Artem Guryev Reassigned by Philadelphia to Lehigh Valley; Royals Sign Hayden Ford to SPC
ECHL Reading Royals

Artem Guryev Reassigned by Philadelphia to Lehigh Valley; Royals Sign Hayden Ford to SPC

Published on January 17, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that defenseman Artem Guryev has been reassigned by the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) to Reading from Lehigh Valley (AHL). Additionally, defenseman Hayden Ford has been signed to a Standard Player Contract (SPC).

Guryev, 22, has registered one goal for one point in 26 games with the Royals during the 2025-26 campaign. This is the Moskva, Russia native's second reassignment by Philadelphia to Lehigh Valley, after previously doing so on November 15th, following his opening two game stint as a Royals on November 1st and 2nd. The 6'4", 209-pound, left shot blue-liner opened the season with Lehigh Valley, totaling two penalty minutes and a -1 rating in four games before his first reassignment to Reading by Philadelphia on November 1st.

A fifth round, 135th overall selection of San Jose in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Guryev has logged 12 points (5g-7a) across 118 professional career games between the AHL and ECHL. Across 56 ECHL career games with the Wichita Thunder from 2023-25, Guryev recorded seven points (2g-5a) and 30 penalty minutes. As a rookie in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda in 2023-24, he recorded four points (2g-2a) and 81 penalty minutes in 31 games.

Guryev was acquired by Philadelphia from San Jose as part of the October 5th trade that sent Guryev and forward Carl Grundstrom to Philadelphia in exchange for Ryan Ellis and a conditional sixth-round draft selection in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Ford, 28, is in his third professional season with 10 points (2g-8a) and 10 penalty minutes across 21 games with the Macon Mayhem in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) on the 2025-26 campaign. The Medford, New Jersey native has totaled of 23 points (5g-18a) and 34 PIMs in 94 professional career games, all in the SPHL, between Evansville, Birmingham and Macon.

Prior to opening his pro career with Evansville in 2023-24, the 6'0", 194-pound, right-shot blue-liner logged 32 points (3g-29a) and 36 PIMs across 89 NCAA D-III career games with Buffalo State College.

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