It is of little doubt that the trials the Philadelphia Flyers went through in 2006-07 had a direct effect on the Philadelphia Phantoms campaign. The Phantoms also faced obstacles of their own, with injuries and a strong East Division also standing in the road to success. But the team fought through it all, and up into the first week of April was in the hunt for a return to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Although that did not come to pass this season, the Phantoms faithful have many reasons for optimism as the team prepares for the 2007-08 campaign.

BEHIND THE BENCH

The Phantoms had just two head coaches through their first 10 years of existence, but had two in the 2007-08 season alone. The good news, however, is that the faces were familiar.

In June, John Stevens was promoted to the Flyers to take the assistant coaching position vacated by Wayne Fleming. In the days that followed, the organization tabbed assistant Craig Berube to be the head coach of the team, with assistant Kjell Samuelsson staying on. Together, Berube and Samuelsson prepared through the summer, took the team through training camp and led the club to a 3-2-0-1 start out of the gate, including three of a possible six points in three games against the Norfolk Admirals, a team that would turn out to be the surprise of the season.

But on October 22, things changed within the organization. Flyers GM Bob Clarke resigned and head coach Ken Hitchcock was fired. Paul Holmgren replaced Clarke, and Stevens was elevated to head coach of the Flyers.

The ripple effect touched the Phantoms over the next few days. One of Stevens’ first orders of business was to bring Berube to the Flyers as an assistant, and Samuelsson was promptly named the Phantoms head coach. Also, one of Holmgren’s primary roles for the previous seven seasons had been one of overseeing the Phantoms from a player personnel and development standpoint. His attention would now be turned to the Flyers.

The developments left the Phantoms in a state of flux, but it’s hard to argue with the selection of the two people who came on board as a result. Samuelsson turned to an old friend to be his assistant, and that old friend happened to be Hall-of-Famer Joe Mullen, who at the time was the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer among American-born players. Mullen had spent 4 ½ seasons as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins and in 2005-06 took over mid-season as the head coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, guiding the team into the Calder Cup playoffs.

On the management side, the organization flew a bit under the radar when it hired Don Luce to be its director of player development, which includes oversight of the Phantoms. Luce’s name did not jump out to many fans, except perhaps longtime ones who remembered him from his days as a player in Buffalo in the 1970s, including the team the Flyers beat to win their second Stanley Cup in 1975. But Luce is a well-known figure in the hockey world, having spent the previous 19 seasons working in a similar capacity for the Buffalo Sabres. Luce was crucial in the development of many of the players who now make up Buffalo’s dangerous roster, and Phantoms fans have a lot to look forward to as he looks for similar success in Philadelphia.

PLAYER PERSONNEL/INJURIES

The Phantoms found themselves in a situation this season where they not only had to support a Flyers team beset with injuries, but also had to deal with injuries themselves. The Flyers lost 301 man-games to injury, which opened the door for several players slated to be Phantoms to end up playing quite a bit of time for the Flyers. Alexandre Picard said during the season that he had expected to play about 10 games for the Flyers in 2006-07. Instead, he ended up playing 62. Stefan Ruzicka was the AHL’s leading scorer when he was first recalled to the Flyers in October, and his season ended up being nearly an even split between the two clubs with 40 games played for the Flyers and 32 for the Phantoms. Jussi Timonen was thrust into action for 14 Flyers games, and Triston Grant played eight. First year pro Nate Guenin managed to make his NHL debut with the Flyers and add eight more games to the back of his hockey card. A total of 25 players played for both teams this season, with two more – goaltenders Scott Munroe and Rejean Beauchemin – recalled to the Flyers without seeing game action.

While several Phantoms saw more action this season with the Flyers than they expected, the Phantoms also benefited from the services of several players that were slated to be Flyers. Those included Mark Cullen, who ended the season as the Phantoms leading scorer, as well as Marty Murray, Petr Nedved, Nolan Baumgartner and Niko Dimitrakos. Only Cullen finished the year with the team – Murray, Baumgartner and Nedved were all plucked from Philadelphia’s roster via waiver claims, while Dimitrakos was reassigned to the Chicago Wolves.

But the Phantoms were not immune to their own injury problems. The team lost 227 man-games to injury and illness this year, and many came at terrible times. Right before the coaching change, the Phantoms lost two of their most vocal leaders in captain John Slaney (leg) and enforcer Riley Cote (ankle). Both players were out until late December.

The Phantoms also lost several rookies to long term injuries. Lars Jonsson missed the last seven weeks of the season. Timonen was out for over a month from January 20 to February 24, and Frederik Cabana forfeited a similar amount of time from Feb. 18 to March 23. Cullen missed most of January (5th to 20th ) and then all of February (Jan. 27 – March 2) with two separate injuries. Denis Tolpeko was out for three stretches of seven, five and five games, while Ryan Potulny missed two weeks in October and three weeks in March.

Before Daniel Corso was loaned to Springfield in exchange for Darren Reid, Corso missed six games. Reid missed the same amount of time towards the end of the season. Matt Ellison was injured in the first week of the season and missed about a month from Oct. 13 to Nov. 10, and also missed the last two weeks of the season.

The overall injury situation also affected the Phantoms goaltending. Flyers goaltenders Antero Niitymaki and Robert Esche were each injured at various points during the season, resulting in call-ups for Scott Munroe, Rejean Beauchemin and Martin Houle to serve as backups. But all three Phantoms goalies were also hurt at one time or another, with Munroe missing a month and Beauchemin only appearing in seven games this season for the Phantoms. The Phantoms called up John DeCaro from the Central Hockey League on two occasions and used him in two games, while Michael Leighton, claimed off waivers from Nashville, played in four Phantoms contests.

FIERCE COMPETITION

Through all the injuries and changes, the Phantoms stayed strong in an East Division that ended up being quite unusual. For much of the season, Hershey, Norfolk and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton were the three top teams in the league. What makes this of significance is that since they were all divisional opponents, the Phantoms played 30 of their 80 games this season against those three teams, including 10 of the final 15 contests of the year. The success of those three clubs also left just one playoff spot for the remaining four teams in the division. Despite this, the Phantoms stayed in the fight for that spot with Albany and Bridgeport until the first weekend of April.

The Phantoms had their share of success against opponents this season. The campaign started with a 5-4 overtime win over Norfolk thanks to Ruzicka, who scored late in the game to force the extra session and then completed a natural hat trick by scoring the game-winner in OT. Philadelphia became the first team to sweep an eight game season series against the Binghamton Senators by winning four at home and four on the road against the Sens. On January 26, the Phantoms treated the home crowd to an entertaining 7-2 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, marking the first time in over two years the team had posted seven goals in a game.

Slaney, who’s making a yearly tradition out of reaching milestones, grabbed a few more this season despite his long injury absence. On December 27, he played in his 900th career game, and then became the first AHL defenseman to reach the 500-point plateau when he scored his 500th AHL point on January 21 vs. Norfolk. He received the AHL Milestone of the Month award for that achievement. Later in the season, Slaney played in his 600th career AHL game.

GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE

As the year came to a close, Phantoms fans had a chance to see the team’s next generation. Jonathan Matsumoto, the organization’s third round pick in last year’s draft, joined the Phantoms after his junior season at Bowling Green and announced his intentions to forego his senior year. Kyle Greentree also joined the team after his season ended at Alaska-Fairbanks, and the Phantoms welcomed Darroll Powe after his senior year at Princeton.

The Phantoms were able to entertain three of the organization’s top prospects late in the season. Ryan Parent, Claude Giroux and Steve Downie all joined the team after the season came to an end for their respective junior clubs. Parent and Giroux played a handful of games for the Phantoms, while Downie was just in for the last game of the season.

The presence of the three first-round draft picks gave the Flyers front office a chance to see them play together in an AHL game situation, while it gave the players themselves an opportunity to become at least somewhat acclimated with the organization. All three players are expected to return to Philadelphia for rookie camp in July, while Parent and Downie are turning pro in the fall. Giroux is expected to spend another season with his junior club, the Gatineau Olympiques.

IN THE COMMUNITY

The Phantoms continued their tradition of making a difference in the lives of people throughout the greater Philadelphia region in 2006-07. Through jersey auctions, chuck-a-puck, ticket donations and other endeavors, Phantoms Charities and the Comcast-Spectacor Foundation topped $91,485 in donations for the 2006-07 season. Time spent with these worthy organizations by the players, team personnel and all-star mascot Phlex also hit the 1,000-hour mark. Principal recipients of the Phantoms charitable giving included the Children’s Miracle Network at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Race for Adam Foundation/Niemann-Pick Foundation.

Some unique efforts specific to the Phantoms include players and coaches, along with selected Flyers players, using paint to make handprints on 11x17 cards. The limited edition, framed cards, which include each player's actual handprints and autograph, are then auctioned off to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. Through seven seasons, the Phantoms have raised nearly $40,000 and 100 percent of the money raised has benefited patient care programs at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Seuss’ birthday prompted a month long school reading campaign with 27 separate Phantom player readings, culminating in a Dr. Seuss themed night at a Phantoms game.

Together, the Phantoms and Flyers once again partnered in programs that spread the message of teamwork and good sportsmanship. During the season, the Flyers/ Phantoms School Assembly program spreads the meaning of teamwork and helps children recognize the importance of teamwork in school, sports, at home and throughout their daily lives. The school assembly visits alone touched over 270,000 children this season.

Meanwhile, over 3,700 youth participated in on-ice hockey clinics during the season. Phantoms players that participated in at least one of the programs, as several of the players were on hand for multiple sessions this season, included Riley Cote, Tony Voce, Triston Grant, Scott Munroe, Nate Guenin, Don Morrison, Freddy Cabana, Martin Houle, Denis Tolpeko and Gino Pisellini. This summer, the Phantoms will once again be involved in Hooked on Hockey, a street hockey program that spends the summer months touring summer camps and the like.

Also this season, the Phantoms returned to a prominent role in the Flyers Wives Fight For Lives Carnival for the first time in three years. Players and staff, along with their wives and girlfriends, participated in the annual event and assisted in brining thousands of dollars to the Comcast-Spectacor Foundation. Phantoms players signed autographs, took photos, ran game booths on the concourse and spent time in the dunk tank. The Phantoms, Flyers and Sixers have all combined to raise $400,000 for the foundation this season.

PROMOTIONS

The Phantoms also continued a tradition of making their games fun for fans off the ice as well as exciting with the action on the ice. This year’s three-piece collectible series included a John Slaney figurine and bobbleheads in the likeness of R.J. Umberger and Peter Forsberg. The season’s specialty jersey lineup included a nod to the NHL’s Philadelphia Quakers from the early 1930s, as well as a retro-style jersey with an old-English "P" on the front and a pink-accented jersey that raised awareness of the fight against breast cancer. Several giveaways, including a puzzle bank, a Phlex blanket, Phantoms Matchbox cars and t-shirt jerseys for kids, also marked the year for fans.

During the month of December, the Phantoms became the first professional team to use a lighted net in a game when Litnets provided a net with 1500 LED lights embedded in the goalposts and crossbar. It drew international media attention, including highlights on TSN in Canada. The fun went right to the end of the season and Fan Appreciation Night, when the Phantoms gave out over 900 prizes, including a team-autographed kitchen sink.

The 2005-06 season will sit in the annals of the Philadelphia Phantoms as a very unique one. Simple statistics will show a record of 34-37-2-7 for 77 points, a sixth-place finish in the East Division, and some other numbers that are not characteristic of the Phantoms. The reality of Philadelphia’s 10th season in the American Hockey League, however, revolved around the intangibles. The Flyers enjoyed many dividends produced by the Phantoms run to the Calder Cup in 2004-05, while the 2005-06 Phantoms provided support to a Flyers team ravaged by injuries over the course of the season.

The Phantoms started out the 2005-06 campaign in grand style with a two-game home stand at the Wachovia Center on October 8 and 9, nearly three months to the day after winning the Calder Cup on the same ice. Following a spirited pregame ceremony in which the members of the championship team received their rings, the Phantoms went out and beat the Binghamton Senators 4-3 in an overtime thriller, as their newly anointed captain John Slaney tied the game with less than three seconds remaining in regulation. They beat the Albany River Rats in their next two games, and by the end of the season’s third week had jumped out to a 4-1 record.

But in reality, this was a Phantoms team that was missing most of the power that won the Calder Cup those three months before. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards had gone to the Flyers, along with Joni Pitkanen, Jon Sim, Patrick Sharp, Dennis Seidenberg and Antero Niittymaki. Neil Little went to Finland, and Mark Murphy joined him after opening weekend. Boyd Kane became the captain of the rival Hershey Bears, while Todd Fedoruk signed on with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Ben Stafford went to medical school.

Some of the key cogs in the Cup run who remained, ended up not figuring much into the Phantoms plans. R.J. Umberger played in the team’s first 10 games before heading to the Flyers. He never came back. Freddy Meyer broke his leg in Flyers training camp, returned to the Phantoms in mid-November for 11 games, and then went to the NHL, never to return. Ben Eager spent three months with the Flyers before returning towards the end of the season. And Randy Jones spent most of his time with the Flyers after recovering from an emergency appendectomy in November. All this spelled out a rebuilding year for the Phantoms.

FRESH TALENT

The campaign revealed some budding hockey stars. Perhaps the most change took place in the goal crease, where Neil Little was absent for just the second campaign in the team’s 10-year history. With Antero Niittymaki in the NHL, it was an all-new set of netminders this year, with veteran Jamie Storr brought in along with rookies Martin Houle and Rejean Beauchemin. Beauchemin made the Phantoms out of training camp and did well. After an impressive start with Trenton, however, Houle came to the Phantoms and established himself as one of the AHL’s top rookie backstops. He finished sixth overall in the league and second among rookies with a 2.54 goals against average. The Flyers brought in a third rookie, Scott Munroe, late in the season, giving the organization a solid nucleus of young goaltending talent going forward.

On the blue line, rookies Alexandre Picard and Charlie Cook made their first regular-season appearances after joining the club during the 2005 Calder Cup Playoffs. Both exhibited great promise, with Picard making his NHL debut late in the season and Cook finishing the year with a +5 rating.

Among forwards, Stefan Ruzicka came back to Philadelphia after finishing his junior career with the Owen Sound Attack. Ruzicka had previously played two games at the end of the 2003-04 season and three more during the 2004 Calder Cup Playoffs. He continued to show his potential, collecting 16 goals and 32 assists for 48 points to finish the season as the team’s leading rookie scorer. The Phantoms also brought in a player out of the traditional Broad Street mold in Triston Grant, who finished his rookie season with 190 penalty minutes in 64 games.

HISTORY AT THE WACHOVIA SPECTRUM

On Friday, December 30, Phantoms captain John Slaney became the American Hockey League's all-time leading scorer among defensemen when he assisted on a Tony Voce goal to record his 454th career point. It broke a 41-year-old record previously held by Steve Kraftcheck, who played 13 seasons in the AHL between 1949 and 1964. The game played out like a script – nearly 9,000 fans witnessed the feat from the seats of the Philadelphia landmark and many more from couches and barstools around the Delaware Valley, as the game happened to be one of the Phantoms televised games on Comcast SportsNet. It was also the last home game before the Phantoms hit the road for two straight. The crowd roared in recognition of the Slaney point, as his high-slot slapper was redirected by Voce.

VOCE SCORES FOUR

The most significant single-game statistical accomplishment of the 2005-06 season came on February 11 in Illinois, as the Phantoms tangled with the Chicago Wolves for the first time since the two teams had faced one another in the 2005 Calder Cup Finals. That night, Tony Voce became the first player in franchise history to score four goals in a game, leading the Phantoms to a 6-1 rout of the Wolves. Voce’s first two goals were part of a second-period explosion that turned a game that was scoreless in the first intermission into a 4-0 Phantoms lead by the second break. Voce completed the hat trick at 15:21 of the third period, and broke the record with another goal less than two minutes later, at 17:09. The tallies were his 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th of the year.

LITTLE ENSHRINED

On April 7, the Phantoms inducted an inaugural member of the team into the Hall of Fame. Likeable goaltender Neil Little holds the distinction of being the only player to perform on both of Philadelphia’s Calder Cup championship teams. He played eight seasons for the team, appearing in 351 games – more than twice that of any other goaltender in Phantoms history, and second overall among all players. The moving on-ice ceremony included inaugural Phantoms Hall of Fame inductees Bill Barber and Frank Bialowas and a host of other dignitaries. A banner was unfurled from the Spectrum rafters and Little was presented with several items commemorating his achievements.

POSTSEASON AWARDS

Once again this season, the Phantoms gave out a full slate of postseason awards honoring the players for their efforts both on and off the ice throughout the year. The winners were as follows:

Phantoms Media Award: Riley Cote
Unsung Hero Award: Riley Cote
Fan’s Choice Award: Riley Cote
Community Service Award: Charlie Cook
AHL Man of the Year: Charlie Cook
Most Coachable Player: Alexandre Picard
Most Consistent Player: Pat Kavanagh
Barry Ashbee Award: John Slaney
Rookie of the Year: Martin Houle
Leading Scorer Award: Tony Voce

VOCE WINS TOYOTA CUP

Tony Voce’s consistent performance throughout the season earned him the Phantoms Toyota Cup Award for 2005-06. The award is determined using the Three Stars of the Game for each contest during the season. Players earn five points for a No. 1 star, three points for a No. 2 star and one point for a No. 3 star. Voce earned the award with 35 points on the strength of five No. 1 stars, three No. 2 stars, and four No. 3 stars.

Voce designated the American Cancer Society to receive a $2,000 donation in memory of Carolyn McLaughlin.

COMMUNITY

Led by their mascot Phlex, the Phantoms were again omnipresent in the community. Phlex alone racked up over 285 community appearances during the season. Phlex and the club also work in concert with the Flyers and Comcast-Spectacor in a host of community and charity ventures. Most notable to this partnership is the Flyers/Phantoms School Assembly Program. It made nearly 80 appearances at schools throughout the Delaware Valley. Phlex and Flyers Ambassador of Hockey Bob Kelly spread the gospel of sportsmanship to over 20,000 kids, explaining the principles of hockey and how the aspects of teamwork can apply to their everyday lives. This impressive seminar utilizes a DVD and various hands-on activities.

Along with Phantoms players, Phlex, Kelly and Phantoms Fan Development Coordinator Rob Baer laced up their skates during the season to take part in on-ice clinics at area rinks. Tony Voce, Martin Houle, and Charlie Cook were just three of a multitude of Phantoms who led well planned practices with youth hockey teams and gave the kids an unforgettable experience, learning the game from players they may see in the NHL someday.

Not to be forgotten was the sheer number of people touched by the Calder Cup. Giving the 2006 Cup winners a tough act to follow, the Phantoms had a jam-packed calendar of events just for the Cup. It accompanied players, coaches, Phlex and front-office members during many visits, giving countless folks a once-in-a-lifetime chance to view one of hockey's most storied trophies up close and personal. It rarely sat idle, as it was the centerpiece at schools, fire stations, business, banquets and senior centers. It also was a wonderful elixir, working one-on-one bedside at hospitals and in homes.

As Phantoms Head Coach John Stevens said, “The best thing about winning the Calder Cup is sharing it.” The Phantoms stuck to that motto.

The longest winning streak in the history of the AHL began with the team’s home opener at the Wachovia Center when the Phantoms defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs, 5-3. The streak, which began on October 22, lasted deep into November before the club finally lost at Syracuse on Nov. 28. The mark of 17 consecutive victories eclipsed the old record of 16 set by the Baltimore Skipjacks, which stood for almost 20 years. The streak also vaulted Philadelphia into first place in the East Division, where it would stay for most of the season.

One of the key acquisitions for the Phantoms occurred midway through the winning streak, on Nov. 14. On that day, Philadelphia sent packing its all-time leading scorer in Peter White in exchange for Jon Sim. The 5-10, 190-pound left wing proved to be an invaluable addition to the club, leading the team in goals with 35 and providing a strong presence in the locker room.

Seeing the majority of the playing time between the pipes was goaltender Antero Niittymaki, in his third season with the team. Niittymaki improved dramatically from his first season to his second, and was even better in his third. The Finland native was one of the best netminders throughout the AHL season, and broke the club record for most wins in a season with 33 when all was said and done.

Following the winning streak, Philadelphia had its worst stretch of the season in December. A five-game losing streak to close out the year 2004 was followed by a 5-7 January and then a 6-6 February. The East Division race was tight, with Binghamton, Norfolk and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton all battling it out with the Phantoms for that first seed.

Even though Niittymaki was seeing most of the playing time late in the season as well, longtime Phantoms goaltender Neil Little was still able to keep his name in the AHL headlines. Little became just the 10th goaltender in league history to accumulate 200 wins when he shut out the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on March 4 as the team once again got back to its winning ways.

Philadelphia compiled a 16-7-1 record over the final two months of the regular season. The Phantoms never looked back as they continued down the stretch and into the playoffs, finishing just a point behind Binghamton for second place in the division.

The playoff run began with Norfolk, a team that defeated Philadelphia in six of the 10 regular- season meetings. The Admirals put up a good fight, stretching the series out to six games before Philadelphia was finally able to clinch on its home ice with a 4-2 victory.

While the team was already playing well come playoff time, the roster improved drastically with the addition of two former NHL first-round draft picks of the Flyers. Jeff Carter, chosen 11th overall in 2003, and Mike Richards, who was taken 24th overall that same year, both joined the Phantoms after the conclusion of their junior seasons. Carter joined the club in time for the final week of the regular season and ended up leading the AHL in playoff scoring. Richards came aboard following the Norfolk series, and scored 15 points in his first 14 professional games.

Next up for the Phantoms after Norfolk was a team that had been a playoff nemesis of theirs in recent history. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, a team with a raucous home crowd, have been the chief rival of the Phantoms over the past couple of seasons. It was the Penguins who ended the Philadelphia’s season in 2004, and the Phantoms were out to seek revenge this time around.

They would get their vengeance in a most impressive fashion. After winning the first two games at home, the series shifted back to Wilkes-Barre. The Penguins won Game Three, but then dropped Game Four, setting up one of the most memorable games in Phantoms history. Trailing 4-1 almost midway through the third period, the Phantoms scored an amazing six unanswered goals en route to a 7-4 victory and a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Providence Bruins were the next opponent, with a trip to the Calder Cup Finals on the line. Once again, the Phantoms won the first two games of the series on home ice and then dropped Game Three. The teams split the next two games before the series shifted back to Philadelphia, and the Phantoms were once again able to clinch a series in front of their home fans in Game Six.

Those home fans provided great support for the Phantoms throughout the playoffs, as the team went a perfect 11-0 during the 2005 postseason at the Wachovia Center. It was the second record-breaking winning streak of the season for the team, as the previous AHL-best home winning streak during one season was 10.

The victory over Providence meant it was back to the Calder Cup Finals for the Phantoms for the first time since 1998 against a Chicago Wolves team that up until that point had breezed through the playoffs, including a sweep of the Manitoba Moose in the Western Conference Finals. It was expected to be a battle of the goaltenders, as Niittymaki and the Wolves’ Kari Lehtonen had both been stellar all season long.

The first three games were just that – very tight checking and low scoring, with both goaltenders playing about as well as could be expected. It was Niittymaki, however, who was just a little bit better in leading the Phantoms to a 1-0 win in Game One, and then a 2-1, double overtime victory in Game Two before the series shifted to the Wachovia Center for Game Three. It was more of the same in that game, as Niittymaki and the Phantoms squeaked past Chicago with another 2-1 victory, giving Philadelphia a 3-0 series lead heading into Game Four.

With an AHL playoff-record crowd of 20,103 on hand all donned in “Purple Reign” t-shirts, the Phantoms captured the Calder Cup with a 5-2 victory on June 10 to set off a party inside the Wachovia Center unlike none the league had ever seen.