By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Philadelphia — On Nov. 5, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired defensemen Ben Gleason from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defensemen Ronnie Attard according to Flyers General Manager Daniel Briere.
Gleason, a Brandon Township native who was signed by the Edmonton Oilers in 2023, was in year two of a two-year NHL deal following five years with the Texas Stars an affiliate of the Dallas Stars.
“I was shocked at the trade,” said Gleason. “I was really not expecting it, but it’s part of the game. It’s a big change in cities, I’ve been in Texas and California my whole professional career. But, I’m closer to my home in Michigan and excited to play in Philadelphia.”
Gleason, debuted on Nov. 9 with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in Allentown, Pa of the American Hockey Association. The Phantoms, the primary development team for the Flyers, defeated the Utica Comets in overtime by a 4-3 margin. Gleason tallied an assist at 15:48 of the second period.
Siobhan Nolan, a sports writer for The Hockey News reported that the Flyers may provide more opportunities for Gleason in the NHL.
“The Philadelphia Flyers trade for Ben Gleason marks a strategic reshuffle of defensive depth as the Flyers continue to adjust their roster dynamics,” wrote Nolan. “Gleason, while relatively unknown to many Philadelphia fans, has a distinct set of skills that could prove valuable to Flyers’ vision on the blue line.”
Despite a strong 2023 preseason camp, Gleason, 25, was sent to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League, an affiliate of the Oilers. Gleason played in 69 games with the Condors with 11 goals and 22 assists. In 2023-24 he paced all Condors defensmen with 10 goals, a new career single-season high. For the Texas Stars, Gleason played in 293 regular season games over five seasons with 58 goals and 112 assists. In the 2021-22 season, he led all Stars defenseman in scoring with 44 points in 70 games.
In 2014 Gleason, as a Brandon High School sophomore, was considered one of the top defenseman on a U18 Detroit Honeybaked travel team stocked with talent
Gleason was drafted by the London Knights as the 36th draft pick overall in the second round of Ontario Hockey League’s 2014 Priority Selection. The OHL is part of the Canadian Hockey League—a development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and five American states.