They’re Back! Six Players Return to Phantoms

NHL Debuts Last Night for Oliver Bonk and Hunter McDonald

April 15, 2026

The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that six players have been returned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Oliver Bonk (D)
Jacob Gaucher (F)
David Jiricek (D)
Aleksei Kolosov (G)
Hunter McDonald (D)
Anthony Richard (F)

Oliver Bonk and Hunter McDonald made their NHL debuts last night in Philadelphia’s season finale victory over Montreal, 4-2. Bonk joined a select group of players, including Alex Bump, to score a goal for the Flyers in his NHL debut. Bonk recorded a goal and an assist while McDonald also notched an assist. They become the fourth and fifth Phantoms players to make their NHL debuts with the Flyers this season joining Ty Murchison, Denver Barkey and Alex Bump. They also became the 52nd and 53rd players all-time from Lehigh Valley to make their debuts with the Flyers.

Bonk, 21, has scored six goals with 13 assists for 19 points in 44 games since making his pro debut on December 6, 2025. The right-handed rookie blueliner won a Memorial Cup with the London Knights of the OHL but was then sidelined at the beginning of the season due to injury. Bonk was the #22 overall selection in the NHL draft in 2022. He is the son of NHL veteran Radek Bonk who played in 969 NHL games with Ottawa, Montreal and Nashville scoring 194-303-497.

Jiricek, 22, was acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Bobby Brink on March 6, 2026. He made his Flyers’ debut last night. Jiricek has been a point-per-game player with the Phantoms in 13 games scoring two goals with 11 assists for 13 points. He has also accumulated a six-game assist streak . The #6 overall selection in the 2022 Draft by Columbus has played in 152 career AHL games scoring 19-71-90 in separate stretches with Cleveland, Iowa and Lehigh Valley. He has also now played in 85 career NHL games with Columbus and Minnesota scoring 2-11-13.

Gaucher, 25, has scored 20 goals with the Phantoms for a second consecutive season while also adding 16 assists for 36 points in 66 games. He recorded his second career hat trick last Saturday against the Bridgeport Islanders. The righty shooting center has now played in four games with the Flyers this season and eight career games with the Flyers. Gaucher has played in 195 career games with the Phantoms over three seasons scoring 48-42-90.

Kolosov, 24, has played in 37 games with the Phantoms this season going 15-20-2, 2.88, .898. He has also played in four games with the Flyers this year going 0-2-0, 4.00, .830. The Flyers’ third-round selection in 2021 has played in 51 career games with the Phantoms going 21-27-3, 2.94, .895 and 21 career games with the Flyers going 5-11-1, 3.64, .863.

McDonald, 23, is a left-handed shooting defenseman from Fairport, NY who is in his second full season of professional hockey. The Flyers’ sixth-round selection in the NHL Draft in 2022 out of Northeastern University received his first NHL recall in January but did not play in any games. McDonald has scored 0-6-6 with 88 PIM in 66 games this season and has scored 4-23-27 in his career with Lehigh Valley over 144 games played.

Richard, 29, is second on the Phantoms in scoring with 18-26-44 this year in 63 games. The right-handed shooting veteran winger of 631 total pro games played in 15 games with the Flyers last season scoring 2-4-6 and has now played in 40 career NHL games with Nashville, Montreal, Boston and Philadelphia scoring 6-8-14. He has also played in 586 career AHL games with Nashville, Syracuse, Chicago, Laval, Providence and Lehigh Valley scoring 179-201-380.

The Phantoms have three away games to conclude the 2025-26 campaign when they travel to Springfield on Wednesday, April 15 and then head to Charlotte for a pair of games on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. If the Phantoms qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs then they would likely begin in a 6 vs. 3 matchup at Charlotte on Wednesday, April 22 in a Best of 3 series.

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