The Flyers dipped into the college free-agent pool Thursday by signing Riley Thompson.
The one-year entry-level contract is for next season, but Thompson will report to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley for the rest of this season on a professional tryout.
Thompson is a big, 23-year-old forward who played the last two seasons at Ohio State. The 6-foot-4, 222-pounder can play some center and winger. He had 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists), 111 shots and 60 penalty minutes in 37 games for the Buckeyes this season.
He had a strong finish with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) over Ohio State’s last 10 games. That stretch was highlighted by a three-point performance in an upset of nationally-ranked Wisconsin.
Last season, Thompson put up 33 points (17 goals, 16 assists) in 40 games for a Buckeyes team that went 24-14-2.
The Ottawa native started his college career at Alaska Anchorage.