PREVIEW: Phantoms at Laval, Game 11
Three-Game Canadian Road Trip
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (4-5-1) are looking for a big response as they open their three-game Canadian road swing at the first-place Laval Rocket (8-3-0), AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens.
Bolstered by the recent returns of Alex Bump and Hunter McDonald, the Phantoms are aiming for a more consistent performance than they had in losses to Rochester and Providence last weekend.
Laval is the two-time defending North Division Champions and are showing no signs of slowing down boasting the league’s top defense (1.9 GA per game) and the AHL’s best power play (29%).
This is the team’s only trip to Laval and this road-trip is also Lehigh Valley’s lone sojourn to Canada.
Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
LAST TIME – Sometimes it isn’t your day. Alex Steeves recorded five points with a goal and four assists as the Providence Bruins overwhelmed the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in an 8-0 decision on a “Haunted on Hamilton” Sunday afternoon at PPL Center. Brendan Gaunce scored twice while six other Bruins found the back of the net, capped by Dans Locmelis scoring his first of the season to conclude the scoring as Providence extended its winning streak to three games. Aleksei Kolosov faced 31 shots in the setback as Lehigh Valley was shut out for the first time this season. Kolosov made one of the best saves in PPL Center history with his scorpion-style left-leg lift in the second period to rob Locmelis on the backdoor. He also denied Alex Steeves on a third-period penalty shot. The margin equaled the worst loss in Lehigh Valley history and was the first time the Phantoms had lost by eight goals since 2017 in a 9-1 decision also against Providence. Fans delighted in the Haunted on Hamilton fun including Pumkpin Painting and Trick-or-Treating plus the annual costume parade on the ice.
TRANSACTIONS –
Oct 29, 2026 – Add Jacob Gaucher (F) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
Oct 31, 2026 – Add Hunter McDonald (D) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
Nov 2, 2026 – Add Alex Bump (F) – Loaned to Phantoms by PHI
Nov 2, 2026 – Del Cooper Wylie (D) – Loaned to Reading Royals (ECHL)
BUMP IN THE NIGHT – The Philadelphia Flyers have returned forward Alex Bump to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Bump, 22 has played in eight 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 had a massive eight-day stretch with the Phantoms in October in which he racked up a five-game goal streak with seven goals. He had back-to-back two-goal games in Springfield, culminating the torrid run with the overtime winner in Lehigh Valley’s third straight win to earn AHL Player of the Week honors before his recall to the Flyers on October 19. Bump will carry his five-game goal streak into the team’s next game at the Laval Rocket on Wednesday with a chance to tie the all-time Lehigh Valley record six-game goal streak accomplished by Petr Straka and Danick Martel. The franchise record is a seven-game goal streak by Mike Maneluk and Shawn McCosh of the Philadelphia Phantoms.
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 seven games with the Phantoms this season scoring 1-2-3. The Flyers’ sixth-round selection in 2022 out of Northeastern University has played 154 career AHL games recording 5-25-30.
WORDS OF WISDOM – Forward Zayde Wisdom has gone from the youngest player 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 moved into third all-time in games played with the Phantoms passing Chris Conner on Sunday when we suited up for his 266th career game with Lehigh Valley. Wisdom now trails only Greg Carey (277) and Garrett Wilson (345). 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
1. GARRETT WILSON 344
2. Greg Carey 277
3. ZAYDE WISDOM 266
4. Chris Conner 265
5. Colin McDonald 248
UPCOMING MILESTONES
Jacob Gaucher – 99 Points with Phantoms
Zack Aston-Reese – 197 Pro Points
Zayde Wisdom – 97 Pro Points
Cam Dineen – 393 AHL Games
John Snowden – 97 Pro Coaching Wins
ROCKET SCIENCE – Laval (8-3-0) is in familiar territory yet again, at the top of the division. The Rocket feature a league-leading power play clicking at 29.2% and an impressive 14 man-advantage goals in just 11 games. At the same time, Laval is surrendering just 1.91 goals per game, also best in the AHL.
The two-time North Division champs are paced by rookie defenseman Luke Mittelstadt (5-11-16), brother of Casey Mittlestadt of the Boston Bruins, who stunningly leads the AHL in scoring. Not bad for a seventh-rounder who only had 11 career goals in four years at the University of Minnesota.
Former Utica Comet and Providence Bruins Reilly Walsh (5-8-13) is also among the league’s top-scoring blueliners. Sasha Pastujov (6-5-11) arrived from San Diego to lead the Rocket in goals with all six coming on the power play while 31-year-old veteran center Laurent Dauphin (1-11-12) is thriving again in his third season with the team after racking up 15-44-59 last year. 2023 fifth-overall selection David Reinbacher (1-3-4) from Austria garners the media hype and 2022 second-rounder Owen Beck has been recalled to Montreal. Head coach Pascal Vincent has moved on to accept an assistant coaching position with Seattle. Daniel Jacob has stepped up from assistant coach to head coach.mes 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
3 Luke Mittelstadt 5-11-16
44 Reilly Walsh 6-8-13
27 Laurent Dauphin 1-11-12
36 Sasha Pastujov 6-5-11
6 Brett Berard 4-3-7
48 Filip Mešár 3-3-6
SPECIAL TEAMS
LV PP 14.7% (25th) / PK 77.6% (23rd)
LAV PP 29.2% (1st) / PK 88.2% (5th)
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 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.
The Phantoms return to PPL Center for their special Friday the 13th promotion against the Hamilton Hammers and are also at home on Saturday, November 14th against the Charlotte Checkers on Hockey is for Everyone Night.
Laval Rocket
Belleville Senators
Hamilton Hammers
