PREVIEW: Phantoms at Springfield, Game 6
Goals by Period
Shots by Period
Goal Scorers
Goaltenders
Phantoms Aim to Sweep the Road Trip in 6:05 p.m. Clash
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2-2-1) look to keep it going as they aim for a perfect road trip as well as a sweep of their weekend series at the Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. The Phantoms have won two in a row beginning with a 4-1 decision at Hartford on Wednesday and then a 6-3 victory at Springfield on Friday.
Tonight is Game 6 of the 2026-27 season and is the finale of the team’s three-game road trip. The Thunderbirds (2-2-1) raced out to a 2-0 start to begin the season but have since dropped three straight.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – Jett Luchanko scored his first professional goal and recorded his first career three-point game as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2-2-1) rolled to a 6-3 victory at the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday night. Luchanko scored the first of his pro career as part of a big three-point night including two primary assists. Alex Bump (4th, 5th) scored twice and added an assist for his own three-point performance, extending his goal-scoring streak to four games since joining Lehigh Valley. Hunter McDonald (1st), Jacob Gaucher (4th) and Cole Knuble (1st) also scored as the Phantoms erupted for six goals.Carson Bjarnason earned his second consecutive victory with 31 saves as the Phantoms were outshot 34-28. Lehigh Valley’s special teams made an immediate impact with a shorthanded goal and two power-play tallies in building a commanding 4-0 advantage.
TAKING FLIGHT – Rookie center Jett Luchanko is soaring. The 20-year-old first-rounder racked up a three-point performance on Friday at Springfield including his first career pro goal bolstered by two primary assists. Now stabilized in his status as a full-fledged professional hockey player, Luchanko has quickly found his game in the AHL and is among the top rookie performers in the circuit. The last two seasons have seen some bouncing around for Luchanko who made the Flyers Opening Night roster to begin before being “slide-ruled” back to Major Juniors. Two years ago, he also joined the Phantoms at the end of the season on an ATO helping drive the team’s Calder Cup Playoff run. Last season, Luchanko was not allowed to return to the Phantoms. So his limited NHL stay resulted in another return trip to the OHL which then included a trade from Guelph to Brantford as well as a second trip to the World Juniors. This year, Luchanko gets to stay. That stability is paying large dividends for the speedy playmaker. Luchanko is tied for the AHL lead in assists by a rookie (5) and is tied for second in points (6).
AHL ROOKIE ASSIST LEADERS
Jett Luchanko, LV – 5
Cole Beudoin, HFD – 5
Eric Pohlcamp, SJ – 5
AHL ROOKIE POINT LEADERS
Jesse Kiiskanen, GR 5-2-7
Jett Luchanko, LV 1-5-6
Cole Beaudoin, HFD 1-5-6
Lucas Wahlin, MB 2-4-6
BARNEY BARRICADE – Carson Bjarnason put together back-to-back wins on the road trip with solid performance at Hartford with 24 saves and Springfield with 31 saves. Both games included some remarkable saves showcasing his athleticism and anticipation. The Round 2 selection from the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL had some successes and some inconsistencies in his debut campaign when he was the youngest goaltender in the AHL which included a strong first half of the season while tapering off somewhat in the second half, ultimately finishing 14-11-4, 3.43, .877. Bjarnason cites his mental approach and composure and poise among his strengths as he enters his second professional campaign and is still among the youngest goaltenders in the league.
BUMP IT UP – Alex Bumpis off to the hottest start possible since his return to the Phantoms scoring goals in all four games he has played so far. Bump tacked on extra goal at the end on Friday to bring his team-leading total to five goals in four games. He has a chance to become just the fourth player in Lehigh Valley history to string together a steak of five consecutive games with a goal potentially joining Petr Straka, Danick Martel and Adam Brooks.
Bump played in three games with the Flyers to begin the season and also played in 17 games with Philadelphia last year scoring 5-4-9 while also registering two goals in six postseason games during Philly’s magical Stanley Cup Playoff run. 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.
LEHIGH VALLEY RECORD BOOK
GOAL STREAK
6 – Petr Straka (Nov 11-22, 2015)
6 – Danick Martel (Oct 27 – Nov 8, 2017)
5 – Adam Brooks (Mar 16-29, 2024)
4 – ALEX BUMP (Oct 10, 2026 – Current)
4 – Oscar Eklind (Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2026)
4 – Olle Lycksell (Dec 18, 2024 – Jan 25, 2025)
4 – Max Willman (Feb 20-27, 2021)
4 – Connor Bunnaman (Jan 13-19, 2019)
4 – Petr Straka (Oct 16-24, 2015)
PHANTOMS FRANCHISE RECORD
7 – Mike Maneluk (Feb 21 – Mar 4, 2000)
DANDY DINEEN – Veteran defenseman arrival Cam Dineen has had an immediate impact with the Phantoms and has two goals in the last three games. Wednesday’s empty-netter from the opposite endboards was sweet justice for Dineen who had a second–period power-play goal taken off the board when the officials belatedly determined interference with the goaltender shortly before his shot. The 28-year-old sharp-shooter racked up his 200th pro point while enjoying his homecoming of sorts to the east coast. Dineen is a Tom’s River, NJ native who said it was a “no brainer” to sign when the Flyers reached out with an offer. Now in his ninth season of profesional hockey, Dineen had spent his entire career out west with the Tucson Roadrunners and Bakersfield Condors while also receiving recalls to the Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers among his 38 total NHL games.
Dineen quarterbacks the power play for Lehigh Valley and has sent opposing defenses scrambling with his big blasts from the point. Dineen has scored 39 goals with 154 assists for 193 points in 383 career AHL games.
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
Oct 16, 2026 – Luke Reid (D) – Signed to AHL contract with Phantoms. Staying with Reading Royals
THUNDERSTRUCK – Springfield (2-2-1) made a strong run out of the cellar and all the way into the playoffs under new head coach Steve Ott who took over midseason in 2025-26. Then the T-Birds pulled off the biggest upset in Calder Cup Playoffs history as 41-point underdogs to the Kilpatrick Trophy Champion Providence Bruins before bowing out to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Springfield raced out of the gates with a 2-0-0 start but have since dropped three straight. Young prospects Otto Stenberg and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki have Blues’ fans drooling. The two have already teamed up for a pair of short-handed goals. Rookie goaltender Will Cranley (1-0-1, 0.48, .982) has been outstanding with one goal allowed in 125 minutes to lead the league.
35-year-old veteran captain Chris Wagner has 899 pro games but is out with an injury as is veteran Nathan Walker who had a hat trick against the Phantoms five years ago.
T.J. Tynan won back-to-back MVP honors in the AHL with Ontario and Colorado in 2021 and 2022 and is one of only two players to lead the league in assists four times. His 696 career points rated 28th in AHL history and his 582 assists ranks seventh all-time (trailing former Phantoms captain Cal O’Reilly who is sixth at 606 career assists).
Head coach Ott took over midseason last year after serving as an assistant coach with St. Louis for nine years. Ott’s long NHL career, mostly with Dallas, Buffalo and St. Louis, including 109 goals in 848 career games as well as 1,555 penalty minutes.
SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
20 Alex Bump 5-2-7
56 Jacob Gaucher 4-2-6
77 Jett Luchanko 1-5-6
22 Cole Knuble 1-3-4
44 Cam Dineen 2-1-3
42 Spencer Gill 0-3-3
Springfield
41 Aleksanteri Kaskimäki 2-5-7
17 T.J. Tynan 2-4-6
8 Justin Carbonneau 3-2-5
28 Otto Stenberg 1-3-4
70 Oskar Sundqvist 1-0-1
SPECIAL TEAMS
LV PP 4-19, 21.1% (9th) / 5-24, 79.2% (22nd)
SPR PP 3-22, 13.6% (22nd) / 3-25, 88.0% (12th)
SEASON SERIES
Springfield Thunderbirds: (1-0-0)
10/16/26 Win 6-3
10/17/26 Away
1/23/27 Away
2/5/27 Home
3/20/27 Home
3/21/27 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 –
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.
Rochester Americans
