spot on a Calder Cup Championship team, so this once explosive scorer from juniors really had quite a first year playing pro.