To The Great Lakes We Go!
February 18, 2025
Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms travel to the upper midwest for a four-game road trip beginning with a two-game series at the Grand Rapids Griffins. It is the first-ever trip for Lehigh Valley to Grand Rapids, Mich., Rockford, Ill., and Milwaukee, Wisc.
Lehigh Valley (24-19-6) won two out of three last weekend and stands in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with 23 games remaining in the 2024-25 regular season with two months to go. The top six teams qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs.
LAST WEEK
February 14 – Phantoms 3 – W-B/Scranton Penguins 2 (SO)
February 15 – Phantoms 4 – Syracuse Crunch 2
February 16 – W-B/Scranton Penguins 4 – Phantoms 3
THE WEEK AHEAD
Wednesday, February 19 (7:00) – Phantoms at Grand Rapids Griffins
Friday, February 21 (7:00) – Phantoms at Grand Rapids Griffins
Saturday, February 22 (8:00) – Phantoms at Rockford IceHogs
WEEKLY RECAP
Friday, February 14, 2025
Phantoms 3 -W-B/Scranton Penguins 2 (SO)
Rodrigo Abols scored his second shootout winner of the season as Lehigh Valley won at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday night. It was the Phantoms’ first win in northeast Pennsylvania this year. Samu Tuomaala (11th) scored during a scramble in the crease in the first period. Jacob Gaucher (15th) tied it on the power play with 12:54 left on a top-shelf deflection at the net front on a shot-pass from Anthony Richard. Parker Gahagen racked up 30 saves in his seventh consecutive win. It was Lehigh Valley’s league-leading 17th overtime game of the season and the Phantoms improved to 4-1 in shootouts.
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Phantoms 4 – Syracuse Crunch 2
The Phantoms were red hot on a summery night inside PPL Center on Margaritaville Night while the weather was slightly more miserable outside. It was five o’clock somewhere for Alexis Gendron (14th, 15th) with a pair of goals to move into a tie for the team lead. Keith Petruzzelli recorded his first win with the Phantoms and his first win in 13 months since a win at PPL Center as a member of the Toronto Marlies against the Phantoms. Anthony Richard (9th) and Adam Ginning (2nd) with an empty-netter also scored.
Sunday, February 16, 2025
W-B/Scranton Penguins 4 – Phantoms 3
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins got their revenge in Lehigh Valley’s home building to conclude the weekend on a rivalry-infused afternoon of intensity and scraps on meLVin’s birthday. Garrett Wilson fired up the crowd when he dropped the gloves with Dan Renouf in the first period but it wasn’t enough for the Phantoms to recover in their comeback efforts. After falling behind 3-0, Lehigh Valley pulled the score to within 3-2 on goals by J.R. Avon (5th) and Rodrigo Abols (10th). Later, Helge Grans (7th) got the Phantoms to within a goal again at 4-3. Tristan Broz (15th) scored his seventh of the year against the Phantoms. The Penguins improved to 7-1-2 against Lehigh Valley.
MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for upcoming games at the following link: https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/
TRANSACTIONS –
Feb 16 Sawyer Boulton – Add – Recalled from Reading
Feb 16 Xavier Bernard – Add – Recalled from Reading
Feb 17 Mason Primeau – Add – Recalled from Reading
PHANTASTIC –
– Goaltender Parker Gahagen had a personal seven-game win streak from December 28 through February 14 going an incredible 7-0-0, 1.38, .947 during that stretch. The win streak finally came to an end on Sunday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 31-year-old Army Captain also improved to 3-0 in shootouts with victories on January 17 at Rochester, February 7 vs. Cleveland and February 14 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
– 21-year-old rookie winger Alexis Gendron had his second multi-goal game of the season on Saturday and has caught up to Jacob Gaucher for the team lead in goals. Both Gendron and Gaucher have 15 goals apiece. Gendron has been heating up with four goals in the last seven games.
– The Phantoms won two out of three games last weekend and have now won four of their last six. Lehigh Valley moved to six games over .500 for the first time this season but then fell back to five games over.
– The Phantoms lead the AHL with 17 overtime games and are also tied for the tops with seven OT wins (along with Laval). Olle Lycksell leads the AHL with three overtime winners. Lehigh Valley is 7-5 in overtimes and 4-1 in shootouts. Lehigh Valley is also second in one-goal games with 29 (Hershey has 31) and boasts a record of 17-6-6 in the squeakers including 10-2-3 at home.
IMPENDING MILESTONES
– Garrett Wilson, 398 pro points
– Garrett Wilson, 265 games with Lehigh Valley (Record: Greg Carey, 277 games)
UPCOMING
Wednesday, February 19 (7:00)
and
Friday, February 21 (7:00)
Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI
Phantoms at Grand Rapids Griffins
Grand Rapids (26-18-4) has slipped out of first place in the North Division taking losses in six of the last seven but the Griffins are still just three points back of Milwaukee for the top spot. The Griffs took a pair of games in Allentown in October 5-2 and 4-3 in a shootout led by Amadeus Lombardi with two goals in the Saturday opener and then a shootout winner in the Sunday finale.
Stingy defense and solid goaltending are the strengths of the Detroit Red Wings’ farm club as Grand Rapids rates second in the AHL at just 2.60 goals allowed per game. 31-year-old Dominik Shine (11-24-35) is back after making his NHL debut and recording his first NHL point earlier in the month following 9 seasons and 467 games with the Griffs. Former Hershey Bear Joe Snively (18-14-32) is tied with former Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canuck Sheldon Dries (18-8-26) for the team-lead in goals. 20-year-old center Nate Danielson (4-20-24) was the #9 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. 22-year-old goaltender Sebastian Cossa (15-9-3, 2.25, .917) is a 2021 first-rounder (#15 overall) helped Canada to a 2022 World Juniors gold medal.
Rookies Shai Buium and Carter Mazur won a national championship with Lehigh Valley’s Massimo Rizzo last year at the University of Denver. Mazur and Rizzo (pictured) were roommates and good friends at D.U.
Saturday, February 22, 2025 (8:00)
BMO Harris Bank Center, Rockford, Ill.
Phantoms at Rockford IceHogs
Rockford (20-22-6) has kept its head above the playoff cut-line with a young and talented group that has now put together a three-game win streak. The Phantoms undoubtedly remember a 7-3 humbling at PPL Center at the hands of the IceHogs on December 4 in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Third-year pro Cole Guttman (20-24-44) led the way with a pair of goals and rates fourth in the AHL and second in the Western Conference in scoring. Second-year pro Colton Dach (12-24-36) is a second-rounder who has played in 13 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks this year. 19-year-old #2 overall pick in 2024 Artyom Levshunov of Belarus is naturally drawing a lot of attention. First-rounder Frank Nazar was recalled to Chicago. 30-year-old NHL veteran of nearly 500 games Andreras Athanasiou (8-7-15) is in the AHL for the first time in nine years and lighting it up with a three-game goal streak and goals in six of their last seven. Watch out for three former Phantoms on the IceHogs roster including Jackson Cates (3-6-9), Gerry Mayhew (9-9-18) and Colin Felix (1-3-4). The IceHogs feast on special teams with a power play (20.2%) that rates seventh in the AHL and a penalty kill (85.3%) coming it at second.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Olle Lycksell 13-19-32
Samu Tuomaala 11-20-31
Jacob Gaucher 15-14-29
Rodrigo Abols 10-13-23
Alexis Gendron 15-7-22
Anthony Richard 9-12-21
Helge Grans 7-11-18
UPCOMING
Wednesday, February 19 (7:00) – Phantoms at Grand Rapids Griffins
Friday, February 21 (7:00) – Phantoms at Grand Rapids Griffins
Saturday, February 22 (8:00) – Phantoms at Rockford IceHogs
Tuesday, February 25 (8:00) – Phantoms at Milwaukee Admirals
Friday, February 28 (7:05) – Bridgeport Islanders at Phantoms – Hockey is For Everyone!
Saturday, March 1 (7:05) – Bridgeport Islanders at Phantoms – Mardi Gras Celebration!
