The Captain is Back!
Garrett Wilson Returns to Phantoms
October 24, 2026
Allentown, PA – Welcome back, Captain! Veteran forward and team leader Garrett Wilson has been assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Wilson, 35, has played two games with the Flyers this season. He completed his 15th season of professional hockey in 2025-26, spending time with the Flyers and the Phantoms.
He is confirmed to be in the lineup tonight as the Phantoms return to PPL Center to host the Syracuse Crunch.
The forward played 54 games with Lehigh Valley before spending the rest of the season with the Flyers. The rugged winger has served as captain or alternate captain for the Phantoms for six seasons and is entering his seventh season with the team as well as his fourth as captain. He holds the Lehigh Valley records for most games (341) and penalty minutes (789).
His unlikely, fairy-tale return to the NHL last season 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.
The 6-foot-3, 218-pound winger has played parts of 15 seasons in the AHL with San Antonio (2011-14), Portland (2015-16), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (2016-19), Toronto (2019-20), and Lehigh Valley (2020-26). He spent the last three seasons as captain of the Phantoms. Wilson has played parts of five NHL seasons with Florida (2013-16), Pittsburgh (2018-19), and Philadelphia (2025-26). He has recorded 353 points (156g-197a) through 754 AHL games and eight points (2g-6a) through 87 NHL games.
The Phantoms are back at PPL Center against the Syracuse Crunch in a Saturday Night Hockey Live clash. During the team’s Retro Weekend, the Phantoms will wear old-school Philadelphia Phantoms-style jerseys. Sunday’s game at 3:05 p.m. against the Belleville Senators includes our award-winning PhanCon and also features a postgame skate with the Phantoms palyers presented by NJM Insurance.
Rochester Americans
Laval Rocket
