Transactions: McDonald Gets the Call

Grans and Stundicka Loaned to Phantoms

October 18, 2026

Allentown, PA – The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled defenseman Hunter McDonald from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Additionally, the Flyers have loaned defenseman Helge Grans and forward Jack Studnicka to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

In a separate transaction, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed defenseman Luke Reid to an AHL contract. Reid will remain with the Reading Royals of the ECHL on loan from the Phantoms.

McDonald, 24, is in his third full season of professional hockey. The 6-foot-4, 238-pound defenseman has played in six games with the Phantoms this season scoring one goal with two assists for three points. McDonald has played in one career NHL games making his debut in Philadelphia’s regular-season finale against Montreal on April 14, 2026, where he recorded his first career NHL point with a +3 rating.

The Flyers’ sixth-round selection (165th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft has played 153 career AHL games and recorded 30 points on five goals and 25 assists. He has also appeared in 13 total Calder Cup Playoff games, registering two goals. Prior to turning professional, the Fairport, NY native played two seasons of collegiate hockey at Northeastern University (NCAA) from 2022-24. He recorded 2-18-20 and was +24 over 58 collegiate games.

Grans, 24, has played in one game with the Flyers this season. He played in 61 games with the Phantoms last year scoring 3-11-14. Grans has seven career games with the Flyers and 298 career AHL games with Ontario and Lehigh Valley scoring 21-57-78.
Grans has played in 183 games with Lehigh Valley producing 12-33-45 across three seasons with the team. The 6’4″ righty-shooting defenseman from Ljungby, Sweden was a Round 2 (#35 overall) selection of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Studnicka, 27, played in three games with the Flyers recording zero points and has played in three games with the Phantoms this season scoring one goal with one assist. He has played in 129 career NHL games with Boston, Vancouver, San Jose, Florida, and Philadelphia 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.

Reid, 25, joined the Reading Royals on an ECHL contract before the season and was with the Phantoms during the preseason as a camp invite. Reid has now been added to the Phantoms on an AHL contract and has now been loaned back to the Reading Royals. He played in two games with the Royals last weekend scoring one goal with one assist for two points.Reid has played in five career AHL games with the Utica Comets at the end of the 2024-25 season notching two assists.

The University of New Hampshire product played his first full pro season with the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL where he scored 3-16-19 in 60 games. In his ECHL career with Adirondack and Reading combined, Reid has played in 58 games scoring 5-17-22. The 6’0″ righty-shooting defenseman from Warman, SASK had previously been a Round 6 selection of the Nashville Predators in 2020. He played five seasons at the University of New Hampshire appearing in 162 games for the Wildcats while scoring 8-41-49.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms carry a three-game winning streak into their upcoming home games this weekend when they host the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday, October 24 and the Belleville Senators on Sunday, October 25 at 3:05 p.m. featuring our third annual PhanCon and also a Postgame Skate with the Phantoms Players presented by NJM Insurance.