Former “exceptional player” Sean Day resurfaces, signs with Lightning

In case you missed the news earlier this Spring, the New York Rangers effectively cut ties with former OHL “exceptional player” Sean Day, four years after he was drafted by the club.

Day, of course, has generated countless headlines throughout his hockey career mostly due to the fact that he was granted exceptional player status by the OHL and allowed to play in the league for Mississauga Steelheads at just 15 years old. Prior to Day, only John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid had ever been granted exceptional status. All of those players went on to be #1 overall picks in the NHL… Day was 81st in his draft year and has yet to play an NHL game. So… what gives?

Well, depending on who you ask you’ll get the official story or the unofficially story. Officially, the OHL would say that Day had the talent, drive and stats to warrant exceptional player status. Unofficially thought, there are rumours that Day’s wealthy family may have… shall we say… made it worthwhile to the OHL to enable their son early entry into the league. Look… I’m not saying anything, I’m just reporting on what OTHER people are saying. 

In any case, Day’s OHL career was largely unremarkable and his pro career has been even more unremarkable. He was cut from the Rangers with seemingly no pro hockey in his future… until today.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that they’ve signed Day, giving him a fresh start in Florida.

Check it out:

Read below for the official press release announcement of Day’s signing courtesy of the Lightning’s official website:

TAMPA BAY - The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed free agent defenseman Sean Day to a one-year, two-way contract today, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced.

Day, 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, played in 16 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League during the 2019-20 season, recording a goal and four points. He also skated in 36 games for the Maine Mariners of the ECHL, notching five goals and 20 points.

A native of Leuven, Belgium, Day has appeared in 62 career AHL games, all with Hartford, which included 46 during the 2018-19 season. He has also played in 55 career ECHL games with Maine during the previous two seasons. Day skated in 291 OHL games with Mississauga, Windsor and Kingston during his junior career, recording 42 goals and 158 points.

Day, 22, was drafted by the New York Rangers in the third round, 81st overall, of the 2016 NHL Draft.