Ottawa 67's and 2023 OHL Champion defenceman Samuel Mayer has signed a two-year AHL contract with the Henderson Silver Knights
Henderson Silver Knights GM Tim Speltz announced on Thursday, May 9 that they have signed 2003-born Ottawa 67's defenceman Samuel Mayer to a two-year AHL contract.
Mayer completed his OHL career this past season starting with the Peterborough Petes — the team he won the 2023 OHL Championship with — before being traded to the Ottawa 67's in exchange for three draft picks. He was brought into the nation's capital to help bolster the 67's blueline for their playoff run.
Mayer finished his overage season with 53 points and an impressive 21 goals in 69 regular season games.
He made a big impact in Ottawa's first-round series against the Brantford Bulldogs, shining in Game 4 with a hat trick (capping it off with the overtime winner) and four points. Mayer finished with four goals and seven points in their six-game series against the Bulldogs.
Mayer racked up another four assists in the second round against the Oshawa Generals, but it was a short-lived series as Ottawa was swept by the future Eastern Conference Champions.
The 6-foot-3 defenceman plays a well-rounded two-way style on the backend. He possesses a heavy shot from range and is a volume-shooter from the point. His offensive game has progressed tremendously over the last two seasons, but he projects to be more of a defensive stalwart on the blueline at the pro level.
Mayer is not shy to play with a physical edge in the hardnosed areas or scruff it up after the whistle. He has a mean streak that can get him in trouble and spend a lot of time in the penalty box. Along with his physicality, he uses his long reach effectively to keep opponents to the outside and stop them from getting into the slot.
Samuel Mayer is another good story of perseverance like Justin Brazeau. Mayer was passed upon in his OHL draft year and selected the following year 15th overall in the OHL U18 Priority Selection by Peterborough. Now he's an OHL Champion and has earned himself a pro contract with the Silver Knights.