PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Checkers, Game 30
For Real This Time!
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (15-11-3) are back for a rare Monday night game as they host the Charlotte Checkers (16-9-2), AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers. This is the makeup date of a game originally scheeduled for Saturday which was postponted due to travel issues impacting the Charlotte Checkers.
The Phantoms are building momentum through their homestand with back-to-back wins including a 4-3 shootout heartstopper against the first-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday. Charlotte is coming off a last-second 3-2 win at Hershey on Sunday to maintain a one-point lead over the Phantoms for third place in the Atlantic Division.
This is Game 30 of the 2025-26 season and also Game 5 out of 6 in the current homestand which concludes on New Year’s Eve. Tonight is also the first of eight meetings on the season between the Phantoms and the Checkers. Charlotte is the last remaining team in the Eastern Conference whom the Phantoms have yet to face this season.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – Tucker Robertson (4th) blasted home a power-play goal in the second period and later scored his third shootout goal of the season as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (15-11-3) overcame an early 2-0 deficit to post a hard-earned 4-3 shootout win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday evening. It was Lehigh Valley’s first win of the season against their Pennsylvania rivals and it was well-deserved. Lane Pederson (9th) scored for a second consecutive game and Oscar Eklind (1st) also found the back of the net while Aleksei Kolosov (26/29) backstopped the win. Rafael Harvey-Pinard (6th, 7th) led the attack for the visiting Penguins with his second multi-goal game of the season against Lehigh Valley.
TRANSACTIONS –
12/22/25 Del Anthony Richard – Reassigned Team Canada, Spengler Cup
12/22/25 Add Carson Golder (F) – Recalled by LV from Reading
12/27/25 Add Hunter Johannes (F) – Recalled by LV from Reading
12/27/25 Add Yaniv Perets (G) – Recalled by LV from Reading
12/29/25 Del Yaniv Perets (G) – Loaned to Reading by LV
12/29/25 Add Massimo Rizzo (F) – Reassigned to LV from Reading
SHOOTOUT SPECIALISTS – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms lead the AHL with four shootout wins and their seven total victories after regulation (including three overtime wins) also tops the circuit. Tucker Robertson is tied for the league-lead with three shootout goals, all since December 13. Carson Bjarnason is tied for the league lead with three shootout wins and is also tops with 17 shootout saves on 20 attempts against. Aleksei Kolosov picked up his first shootout win yesterday. The Phantoms’ last three victories since December 13 have all been by shootout beginning with an eight-round epic at Rochester.
EUROPEAN VACATION – Anthony Richard is off to Switzerland this week. The veteran forward was named to the Team Canada roster for the upcoming Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland taking place from December 26-31. The Spengler Cup pits invited European teams as well as Team Canada and is considered the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world. This is the first time for Richard to play for a Canadian National Team. He is the first Phantom to play at the Spengler Cup since Kevin Connauton joined Team Canada in the 2022 tournament. Richard is in his second season with the Phantoms and is also second on the team in scoring with 18 points on eight goals and 10 assists. In his 10 seasons in the AHL, Richard has played in 548 career games with Milwaukee, Chicago, Syracuse, Laval, Providence and Lehigh Valley accumulating 169 goals with 185 assists for 384 career points. He has also played in 39 career NHL games with Nashville, Montreal, Boston and Philadelphia scoring 6-8-14.
FUTURE PHANTOMS – Six Flyers draft picks and possible future Phantoms are currently playing on the international stage at the World Juniors Champions in Minnesota. Two of the prospects have been named captains for their respectrive countries with Porter Martone of Canada and Jack Berglund of Sweden both bestowed the honor of wearing the C while Heikki Ruohonen is an alternate captain for Finland.
One of Lehigh Valley’s player’s from last year, Jett Luchanko, is at the tournament as well representing Canada for a second consecutive season.
Flyers draft picks at 2026 World Juniors:
USA – Shane Vansaghi, Rd 2 (Michigan State)
Canada – Porter Martone, Rd 1 (Michigan State)
Canada – Jett Luchanko, Rd 1 (Brantford – OHL)
Sweden – Jack Berglund, Rd 2 (Färjestad BK – SHL)
Finland – Heikki Ruohonen, Rd 4 (Harvard)
Finland – Max Westergard, Rd 5 (Frölunda HC – SHL)
CHECKING ON THE CHECKERS – Charlotte (15-9-2) was late to get here but now we finally get to see the Checkers who picked up a late 3-2 win at Hershey yesterday. The Checkers also impressively picked up consecutive wins at first-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last week to vault ahead of the Phantoms into third place in the Atlantic. Charlotte has won two straight and four of the last five. Undrafted Wilmer Skoog (10-8-18) paces the offense in his third year with the Checkers. The Boston University product had 22 goals as rookie. Seventh-rounder Jack Devine (8-10-18) from the University of Denver has played six games with the Florida Panthers this year. Gracyn Sawchyn (5-12-17) is a second-rounder from the WHL Edmonton Oil Kings who is also having a strong rookie season. 31-year-old captain Trevor Carrick (1-8-9) scored 13-37-50 last year to rate fifth among AHL D-men. Cooper Black (13-4-1, 2.45, .905) is second in the AHL in wins behind only Sebastian Cossa (14) of Grand Rapids. Since November 1, he’s been especially impressively going 10-1-0, 1.99, .923. Head coach Geordie Kinnear is in his ninth season as head coach of the Florida Panthers affiliate including four years with Springfield and five years with Charlotte. He led the Checkers to a 44-22-6 last year and then guided them all the way to the Calder Cup Finals before bowing to the Champion Abbotsford Canucks.
SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Alex Bump 7-13-20
x – Anthony Richard 8-10-18
Lane Pederson 9-10-19
x – Denver Barkey 8-8-16
x – Carl Grundstrom 6-9-15
Christian Kyrou 4-10-14
Charlotte Scoring Leaders
Wilmer Skoog 10-8-18
Jack Devine 8-10-18
Gracyn Sawchyn 5-12-17
Ben Steeves 9-6-15
Sandis Vilmanis 7-8-15
Special Teams PP / PK
LV 20.0%, 14th / 76.9%, 29th
CLT 16.1%, 20th / 84.8%, 6th
Season Series vs. Charlotte Checkers:
12/29/25 Home
1/23/26 Home
3/6/26 Home
3/7/26 Home
3/21/26 Away
3/22/26 Away
4/18/26 Away
4/19/26 Away
LOOKING AHEAD –
Before the World’s Largest Puck Drop takes place on New Year’s Eve outside PPL Center at the corner of Seventh and Hamilton, the puck drops inside as the Phantoms take on the rival Hershey Bears with a special 3:05 p.m. start time on Wednesday, December 31. Family-friendly activities fill the concourse as we ring in 2026 in glowing fashion!
The Phantoms have a four-game road swing to open 2026 beginning with a Saturday, January 3 clash at the Belleville Senators.
Belleville Senators
Toronto Marlies
Springfield Thunderbirds
