PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Providence, Game 10
Sunday Matinee vs. P-Bruins
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (4-4-1) open the month of November with a Sunday afternoon divisional clash against the Providence Bruins (4-6-0), AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins. Today’s game is the first of six in the season series.
Lehigh Valley has dropped two of three following the team’s three-game win streak.
Providence got off to a rocky start but has since strung together a two-game win streak after a wild 7-6 overtime win at Springfield on Friday featuring a three-goal comeback.
The Phantoms are once again going Throwback Style with their immensely popular 1996-style Philadelphia Phantoms jerseys harkening back to the inaugural season of the franchise.
Today’s game is our annual “Haunted on Hamilton” featuring trick-or-treating, a costume parade, pumpkin painting, and plenty of spooky fun! Fans will also receive a popcorn bucket courtesy of Guber that will also be eligible for discount refills throughout the season.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms were not able to overcome an early deficit as they closed out the month of October and sustained their first away loss of the season, 6-3, on Friday night at Rochester. Lehigh Valley received goals from Zayde Wisdom (2nd), Zach Aston-Reese (1st), with a shorthanded marker, and Nolan Foote (2nd). But Jason Polin (4th, 5th) paced the Amerks attack with a two-goal effort for Rochester while veteran Matthew Peca (5th) racked up three points on a goal and two assists to propel Rochester to victory. Jake Richard (3rd) boosted momentum early with his strike before the first whistle and just 2:03 into the contest, the fastest goal allowed by the Phantoms this season. The Americans went 2-for-4 on the power play while Lehigh Valley was 0-for-2. Rochester outshot Lehigh Valley 30-22.
MAC ATTACK – The Philadelphia Flyers have returned defenseman Hunter McDonald to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. McDonald played in five games with the Flyers since his recall two weeks ago, getting in two fights, laying out several big hits, and generally playing hard-nosed defense in the longest NHL stint of his career. The Fairport, NY native had only played in one career NHL game at the end of last season prior to his most recent opportunity.
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 1-2-3. The Flyers’ sixth-round selection in 2022 out of Northeastern University has played 153 career AHL games and recorded 5-25-30.
GAUCHER RETURNS – The Philadelphia Flyers have again returned Jacob Gaucher to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms following his three-game stretch with the big club last week and subsequent assignment and promotion and then return again in the last few days. It is the third consecutive season in which Gaucher has seen NHL action who has played 11 career games with the Flyers. Gaucher, 25, has played in seven games with the Phantoms this season scoring 4-5-9. He has played in 205 career games with the Phantoms over the past four seasons and is on the cusp of his milestone 100th career point (52-47-99).
Gaucher is tied with Olle Lycksell for seventh all-time in goals by a Lehigh Valley player (52) and also recently became the 15th ever to appear in 200 games with Lehigh Valley. In the 2025-26 season, he also became only the third Lehigh Valley player to record 20 or more goals in a season joining Danick Martel and Greg Carey. This year, he became the first player in Lehigh Valley history to score the first goal of the season two different times. He has recorded two hat tricks in his career.
WORDS OF WISDOM – Forward Zayde Wisdom has gone from the youngest played in Phantoms franchise history in 2021 to a veteran leader and frequent alternate captain while scoring 41-51-92 in his career with the Orange and Black.
Now in his sixth season with the team, Wisdom is tied for third all-time in games played with the Phantoms. Today’s contest marking 266th career game with Lehigh Valley will move Wisdom ahead of Chris Conner and place him behind only Greg Carey (277) and Garrett Wilson (344). Not only can Wisdom catch Greg Carey for second all-time in Lehigh Valley history but he also has an opportunity this season to become just the seventh player in franchise history to reach 300 games with the Phantoms.
GAMES – Lehigh Valley (since 2014)
1. GARRETT WILSON 344
2. Greg Carey 277
3. Chris Conner 265
4. ZAYDE WISDOM 265
5. Colin McDonald 248
GAMES – Phantoms Franchise (since 1996 Philadelphia Phantoms)
1. Peter White 431
2. John Slaney 415
3. Mark Greig 348
4. GARRETT WILSON 344
5. Kirby Law 309
6. Boyd Kane 303
TRANSACTIONS –
Oct 24, 2026 – Add Garrett Wilson (F) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
Oct 25, 2026 – Add Jacob Gaucher (F) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
Oct 27, 2026 – Del Jacob Gaucher (F) – Recalled by Flyers
Oct 28, 2026 – Add Jacob Gaucher (F) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
Oct 31, 2026 – Add Hunter McDonald (D) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Zayde Wisdom – 265 games with Phantoms (tied for 3rd all-time with Chris Conner)
Jacob Gaucher – 99 points with Phantoms
Zack Aston-Reese – 197 Pro Points
Zayde Wisdom – 97 Pro Points
Cam Dineen – 392 AHL Games
John Snowden – 97 Pro Coaching Wins
WHAT’S BRUIN IN PROVIDENCE – It is a very different vibe in Rhode Island where the Providence Bruins (4-6-0) went from Kilpatrick Trophy winners last year as the top team in the league to one of the worst out of the gates this season in something of a rebuilding year. But the P-Bruins may be finding their stride following a wild 7-6 overtime win at Springfield on Friday in which the Bruins rallied from a 5-2 deficit.
Gone are goalie Michael DiPietro and captain Patrick Brown as well as Georgii Merkulov, Fabian Lysell, Riley Tufte and Michael Callahan among others. NHL veteran Mikey Eyssimont (10-3-13) leads the AHL in goals and has single-handedly provided the majority of the offense and already has a pair of hat tricks this season. Eyssimont has 269 career NHL games mostly with Boston, Tampa Bay and Winnipeg and had not been a regular in the AHL since 2021-22 with Manitoba. Fourth-rounder from Latvia Dana Locmelis (0-5-5) had 15 goals as a rookie last season. Max Guenette (2-0-2) played in 46 games with the Phantoms last season while scoring 2-22-24 and sometimes serving as an alternate captain. Simon Zajicek (2-3-0, 3.06, .882) very much impressed in his AHL rookie season at 24 years old going 14-6-1, 2.44, .915. His number this season just took a hard hit on Friday when he went the distance at Springfield giving up six.
Former Penguins and Monsters blueliner Billy Sweezey (1-1-2) has been named the new captain of the P-Bruins. Trent Whitfield has taken over as head coach after spending the previous 10 seasons as an assistant coach. Before that, he played for the Providence Bruins (2009-13) and served as team captain. Providence has been shutout three times already but has now scored 12 goals in just the last two games against Utica and Springfield. The Bruins will return for two more games at PPL Center on November 25 and November 28.
SCORING LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
56 Jacob Gaucher 5-4-9
x – 20 Alex Bump 7-1-8
77 Jett Luchanko 1-5-6
44 Cam Dineen 2-3-5
23 Jack Studnicka 3-2-5
4 Ty Murchison 0-4-4
42 Spencer Gill 0-4-4
Rochester
21 Mikey Eyssimont 10-3-13
16 Brendan Gaunce 4-2-6
49 Ivan Ivan 2-4-6
12 Brian Halonen 2-4-6
24 Ty Gallagher 1-5-6
10 Dans Locmelis 0-6-6
SPECIAL TEAMS
LV PP 15.6% (24th) / PK 78.3% (21st)
PRO PP 9.5% (30th) / PK 81.1% (17th)
SEASON SERIES
Providence Bruins: (0-0-0)
11/1/26 Home 3:05
11/25/26 Home 7:05
11/28/26 Home 7:05
1/24/27 Away 5:05
2/26/27 Away 7:05
2/28/27 Away 3:05
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 then embark on a three-game Canadian road-swing beginning Wednesday, November 4 at the first-place Laval Rocket and continuing Friday, November 6 at the Belleville Senators and Saturday, November 7 at the Hamilton Hammers.
Lehigh Valley’s next home games are Friday, November 13 against the Hamilton Hammers on the team’s Friday the 13th promotion and Saturday, November 14 against the Charlotte Checkers on Hockey is for Everyone Night.
Laval Rocket
Belleville Senators
Hamilton Hammers
