Johnson Arrives From Ontario Reign
February 17, 2022
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms have announced the following transactions:
- Forward Maksim Sushko has been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers
- Forward Jackson Cates has been returned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms from the Flyers
- Defenseman Mason Millman has been reassigned to the Reading Royals of the ECHL by the Philadelphia Flyers
- Forward Adam Johnson has been acquired by the Phantoms in a trade with the Ontario (Cal.) Reign in exchange for future considerations
Sushko, 23, is a lefty shooting right wing from Drogichin, Belarus. The Flyers’ Round 4 selection in 2017 has scored 6-5-11 in 38 games with the Phantoms this season. Sushko played two games with the Flyers last year becoming just the eighth Belarussian born player in NHL history. This is his first NHL recall this season. The product of the Owen Sound Attack in the OHL has scored 17-15-36 with the Phantoms over three seasons encompassing 100 career games. He only played nine games with Lehigh Valley last season due to injury. Sushko becomes the 12th Phantoms player this year to receive a recall to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Cates, 24, was a free agent signee out of Minnesota-Duluth. He has played in 11 games with the Flyers this season scoring one goal while also playing in 29 games with the Phantoms this year scoring 2-8-10. The lefty shooting center from Stillwater, Minn. most recently played for the Flyers in Tuesday’s game at Pittsburgh.
Millman, 20, was a Round 4 pick of the Flyers in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft out of the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL. The 6’1″ defenseman from London, Ont. has played in 12 games with the Phantoms recording one assist while also playing in eight games with the Reading Royals scoring 3-5-8.
Johnson, 27, joins the Phantoms from the Ontario (Cal.) Reign of the AHL where has scored one goal with five assists in 28 games for the affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. The Minnesota-Duluth product is in his fifth year of pro hockey, the first three of which were with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins where he posted three straight seasons with 10+ goals including a career best 18 goals and 43 points in 2018-19. Johnson played a combined 175 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton scoring 39 goals with 69 assists for 108 points.
The 6’0″ lefty shooting forward from Grand Rapids, Minn. also has played in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins scoring one goal with three assists. He has 227 career games in the AHL scoring 46-79-125. Johnson will wear number 47 with the Phantoms.
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms return to PPL Center for a pair of games this weekend taking on first-place teams back-to-back. The Utica Comets arrive Saturday on Hockey is For Everyone Night. The Phantoms then host the Springfield Thunderbirds on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. on meLVin’s Birthday Bash.
Tickets for upcoming Phantoms games are available HERE
