PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Bears, Preseason
Tonight
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are back in their preseason Era as they host the Hershey Bears in their final exhibition tuneup. After this, they count for real!
Today’s game is the last of three in Lehigh Valley’s preseason and is also the second meeting between the Phantoms and Bears who met on Wednesday in Chocolatetown with the Bears taking a 5-1 decision on the strength of Kyler Kupka’s two goals and one assist. Carson Golder scored the lone goal for Lehigh Valley in that game.
Last Time
A strong lineup took the ice for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms but the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins came to play. Filip Larsson (21/22) was strong between the pipes in holding the Phantoms to 0-for-5 on the power play as the Baby Pens emerged with a 3-1 victory. Oscar Eklind had the lone goal for Lehigh Valley deflecting an Alex Bump point-shot with under two minutes remaining to break the shutout via his 6-on-5 marker. Zach Gallant scored barely more than five minutes into the game following a spectacular save by Carson Bjarnason. AHL veteran and former Phantom Kyle Criscuolo rocked one home 5-on-3 in the second period and Chase Pietila concluded the scored for the visitors in the closing minutes before Eklind’s closing tally.
The Roster
A crowded field of 30 players comprises the Phantoms roster entering tonight’s game. But that is down from 39 players just three days ago! Lehigh Valley currently has three tryout players remaining on the roster. A large group of 11 players were assigned from the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday including several familiar names from last year’s team including Emil Andrae, Helge Grans, Anthony Richard (on waivers), Alexis Gendron and more. Three more have since arrived on Wednesday and Thursday including returning leading goal-scorer Jacob Gaucher, free-agent veteran Lane Pederson and rookie forward Karsen Dorwart from Michigan State. Lehigh Valley is also expecting to receive veteran defenseman Dennis Gilbert later this afternoon once he clears waivers.
Who’s Back
17 returning players from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ playoff run last year include several top players and fan-faves. Emil Andrae, Helge Grans and Hunter McDonald are going to be key cogs on the blueline again. Veteran captain Garrett Wilson brings his toughness to bolster the forward group along with experienced wingers Cooper Marody and Zayde Wisdom. Anthony Richard, Alexis Gendron and Jacob Gaucher were the top three goal scorers last year. Samu Tuomaala, Massimo Rizzo, Oscar Eklind and Sawyer Boulton are also back. Goaltender Aleksei Kolosov is aiming for a big campaign in his second professional season in the U.S.
Who’s New
Some exciting new prospects are jumping into the professional ranks as well. Forward Alex Bump and defenseman Ty Murchison already got their initial taste of the AHL at the end of last season.
Bump is part of the “Killer B’s” quartet of talented rookies also including forward Denver Barkey and goaltender Carson Bjarnason as well as defenseman Oliver Bonk (still in Voorhees with the Flyers due to injury).
Newcomer Tucker Robertson joins from Coachella Valley in California after a trade for his good friend and former teammate, J.R. Avon.
Lane Pederson is an AHL veteran center who is playing in the Eastern Conference for the first time after recent stints with Bakersfield, Abbotsford and Tucson
AHL contract players looking to make an impression include defensemen Emile Chouinard, Carter Berger and Ben Meehan while forward Carson Golder and goaltender Yaniv Perets are all aiming to make a big statement in this preseason as well. Perets was a record-setting goaltender at Quinnipiac where he led the Bobcats to an NCAA Championship.
Who’s Out
Two Phantoms players remain at Philadelphia Flyers Training Camp due to injury.
- Ethan Samson – D (6-8 weeks)
- Oliver Bonk – D (Day-to-Day)
Getting a Look
Three tryout players remain in camp. Center Jordan Frasca used to play for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Free agent Nolan Burke had a 50-goal campaign in the OHL with the Sarnia Sting and previously played in the Nashville Predators organization. Defenseman Vincent Sevigny has 91 games of AHL experience with Bridgeport and Laval.
Coaching Staff
John Snowden was named the fifth head coach in Lehigh Valley history. He joined the Phantoms as an assistant coach in the 2022-23 season after spending two years as an assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies.
Nick Schultz is a 15-year NHL veteran as a player who is entering his first season with the Phantoms and first season as an assistant coach. He spent the last six seasons with the Flyers organization as Assistant Director of Player Development and as a player development coach.
Assistant coach Terrence Wallin enters his first season with the Phantoms arriving from the Maine Mariners of the ECHL where he served as head coach for the past three seasons. The Yardley, PA native grew up cheering for the Flyers and was a Flyers Cup and Pennsylvania State Champion with LaSalle College High School in 2008.
Here Come Hershey
Of course, the last time the Phantoms and Bears met on May 11 we saw Lehigh Valley’s rivals from Chocolatetown eliminating the Phantoms from the Calder Cup Playoffs for a second consecutive season. Lehigh Valley took the Bears to the distance in the five-game series but the Bears held on and advanced. Perhaps a third consecutive round in the playoff rivalry is in store in 2025-26!
Derek King takes over the coaching reins in Chocolatetown following the departure of Todd Nelson who accepted an assistant coach position with the Pittsburgh Penguins. King was previously an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks and head coach with the Rockford IceHogs following a playing career of 830 NHL games mostly with the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs.
It’s a very different look for the Bears’ roster as well including departures of some big names like Mike Vecchione, Mike Sgarbossa and Hunter Shepard. Defenseman Louie Belpedio has been in the Washington Capitals camp competing for a spot following a three-year stay with the Phantoms. Veteran defenseman Aaron Ness is back as is former Phantom Matt Strome. Bruising veteran Dalton Smith returns as well. He was briefly a Phantom 10 years ago and is the son of Derrick Smith who played 537 games with the Philadelphia Flyers.
What’s Next
The next time the Phantoms play we do it for real!
Opening Weekend on Saturday, October 11 at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday, October 12 at 3:05 p.m. will have the Phantoms hosting the Belleville Senators and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins back-to-back to kickoff the 12th season of Phantoms Hockey in the Lehigh Valley. Fans will receive Rally Towels to ring in the new season on October 11 and then will get their own Phantoms Trading Card sets when they arrive for the October 12 game.
Cleveland Monsters
Cleveland Monsters
