Strong Weekend to Open 2024
January 9, 2024
Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (14-13-6) are coming off a successful road weekend in which they took three out of four points in back-to-back overtime games at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey. Next up are the first home games of 2024 when the Phantoms host the Hartford Wolf Pack and Hershey Bears this Friday and Saturday. Come Ring in 2024 with our 2-for-24 ticket special.
WEEKLY RECAP
Saturday, January 6, 2024
Phantoms 4 – Penguins 3 (OT)
Super Samu was the star in the first game of 2024 as the Phantoms rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third period to post a 4-3 overtime triumph at rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday. Samu Tuomaala scored in the third period to spark the comeback and Ronnie Attard tied the game barely more than a minute later setting up Tuomaala’s winner in overtime from Louie Belpedio. Cooper Marody also posted a goal and an assist.
Sunday, December 30, 2023
Bears 3 – Phantoms 2 (OT)
Jordy Bellerive (3rd) and Adam Brooks (1st) scored late ni the second period to vault the Phantoms into the lead but they couldn’t hold the advantage the rest of the way as Mike Sgarbossa tied the game with 5:20 left and then Alex Limoges scored the overtime winner. Bogden Trineyev brought the Teddy Bear Chaos inside GIANT Center to open the scoring. Cal Petersen was stellar in net as the Phantoms achieved a hard-earned standings point at the top team in the league.
TRANSACTIONS
Jan 9 – Mason Millman (D) – Reassigned to Lehigh Valley by Philadelphia (from Reading)
Jan 6 – Rhett Gardner (F) – Loaned to Lehigh Valley from Philadelphia
SUPER SAMU!
Samu Tuomaala etched his name in the Lehigh Valley record books with his second overtime goal of the season. The 20-year-old right wing becomes the first-ever Lehigh Valley forward to register two overtime goals in the same season. Four other Lehigh Valley Phantoms players have accomplished the feat but all were defensemen (Louie Belpedio, Andy Welinski, T.J. Brennan, Brandon Manning).
The second-round pick of the Flyers in 2021 who had his first-career multi-goal game (in North America) is second on the Phantoms in points having scored 10-17-27 this season. Tuomaala is fourth among AHL rookies in points and is tied for first among Eastern Conference rookies with Joshua Roy of Laval. Speedy Samu is also tied for third in AHL Rookie assists and sixth in rookie goals and is also tied with Roy for most rookie assists and rookie goals among Eastern Conference players.
WORKING OVERTIME
The Phantoms are third in the AHL with 10 overtime games trailing only Rochester (13) and Springfield (11). Lehigh Valley is 4-5 in overtime decisions and 0-1 in shootouts. The Phantoms had won three consecutive overtime decisions from December 13 through January 6 before Hershey snapped the streak on Sunday.
Lehigh Valley has gone to overtime in four consecutive away games including December 21 and December 22 (shootout) at Charlotte followed by overtime thrillers on January 6 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and January 7 at Hershey. Lehigh Valley has played to overtime in four of the last seven games overall as well as five of the last ten.
PHANTOMS MILESTONE FOR GARRETT
Phantoms captain Garrett Wilson has played in 197 career games with the Phantoms. He is projected to play in his 200th career game with Lehigh Valley next Wednesday at Rochester and will become the 11th player to achieve the feat with Lehigh Valley as well as the 28th all-time in Phantoms franchise history.
Wilson has scored 42 goals with 59 assists for 101 points through four seasons with the Phantoms. He has played in 610 career games in the AHL via stays with San Antonio, Portland, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Toronto and Lehigh Valley scoring 136-170-306 with 1,016 penalty minutes. Wilson has also played in 84 NHL games with Pittsburgh and Florida scoring 2-4-6.
UPCOMING
Friday, January 12, 2024 (7:05 p.m.)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms vs. Hartford Wolf Pack
Hartford (18-8-5) is second in the division on points percentage after a split last weekend that included a 5-3 win at Hershey on Saturday followed by a 2-1 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday. The Phantoms have gone just 1-3-1 against the Pack this season. Veteran goaltender Louis Domingue (10-2-2, 2.48, .910) has done well against the Phantoms going 2-0-0, 2.01, .933. But the New York Rangers affiliate is now missing its captain, Jonny Brodzinski (11-14-25), and first-rounder Brennan Othmann (9-14-23) who are both up with the parent club. Alex Belzile (11-17-28) leads the team in scoring after coming over from Laval last year and has scored 1-6-7 against the Phantoms. Former NHL’er Steve Smith (EDM, CHI, CGY) has taken over as interim head coach after former head coach Kris Knoblauch became head coach of the Edmonton Oilers on November 13.
Saturday, January 13, 2023 (3:00 p.m.)
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Phantoms at Hershey Bears
First-place Hershey (29-7-0) continues to impress with the best record in pro hockey. The Phantoms almost took down the first-place Bears last Sunday but Hershey equalized late before finding the overtime winner to improve to 20-3-0 since November 15. Clay Stevenson (13-5-0, 1.79, .934) has been the top goaltender in the league and three of his five shutouts this season have come against Lehigh Valley. 31-year-old veteran Mike Sgarbossa (7-26-33) is second in the AHL in assists and had the late tying goal with just 5:20 left last Sunday. Free-agent pickup from France, Pierrick Dube, has 19 goals, second in the AHL. Ethen Frank (14-14-28) is picking up where he left off in his AHL All-Rookie team season when he scored 30 goals. Hershey’s defense is tough to crack as the Bears lead the AHL with just 2.11 goals allowed per game and 26 shots allowed per contest. Four former Phantoms play for the Bears including Logan Day, Matt Strome, 35-year-old veteran Garrett Roe (Adirondack Phantoms) and Mike Vecchione.
Lehigh Valley is 1-3-2 against Hershey this season.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Cooper Marody 9-20-29
Samu Tuomaala 10-17-27
Tanner Laczynski 8-15-23
Olle Lycksell 12-10-22
Ronnie Attard 6-11-17
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING
Friday, January 12 (7:05) – Hartford Wolf Pack at Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Saturday, January 13 (7:05) – Hershey Bears at Lehigh Valley Phantoms – Valley Youth House Night presented by Air Products
Wednesday, January 17 (7:05) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Rochester Americans
Friday, January 19 (7:00) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Cleveland Monsters
Saturday, January 20 (7:00) – Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Cleveland Monsters
