PREVIEW: Phantoms at Hartford, Game 4
First Away Game of Season
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (0-2-1) seek their first victory of the season as they travel to Hartford (3-2-0) in the team’s first road trip of the 2026-27 campaign.
Tonight’s contest is the opener of a three-game road-swing for the Phantoms including a pair of games just 25 minutes up the road at the Springfield Thunderbirds this weekend.
This is Game 2 out of 6 in the season series. Hartford rallied from behind to take the first encounter in a 5-2 result in Lehigh Valley’s Opening Night on October 3.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – Jack Studnicka lit the lamp just 1:15 into the game as the Phantoms once again took control early. And Alex Bump’s long-range missile early in the second period to the upper-right corner made it 2-1. But the Monsters scored goals back to back in the final four minutes of the period including a go-ahead goal in transition on the power play by Lorentz for his fourth of the weekend with just 2.2 seconds left in the period. The Phantoms had three pucks go off of goaltender Evan Gardner and almost dribble in but the rookie netminder remarkably came up with all three practically on the line each time.
BONKERS FOR BONK – Defenseman Oliver Bonk was recalled from the Phantoms prior to Lehigh Valley’s Sunday afternoon game. By that evening, Bonk was in the lineup for the Flyers playing in just his second career NHL game. Bonk, 21, has two assists in two games with the Phantoms this season and scored six goals with 13 assists for 19 points in 46 games with the Phantoms last year after making his belated pro debut on December 6, 2025 after missing the first two months of the season due to injury.
He made his NHL debut a successful one on April 14, 2026 against Montreal scoring a goal in Philadelphia’s regular-season finale. 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.
BUMP IT UP – Alex Bump is off to a hot start in his return to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with goals in consecutive games. Bump, 22, has played in three games with the Flyers this season and also played in 17 games with Philadelphia last year scoring 5-4-9 while also registering two goals in six postseason games. He made his NHL debut on March 7, 2026 and scored his first goal in that same game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Bump thrived in his rookie season with Lehigh Valley scoring 11-15-26 in 36 games. He had joined the Phantoms at the end of the 2024-25 season immediately after winning the National Championship at the Frozen Four with Western Michigan. The Prior Lake, Minnesota native was a fifth-round selection of the Flyers in 2022.
STUDLY STUDNICKA – Veteran center Jack Studnicka has gotten off to a strong start with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and now takes his talents to the Philadelphia Flyers. Studnicka, 27, has played in three games with the Phantoms this season scoring one goal with one assist. He has played in 126 career NHL games with Boston, Vancouver, San Jose and Florida recording 6-10-16 as well as 269 AHL games with Providence, Abbotsford, San Jose, Ontario, Charlotte and Lehigh Valley, producing 70-124-194. The righty-shooting center from Windsor, ON was a Round 2 selection of the Boston Bruins in 2017.
SWEDISH SWAGGER – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have received veteran forward Carl Grundstrom from the Philadelphia Flyers who will join the team for the road trip. Grundstrom, 28, is a lefty-shooting winger from Umea, Sweden who played in five games with the Flyers this season and 47 games with Philadelphia last year scoring 9-4-13. He played in 19 games with the Phantoms at the beginning of last season scoring 6-9-15. Grundstrom has played in 344 NHL games with Los Angeles, San Jose and Philadelphia, scoring 52-37-89 and 118 games in the AHL with Toronto, Ontario and Lehigh Valley scoring 36-51-87.
TRANSACTIONS –
Oct 7, 2026 – Add Alex Bump (F) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
Oct 11, 2026 – Del Oliver Bonk (D) – Recalled to PHI
Oct 11, 2026 – Add Cooper Wylie (D) – Recalled by LV from Reading
Oct12, 2026 – Del Jack Studnicka (F) – Recalled to PHI
Oct 12, 2026 – Add Carl Grundstrom (F) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
Oct 12, 2026 – Add Carson Bantle (F) – Signed to PTO
THE PACK IS BACK –Hartford (3-2-0) got off to a roaring start at 3-0 but came crashing down to earth in a 7-1 blowout loss in the Wolf Pack’s home opener against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Cole Beudoin had three points to lead Hartford to a 5-2 win on Opening Night in Allentown on October 3 and was returned to the Wolf Pack this morning after a brief stint with the New York Rangers. Veteran center Justin Dowling was recalled to the big club.
L.A. Kings First-rounder Liam Greentree (2 goals) is another high-end prospect. Veteran Taylor Raddysh made it through waivers and brings over 500 games of experience to the blueline. Rookie goaltender Callum Tung recorded a 28-save shutout against Providence last week, the first of his AHL career. Former Providence Bruins head coach Jay Leach takes the reins in Hartford after serving as an assistant coach in the NHL with Seattle and Boston.
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 Yardley, PA native Terrence Wallin. Brady Robinson enters his 11th season as goaltending development coach for the Phantoms.
SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Jacob Gaucher 3-1-4
Alex Bump 2-1-3
x – Jack Studnicka 1-2-3
x – Oliver Bonk 0-2-2
Spencer Gill 0-2-2
Jett Luchanko 0-2-2
Hartford
29 Cole Beaudoin 1-4-5
14 Taylor Raddysh 2-2-4
24 Liam Greentree 2-2-4
2 Marc Del Gaizo 1-2-3
9 Glenn Gawdin 1-2-3
76 Nathan Aspinall 1-2-3
SPECIAL TEAMS
LV PP 2-9, 22.2% (8th) / 3-13, 76.9% (22nd)
HFD PP 6-26, 23.1% (7th) / 5-23, 78.3% (20th)
SEASON SERIES
Hartford Wolf Pack: (0-1-0)
10/3/26 Home L 2-5
10/14/26 Away
12/27/26 Home
1/22/27 Away
2/24/27 Away
3/7/27 Home
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.
NEXT UP –
After this weekend’s series against Cleveland, the Phantoms are on the road for the first time this year with a three-game swing to Hartford and Springfield from Wednesday, October 14 through Saturday, October 17.
The Phantoms will be back at PPL Center on Saturday, October 24 against the Syracuse Crunch and Sunday, October 25 against the Belleville Senators on PhanCon also featuring a Postgame Skate with the players presented by NJM Insurance.
Hartford Wolf Pack
Springfield Thunderbirds
Springfield Thunderbirds
