Blueliner to Report to Lehigh Valley for Remainder of 2015-16 Season
March 21, 2016
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Philadelphia Flyers, parent club of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, have signed defenseman Reece Willcox to an entry-level contract that begins with the 2016-17 season, according to general manager Ron Hextall. The 6’4″, 208-pound blueliner from Surrey, British Columbia will report to Lehigh Valley on an ATO (amateur try-out) for the remainder of the 2015-16 season.
A fifth-round selection (#141 overall) by the Flyers in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Willcox recently completed a four-year career at Cornell University where he compiled five goals, 24 assists, 29 points and 30 penalty minutes across 120 games with the Big Red. As a senior, he posted career highs in assists (11) and points (13) following three seasons (2012-2015) in which he was teammates with current Phantoms forward Cole Bardreau.
Before heading to Cornell, Willcox spent two seasons with the Merritt Centennials of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) where he produced 10 goals, 27 assists and 37 points across 105 games.
Willcox joins Scott Laughton (1st Round, #20 overall), Anthony Stolarz (2nd Round, #41 overall), Shayne Gostisbehere (3rd Round, #78 overall) and Taylor Leier (4th Round, #117 overall) as products of the 2012 NHL Draft to have joined the Phantoms.
The Phantoms continue their four-game home stand with three tilts at PPL Center this week. First, on Wednesday, March 23, Lehigh Valley welcomes the rival Hershey Bears to downtown Allentown for the final time this season. Then, on Friday, March 25, the Providence Bruins invade PPL Center for a 7:05 p.m. clash before the Hartford Wolf Pack come to town on Saturday, March 26 for Fan Appreciation Night at PPL Center. A limited number of tickets remain for all three showdowns and can be secured at pplcenter.com, by calling 610-347-TIXX [8499] or in-person at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office at PPL Center [701 Hamilton Street].
RISE UP! Reserve your season tickets and groups now for the 2015-2016 season of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey. For more information on how to reserve your seat at PPL Center to the hottest ticket in town, call the Phantoms front office today at 610-224-GOAL (4625)!
Upcoming Home Games:
Wednesday, March 23, 2016, Hershey Bears vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m.
(Health Care Workers Appreciation Night. Non-Profit Awareness Night.)
Friday, March 25, 2016, Providence Bruins vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 26, 2016, Hartford Wolf Pack vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m.
(Fan Appreciation Night.)
In the midst of their 20th season of operation, the Phantoms are coming off their Inaugural Season as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms playing at the brand-new PPL Center. Established in 1996, the Phantoms spent their first 13 seasons at the Spectrum in Philadelphia before re-locating to Glens Falls, New York in 2009 where the team spent the next five seasons as the Adirondack Phantoms. A new era of Phantoms hockey began in the fall of 2014 when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms began play at the state-of-the-art PPL Center. Through 19 incredibly successful campaigns, the Phantoms have captured two Calder Cup Championships (1998, 2005), two Conference Championships (1998, 2005), two Regular Season Titles (1996-97, 1997-98) and four Division Championships (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04).
