Ustimenko Reassigned to Reading Royals
February 10, 2020
Lehigh Valley, Pa. – The Philadelphia Flyers have announced today that they have loaned goaltender Alex Lyon to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In addition, goaltender Kirill Ustimenko has been reassigned to the Reading Royals of the ECHL.
Lyon, 27, is currently in his fourth season with the organization and currently ranks 11th in the American Hockey League with a 0.916 save percentage through 25 games with the Phantoms. He has a 9-13-2 record this year and recently had a 37-save shutout on January 11, 2020 against the Laval Rocket. He played in three games for Philadelphia during his recall and earned his first win of the season on February 1 against the Colorado Avalanche making 28 saves.
A native of Baudette, Minnesota, Lyon has played 138 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the most of any goaltender. He also ranks first in Lehigh Valley history with 71 wins, 3842 career saves and six shutouts. His 71 wins are tied for the third most in Phantoms overall franchise history. Lyon’s signature performance with Lehigh Valley came on May 9, 2018 when he stopped 94 of 95 shots by the Charlotte Checkers to lead the Phantoms to a 2-1 win in a five overtime game during the Calder Cup Playoffs. Lyon was named the Phantoms 2018-19 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the community.
Lyon is coming off his second NHL recall of the season after he played 11 games in 2017-18 and 2 games last season. He made his NHL debut on January 31, 2018 against the Washington Capitals in a relief appearance and later earned his first NHL win on February 18, 2018 against the New York Rangers. In 16 total NHL appearances he has amassed a 5-4-1 record with a 3.15 GAA and 0.893 save percentage. Prior to signing with the Flyers as a free agent, Lyon played three seasons at Yale University where he was a two-time NCAA All-American, two-time ECAC Goaltender of the Year, and a 2015-16 Hobey Baker Award finalist.
Ustimenko, 21, is in his first professional season and made his AHL debut for the Phantoms on February 8 in Wilkes-Barre, making 38 saves to earn his first AHL victory. He has played 30 games for the Reading Royals this season and has amassed an impressive 18-4-5 record with a 2.48 goals-against average and a 0.916 save percentage. He was recently named the ECHL Goaltender of the Month for January after he went 6-1-1 with a 1.87 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage in eight appearances during the month. Ustimenko is currently third in the ECHL with 18 wins while ranking sixth with a 2.48 goals-against average and tied for eighth with a .916 save percentage.
A native of Gomel, Belarus, Ustimenko was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the third round (80th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, and spent the previous three seasons in the Junior Hockey League (MHL) in Russia for Dynamo St. Petersburg. Last season, he led all MHL goaltenders, and set an all-time MHL record, with 12 shutouts, bettering his previous best of 11 from 2017-18. He won a bronze medal with Russia at the Under-18 World Junior Championships in 2016-17.
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