# Tyson Foerster

Tyson Foerster (born January 18, 2002) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right wing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers selected him in the first round, 23rd overall, of the 2020 NHL entry draft.

## Early life

Foerster was born January 18, 2002, in Alliston, Ontario, to Glen and Sheri Foerster. He was inspired to play ice hockey by his older brother Dawson, and Glen Foerster built a basement floor hockey rink for his children. Foerster would also assist his grandparents with their sheep farm, building his strength by stacking bales of hay. In his final season of minor ice hockey with the Barrie Jr. Colts, Foerster had 20 goals and 61 points in 34 games. He also appeared in five OHL Cup games, recording five goals and nine points.

## Playing career
### Junior

The Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) selected Foerster in the third round, 55th overall, of the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, and he signed with the team that September. He scored his first junior ice hockey goal on October 7, as part of Barrie's 4–2 win over the Kingston Frontenacs. During his second season, Foerster recorded six points against the Mississauga Steelheads setting of a point streak through 13 straight games which included six consecutive multi-point efforts. National Hockey League (NHL) scouts noted he showed stark improvement in play and goal scoring, setting career-highs in both goals and assists. Foerster described himself as a "shoot first player with a strong playmaking ability."

### Professional
#### Philadelphia Flyers

As a result of his play, Foerster rose from the 41st ranking by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau in January to the 21st by April. He was invited to the 2020 CHL Top Prospects Game where he scored two goals and was named Player of the Game for Team White. He was eventually drafted 23rd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and signed an entry-level contract with the team on October 14, 2020.
With the hiatus of the OHL due to the ongoing pandemic, Foerster attended the Flyers training camp in preparation for the 2020–21 season. On January 13, 2021, he was re-assigned by the Flyers to AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms training camp, in order to continue his development. In his first game with the Phantoms, on February 6, 2021, Foerster had an awkward collision with a Hershey Bears player that resulted in a broken tibia for Foerster. He was expected to miss 3-4 weeks.
On March 9, 2023, Foerster made his NHL debut with the Flyers against the Carolina Hurricanes, where he played on the ice for roughly fourteen minutes, blocked three shots by the Hurricanes, and had two shots himself against goalie Pyotr Kochetkov. He had his first assist on March 17 against the Buffalo Sabres, and on the following day, March 18, Foerster scored his first NHL goal against the Hurricanes' Frederik Andersen in the last five minutes of the second period. On March 26, after scoring three goals over a total of eight games played, Foerster was loaned back to the Flyers' AHL affiliate Phantoms.

## International play

Foerster was named to Team Canada for the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, winning gold.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2017–18 | Stouffville Spirit | OJHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2018–19 | Barrie Colts | OHL | 64 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019–20 | Barrie Colts | OHL | 62 | 36 | 44 | 80 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21 | Lehigh Valley Phantoms | AHL | 24 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | Lehigh Valley Phantoms | AHL | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22 | Barrie Colts | OHL | 13 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022–23 | Lehigh Valley Phantoms | AHL | 66 | 20 | 28 | 48 | 59 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022–23 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 20 | 13 | 33 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 85 | 23 | 17 | 40 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2022 | Canada | WJC | | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | Junior totals | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 |