Phil Varone (ice hockey)

Philip Varone (born December 4, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing with Düsseldorfer EG in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Varone was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the fifth round (147th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Phil Varone
Varone with the Düsseldorfer EG in 2023
Born (1990-12-04) December 4, 1990 (age 33)
Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
PositionCentre
ShootsLeft
DEL team
Former teams
Düsseldorfer EG
Buffalo Sabres
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Barys Nur-Sultan
Lausanne HC
SC Bern
Spartak Moscow
NHL draft147th overall, 2009
San Jose Sharks
Playing career2011–present

Playing career

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Amateur

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Varone played major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 2006–07 to 2010–11, collecting 78 goals and 152 assists for 230 points in 228 games.

Professional

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Varone attended the San Jose Sharks training camp in 2010, but was sent down to London for the season. By July 2011, the Sharks had not signed Varone to a contract, making him a free agent. Varone attended the Buffalo Sabres training camp in 2011, but did not make the team. He instead signed a one-year AHL contract with the Sabres' affiliate Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). He led Rochester in scoring with 11 goals and 41 assists.[1]

On March 19, 2012, the Buffalo Sabres signed Varone to a three-year entry level contract.[2] Varone was recalled to the Sabres' active roster on January 22, 2014,[3] and scored his first career point with an assist on a goal by Brian Flynn the next night against the Carolina Hurricanes.[4] Varone scored his first goal in his fourth career game, against Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals on January 28, 2014.[5] During the 2013-2014 season, Varone also played for the Rochester Americans in the 2013 Spengler Cup, scoring 1 goal and 3 assists.

Following the 2014–15 season, Varone became a restricted free agent under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Buffalo Sabres made him a qualifying offer to retain his NHL rights and, on July 5, 2015, Varone filed for salary arbitration.[6] The two sides reached an agreement on a one-year, two-way contract on July 13.

In the 2015–16 season, Varone played in a further five games with the Sabres, but was on assignment with the Rochester Americans when on February 27, 2016, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators as part of a seven-player deal.[7] Varone was called up to Ottawa for the final game of the season, April 9, 2016 and recorded an assist. In the following 2016–17 season, Varone split between Ottawa and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. Serving as an alternate captain he appeared in 65 regular season games for Binghamton, where he recorded 36 assists and 51 points. He was scoreless over 7 games in the NHL with Ottawa.

On July 1, 2017, having left the Senators as a free agent, Varone signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.[8] At the end of the 2017–18 regular season, Varone was named the AHL's Most Valuable Player.[9]

On December 7, 2018, Varone was recalled by the Flyers. He made his Flyers debut on December 8 against the Buffalo Sabres. He scored his first goal as a member of the Flyers on December 22 in a 4–3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

As a free agent Varone left the Flyers to sign a one-year, two-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens on July 3, 2019.[10] Assigned to AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, to begin the 2019–20 season, Varone although limited through injury contributed with 14 points in 27 games. On February 20, 2020, Varone was traded by the Canadiens along with Riley Barber to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Joseph Blandisi and Jake Lucchini. He was immediately assigned to join affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.[11] Varone registered 5 assists in just 6 games before the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the following North American season delayed due to the pandemic, Varone as a free agent opted to sign abroad for the first time in his career, joining Kazahstani based club, Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL on October 26, 2020.[12]

On July 7, 2021, Varone joined Lausanne HC of the National League (NL) on a one-year deal.[13] On November 17, 2021, Varone was shipped to SC Bern for the remainder of his contract.

As a free agent from Bern, Varone returned to the KHL in agreeing to a one-year deal with HC Spartak Moscow on July 21, 2022.[14] In the 2022–23 season, Varone eclipsed his previous league high offensive totals in contributing with 15 goals and 30 points through 57 regular season games.

Career statistics

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Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2006–07Kitchener DutchmenMWJHL2010112121
2006–07Kitchener RangersOHL131342
2007–08Kitchener RangersOHL365202512
2007–08London KnightsOHL311026361451127
2008–09London KnightsOHL5819335232141091919
2009–10London KnightsOHL319223117
2010–11London KnightsOHL41012
2010–11Erie OttersOHL55334881307310134
2011–12Rochester AmericansAHL761141524232130
2012–13Rochester AmericansAHL621124354230002
2013–14Rochester AmericansAHL691843615850330
2013–14Buffalo SabresNHL91124
2014–15Rochester AmericansAHL5515294422
2014–15Buffalo SabresNHL2832510
2015–16Rochester AmericansAHL4413193220
2015–16Buffalo SabresNHL51122
2015–16Binghamton SenatorsAHL21617238
2015–16Ottawa SenatorsNHL10110
2016–17Ottawa SenatorsNHL70002
2016–17Binghamton SenatorsAHL6515365122
2017–18Lehigh Valley PhantomsAHL742347703670332
2018–19Lehigh Valley PhantomsAHL221117286
2018–19Philadelphia FlyersNHL473478
2019–20Laval RocketAHL27410148
2019–20Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL60556
2020–21Barys Nur-SultanKHL42916254241122
2021–22Lausanne HCNL1325710
2021–22SC BernNL296121814
2022–23Spartak MoscowKHL5715153018
2023–24Düsseldorfer EGDEL3411162712
NHL totals97891726
KHL totals992431556041122

References

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  1. ^ "Phil Varone". Hockey's Future. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  2. ^ "Sabres Sign Varone To Entry-Level Contract". Buffalo Sabres. March 19, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  3. ^ "Phil Varone Recalled From Amerks". Buffalo Sabres. January 22, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  4. ^ "Recap: Hurricanes 5 - Sabres 3". Buffalo Sabres. January 23, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  5. ^ "Varone scores 1st NHL goal in OT loss". Buffalo Sabres. January 28, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  6. ^ "Four players headed to arbitration". National Hockey League. July 5, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  7. ^ "Sabres acquire four from Senators". Buffalo Sabres. February 27, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  8. ^ "Flyers sign Vecchione, Knight and Varone". Philadelphia Flyers. July 1, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  9. ^ "PHANTOMS' VARONE VOTED AHL MVP". American Hockey League. April 13, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  10. ^ "One-year, two-way contract for free agent forward Phil Varone". Montreal Canadiens. July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  11. ^ "Pens acquire Barber, Varone from Montreal for Blandisi and Lucchini". Pittsburgh Penguins. February 20, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  12. ^ "Varone to Barys" (in Russian). Kontinental Hockey League. October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  13. ^ "Lausanne HC signs two new import players to their roster". swisshockeynews.ch. July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  14. ^ "Newcomer to Spartak - Phil Varone" (in Russian). HC Spartak Moscow. July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
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