PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Penguins Preseason
Final Tuneup Before Opening Night
TONIGHT – It’s the final game of the preseason as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at PPL Center.
Saturday’s 4-1 victory featured several camp invites and tryout contract players. This one will be much closer to the “real” Phantoms as John Snowden is expected to field a lineup that will be very similar to his Opening Night card. But Snowy may also want to get another look at bubble players who have caught his attention so far.
The Penguins are coming off a 6-3 win at Hershey on Sunday after Lehigh Valley’s scheduled game at Wilkes-Barre was cancelled on Friday due to a maintenance issue. Tonight’s rivalry tuneup is just the appetizer for the Phantoms and Penguins who will get together 12 more times in the regular season.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – The Phantoms overwhelmed the Hershey Bears on Saturday night at PPL Center in a 4-1 final. Lehigh Valley outshot the Bears 28-12 as John Snowden got a good look at some intriguing prospects and depth options. Braeden Kressler and Cooper Wylie scored goals in the game before they were among 13 players sent back to the Reading Royals of the ECHL. Rookie forwards Noah Powell and Ilya Pautov also lit the lamp. Phoenixville, PA native Owen McLaughlin looked strong with a pair of assists and big rookie center Riley Thompson also registered two helpers. Carson Bjarnason recorded 11 straight saves for the win following an early deflection goal by veteran Dalton Smith which proved to be the lone tally for the Chocolate and White.
CAPTAIN GETS THE CALL…AGAIN! – Congrats to Lehigh Valley Phantoms captain Garrett Wilson, who has made the Opening Night roster for the Flyers after a strong training camp. It is the FIRST time in 16 years that Wilson has made an Opening Night roster. A lifelong bubble player who has appeared in 87 career NHL games, Wilson had not been in the NHL for almost seven years when he made his historic and incredibly surprising return last season.
The rugged 35-year-old veteran winger completed his 15th season of professional hockey in 2025-26, playing 54 games with the Phantoms before spending the rest of the season with the Flyers where he played in three games. Wilson has served as captain or alternate captain for the Phantoms for six seasons and holds the Lehigh Valley records for most games (341) and penalty minutes (789). His unlikely, fairy-tale return to the NHL after a nearly seven-year absence garnered national attention.
On March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles, Wilson suited up for the Flyers in what was his first NHL action since the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The forward played three total games for Philadelphia. Wilson was nominated by the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which recognizes a player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
TRAINING CAMP – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms roster during Training Camp had ballooned to 41 players at one point but now stands at 29 players after several transactions on Sunday, which saw 13 players released from their camp tryouts and returned to the Reading Royals of the ECHL.
RECENT ARRIVALS – Coming off some strong camps and solid preseason performances with the Flyers are the five most recent cuts from Philadelphia’s camp. Forwards Jacob Gaucher, Cole Knuble, Jett Luchanko, and defenseman Oliver Bonk were all assigned to the Lehigh Valley. Goaltender Aleksei Kolosov has been assigned to Lehigh Valley as well after Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar was cleared for health following an injury last week.
EYEING THE FLYERS – The Philadelphia Flyers announced their Opening Night roster following this year’s shortened Training Camp. Garrett Wilson is on the team after signing an NHL contract on Sunday. Carl Grundstrom remains with the Flyers even though he cleared waivers last week. Denver Barkey and Alex Bump both crack the roster again as well, although Barkey will begin the season on injured reserve. And Helge Grans took a lower-body injury in a preseas
FAMILIAR FACES – Also returning to the Phantoms from last season’s team are Carson Bjarnason, Hunter McDonald, Ty Murchison, Devin Kaplan, Zayde Wisdom among others. Jackson Edward, Noah Powell, Riley Thompson, and Vincent Sevigny also had short stints with the Phantoms last season as well.
ROOKIE ENERGY – Here come the prospects!
9 Riley Thompson is a big center from Ohio State who played nine games for the Phantoms last season after signing as a free agent.
13 Alex Ciernik is a 21-year-old fourth-round selection from 2023 who played three games for the Phantoms two seasons ago and is the son of former NHL and AHL defenseman Ivan Ciernik.
15 Noah Powell played 16 games at the end of last season after arriving from college. The Round 5 choice in 2024 played a physical game with big hits and two fights during the Rookie Series two weeks ago.
22 Cole Knuble impressed in his seven games with the Phantoms last season. The son of former Flyer Mike Knuble also scored a pair of goals for Philadelphia during the preseason after also tallying for the Flyers in the Rookie Series.
42 Spencer Gill is a 6’4″ defenseman on the cusp of his pro debut. The 20-year-old righty shot and Flyers’ second-rounder missed most of his QMJHL season with an injury.
59 Oliver Bonk began his rookie season on the sidelines with an injury but the Flyers first-rounder and son of former NHL’er Radek Bonk progressed from there to eventually make his NHL debut with the Flyers in the regular-season finale
77 Jett Luchanko is back with the Phantoms after an end-of-season stint two years ago. The speedy, play-making center is set to stay in the pros full-time. He made the Flyers Opening Night roster the last two years but was slide-ruled back to Major Juniors both seasons to continue his development.
90 Ilya Pautov is a speedy forward who was a sixth-rounder in 2024.
MEET THE PHANTOMS: TRYOUTS AND AHL CONTRACT PLAYERS –
8 Brady Berard – F – AHL contract out of Boston College. Younger brother of former NY Ranger Brett Berard (now Montreal)
11 Dalton Bancroft – F – Free agent. Last year with Providence Bruins and Milwaukee Admirals
14 Jonathan Gruden – F – Former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward for five seasons arrived over the weekend as a camp invite. The free agent veteran of 335 career AHL games is the son of Maple Leafs assistant coach John Gruden who won a Calder Cup last year as head coach of the Toronto Marlies.
27 Owen McLaughlin – F – Spring Hill, PA native signed with Phantoms out of Boston University last year (previously at North Dakota) and played 13 games for Reading. Former Flyers Round 7 selection.
56 Vincent Sevigny – D – Former Bridgeport Islanders blueliner was signed by the Phantoms to AHL contract last year after PTO stints with Lehigh Valley and Syracuse.
65 Andrew Perrott – Former Hershey Bears blueliner two seasons ago racked up career-high 117 penalty minutes for Rockford IceHogs last year.
76 Carson Bantle – 6’5″ winger out of the University of Wisconsin has played 75 career games with GRand Rapids over two seasons.
1 Yaniv Perets – G – National Champion goaltender at Quinnipiac spent most of last season with Reading. Earned first AHL shutout with Phantomson April 18 at Charlotte
FREE AGENT ADDITIONS – Five veteran free agent signees on two-way NHL contracts will provide leadership and excitement while serving as depth-options for the Flyers.
12 – Zach Aston-Reese – F – 32-year-old veteran of 416 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Toronto, Columbus. Split time between Columbus Blue Jackets and Cleveland Monsters last year.
18 – Danila Klimovich – F – 281 career AHL games and 70 goals in five pro seasons with Abbotsford Canucks including a Calder Cup Championship two seasons ago.
23 Jack Studnicka – F – Speedy forward has 126 career NHL games with Boston, Vancouver, San Jose, Florida. 75 goals in 392 pro games. Last year had 2 goals in 41 games with Charlotte and also 19 NHL games with Florida.
25 – Nolan Foote – F – Former New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers forward has 245 AHL games with Binghamton, Utica, Charlotte.
44 Cam Dineen – D – Tom’s River, NJ native comes back east! 383 AHL games with Tucson and Bakersfield plus 38 NHL games with Arizona and Edmonton
COACHING STAFF – John Snowden enters his second season as head coach of the Phantoms and his fourth season on the team’s coaching staff. NHL veteran defenseman Nick Schultz is back for his second season as an assistant coach as is Yarley, PA native Terrence Wallin. Brady Robinson enters his 11th season as goaltending development coach for the Phantoms.
ON THE AIR – Catch the Phantoms, home and away, on the Phantoms 365 app and on Real Oldies 1470-AM, WSAN and also on FloHockey.TV.
Also available via the Listen Live link at the Phantoms website and on your Smart Speaker system at “Play Phantoms Radio 24-7.”
Bob Rotruck has the play-by-play action all season long.
Service Electric Network is the exclusive home of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, providing extensive coverage of all home games. Steve Degler and Steven Swavely call the action from the booth, while Kristi Fulkerson and Dan Fremuth host pregame, intermissions, and postgame coverage, beginning with “Front and Center” live from Chickie’s and Pete’s at PPL Center.
LOOKING AHEAD – Next time out, we do it for real! Opening Night is next Saturday, October 3 against the Hartford Wolf Pack!! Join us at PPL Center for Rally Towels, Schedule Posters, and the beginning of the 13th season of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms!
Hartford Wolf Pack
