Defenseman Robert Hagg makes NHL debut for Flyers

Defenseman Robert Hagg was recalled from Lehigh Valley and made his NHL debut for the Flyers in their season finale Sunday night against visiting Carolina.

After the morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center, the soft-spoken Hagg told reporters he was excited and a "little bit nervous, but I guess that's normal."

Hagg, who started the night paired with Shayne Gostisbehere and later was alongside Ivan Provorov, had a strong debut: nine shots (five on goal), four hits, three blocks, and an even plus-minus rating in 21 minutes, 19 seconds.

Haag, 22, is near the end of his third full season with the AHL's Phantoms. He has seven goals, eight assists, and a plus-9 rating this season.

"From all the reports there, he's had a really solid year from start to finish and really improved his game," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said before the game. "… It's just a matter of a young player growing and maturing and continuing to build the confidence and consistency in his game."

Asked to describe his style of play, the 6-foot-2, 201-pound Hagg said, "It's a simple game. That's what I'm trying to do this year is simplify everything and be strong and hard in front of the net. It's as simple as that."

Hagg, selected in the second round (41st overall) of the 2013 draft, said he is "not looking for a home run every single time" this season, and that sometimes it's more effective to just put the puck off the glass and out of the zone.

Before joining the Phantoms, Hagg played two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League. He has 16 goals, 50 minutes, and 142 penalty minutes in three years with the Phantoms.

"You look at his pathway in terms of the amount of time he's spent in the American Hockey League, it's been a steady progression and that's what you want to see," Hakstol said.

Hakstol said Hagg has "earned this and deserves the opportunity to be here and the opportunity to play a game. This is player who has done everything the right way" and has paid his dues.

Hagg, who will return to the Phantoms for the rest of their season, Sam Morin, and Travis Sanheim figure to battle for two blue-line spots with the Flyers in 2017-18.

Hagg's brother, Christian, who had been watching him play in Allentown, attended Sunday's game and his parents watched from their home in Sweden.

Ivan Provorov became the fifth rookie in franchise history to appear in every game, joining Mel Bridgman (1975-76), Behn Wilson (1978-79), Brian Propp (1979-80), and Jeff Chychrun (1988-89). … Hagg replaced Brandon Manning. … Mike Vecchione and Nick Cousins returned to the lineup, while Chris VandeVelde and Roman Lyubimov were healthy scratches.