Phantoms Return to PPL Center This Friday, Saturday
January 15, 2016
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms, proud AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, in conjunction with USA Hockey, are pleased to announce that Head Coach Scott Gordon has been tabbed as one of five assistant coaches to guide Team USA in the upcoming 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Gordon, a native of Easton, Massachusetts, will join Mike Sullivan (Duxbury, Mass.), John Hynes (Warwick, R.I.), Phil Housley (South St. Paul, Minn.) and Jack Capuano (Cranston, R.I.) under Head Coach John Tortorella (Boston, Mass.).
Set for Sept. 17 – Oct. 1 in Toronto, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey will feature eight teams including the U.S., Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, Team Europe and Team North America.
“We’re extremely pleased with the coaching staff we’ve assembled,” said Dean Lombardi, general manager of Team USA and also the GM of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. “It’s a group that not only brings great experience on multiple levels, but is in lock step with where we’re going and how we’re going to get there.”
In his first season at the helm of the Phantoms, Gordon has more than 20 years of experience behind the bench. Beginning his coaching career in the IHL and ECHL, he joined the Providence Bruins in 2000, where he spent parts of three seasons as an assistant coach before taking over as head coach for five seasons and earning AHL Coach of the Year honors in 2008. Gordon served as head coach of the NHL’s New York Islanders (2008-11) and also an assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs (2011-14).
He was an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, helping the U.S. to a silver medal and also served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team for the IIHF Men’s World Championship in 2010, 2011 and 2012. In addition, he was an assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2009 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
The Phantoms return to PPL Center for a pair of games this weekend. First, on Friday, January 15, Lehigh Valley welcomes the rival Hershey Bears to downtown Allentown for a 7:05 p.m. showdown. Friday’s game features a T-Shirt Giveaway where the first 8,500 fans in attendance will receive a FREE shirt featuring the names of each member of the Phantoms organization. Then, on Saturday, January 16, it’s Girl Scout Night when the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, invade PPL Center for a 7:05 p.m. clash.
A limited number of tickets for both Friday and Saturday’s games are available now at pplcenter.com, by calling 610-347-TIXX [8499] or in-person at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office at PPL Center [701 Hamilton Street].
RISE UP! Reserve your season tickets and groups now for the 2015-2016 season of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey. For more information on how to reserve your seat at PPL Center to the hottest ticket in town, call the Phantoms front office today at 610-224-GOAL (4625)!
Upcoming Home Games:
Friday, January 15, 2016, Hershey Bears vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m. | TIX
(T-Shirt Giveaway. Free to First 8,500 Fans in Attendance.)
Saturday, January 16, 2016, Hartford Wolf Pack vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m. | TIX
(Girl Scout Night.)
Wednesday, January 27, 2016, Binghamton Senators vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m. | TIX
(First Responders Awareness Night.)
Friday, January 29, 2016, WB/Scranton Penguins vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m. | TIX
(“20 Years of Phantoms” Night. Commemorative Poster Giveaway 3 of 4.)
In the midst of their 20th season of operation, the Phantoms are coming off their Inaugural Season as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms playing at the brand-new PPL Center. Established in 1996, the Phantoms spent their first 13 seasons at the Spectrum in Philadelphia before re-locating to Glens Falls, New York in 2009 where the team spent the next five seasons as the Adirondack Phantoms. A new era of Phantoms hockey began in the fall of 2014 when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms began play at the state-of-the-art PPL Center. Through 19 incredibly successful campaigns, the Phantoms have captured two Calder Cup Championships (1998, 2005), two Conference Championships (1998, 2005), two Regular Season Titles (1996-97, 1997-98) and four Division Championships (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04).
