Lehigh Valley Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears
Game 4 in Best of 5 Series, Phantoms Lead 2-1
PPL Center, Allentown, PA – Friday, May 9, 2025 (7:05 p.m.)
TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have taken a 2 games to 1 lead over the Hershey Bears in the Best of 5 Atlantic Division Semifinals and are aiming to advance at home tonight in Game 4. The Phantoms in the Playoffs is presented by PenTeleData.
After falling in the opener at Hershey last Wednesday, the Phantoms have surged back with a trio of shorties to take Game 2 at Hershey on Friday and then Game 3 in Allentown on Sunday before an electric and raucous PPL Center crowd.
The series continues tonight at PPL Center with the Phantoms looking to eliminate the Bears and move on the Atlantic Division Finals against either Charlotte or Providence. The Charlotte Checkers lead 2-1 in the other Atlantic Division semifinal series.
The Phantoms went 5-4-1 against Hershey in 2024-24 and are now 7-5-1 against the Bears in the regular season and postseason combined. Lehigh Valley entered the Calder Cup Playoffs as the 5-seed while the Hershey Bears again won the Atlantic Division and have won the last two Calder Cup Championships.
The Phantoms are also red-hot winning seven of their last eight in the regular season and postseason combined.
The intensity and noise levels have reached a fever pitch already through just two home playoff games. Friday is another Orange Out for the possible series-clincher and tickets are already in high demand!
PLAYOFF SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1 – Wednesday, April 30 – Phantoms 0 at Hershey Bears 3
Game 2 – Friday, May 2 – Phantoms 3 at Hershey Bears 1
Game 3 – Sunday, May 4 – Hershey Bears 2 at Phantoms 4
Game 4 – Friday, May 9 (7:05) – Hershey Bears at Phantoms
* Game 5 – Sunday, May 11 (5:00) – Phantoms at Hershey Bears
(* – if necessary)
TV COVERAGE – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Service Electric Network are excited to announce that all games of the upcoming series against Hershey, home and away, can be seen on Service Electric Network, the exclusive home of Phantoms hockey all season long.
Home games at PPL Center on Service Electric Network feature veteran announcer Steve Degler and Phantoms’ alum Steven Swavely on the call from the booth. Kristi Fulkerson reports from ice level and also from the Chickie’s and Pete’s studio with Dan Fremuth for pregame, intermission and postgame show analysis.
Away games for the series will be carried on Service Electric Network thanks to a cooperative agreement with the Hershey Bears and Fox-43 television in Harrisburg.
MEDIA MATERIALS – Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for upcoming games at the following link: https://www.phantomshockey.com/media-materials/
SERIES RECAP
Game 1 – Wednesday, April 30, 2025
GIANT Center, Hershey, PA
Hershey 3 – Phantoms 0
Hunter Shepard racked up 26 saves in his return to championship form as Hershey took a 3-0 win in Game 1 of the Best of 5 series on Wednesday night in Chocolatetown. Chase Priskie scored a 6-on-5 goal in the first period on a delayed penalty call. Shepard repelled some terrific chances from Garrett Wilson, Olle Lycksell, Rhett Gardner, and Alex Bump along the way, among others. During a 1:19 stretch of 5-on-3 in the third period, the Phantoms thought they might have tied the game on back-to-back chances in tight for Bump on Shepard. But video review could not see the puck over the line and Spencer Smallman’s top-shelf corner-pick on the same sequence of plays provided Hershey with a 2-0 advantage in the momentum-shifting moment. Bogdan Trineyev walked it into the empty net with over a minute left to seal the result. Parker Gahagen was strong, as usual, in a 24-save performance.
Game 2 – Friday, May 2, 2025
GIANT Center, Hershey, PA
Phantoms 3 – Hershey 1
Shorthanded Wizard Zayde Wisdom scored a pair of goals in the third period as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms evened the series in a thrilling 3-1 win at Hershey on Friday night. But 2-on-1 plays featured nice setups by Jacob Gaucher and Elliot Desnoyers. Anthony Ricahrd scored late in the second period on a strong assist from Nikita Grebenkin (on his birthday!) to break a scoreless tie. Parker Gahagen was tremendous in a 19-save gem that featured several quality and on breakaways. The Phantoms only had 15 shots on goal but made the most of their chances against Hunter Shepard. Lehigh Valley’s penalty kill held Hershey to 1-for-6 on the power play including a 3:00 man advantage in the second period and also an extended man-up situation in the last four minutes straight with a power play followed by a 6-on-5 push with a pulled goalie.
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Phantoms 4 – Hershey Bears 2
Cal Petersen came through in the clutch in a terrific 15-save relief effort after entering midway through the game following an injury to Parker Gahagen. A pair of sensational denials at the end during a Hershey power play and 6-on-4 attack were the best of them all as he dove across to get a paddle on Alex Limoges on the backdoor and later 
sprawled across to nudge another backdoor try away with the blocker. Jacob Gaucher (SH), Garrett Wilson (PP), Nikita Grebenkin and Olle Lycksell all scored for the Phantoms while Emil Andrae and Anthony Richard had two assists apiece before a raucous and electric crowd on another Orange Out Night in downtown Allentown. The Phantoms penalty kill also came through when it needed to once again holding the Bears to 0-for-6 on the power play. Hershey has been limited to just 1-for-16 in the three games of the series.
THEY SAID IT –
Ian Laperriere on Lehigh Valley’s determined effort in Game 3 at home: “Team effort. Was it perfect? No. It’s a helluva team we’re playing. They’re going to have their push which they did. I like our response. We went down a goal. We didn’t panic. We stayed with it. Cal (Petersen) came in. Parker (Gahagen) went down. We talk about using everybody. Well, Cal was ready to go. He’s a great pro and a great leader. I wasn’t even worried about that. And he came out big and made a couple huge saves and we found a way to beat a helluva team.”
Cal Petersen on his sensational relief effort: “Yeah, just like honestly any other game. I think you prepare the same way regardless if you’re playing or not. So whenever a situation like that happens you can kind of just step in and be ready when you can. It’s obviously hard to stay engaged when you’re just watching the game on the jumbotron. But I was lucky to get a few early and get into the game and the boys played well in front of me.”
Nikita Grebenkin on the atmosphere at PPL Center in Game 3: “The people at the rink today and nice energy. Thank you people who stay at the rink who like my team and (they cheer) ‘Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go Phantoms’ and thank you, guys!”
LEADING THE WAY – Jett Luchanko has five assists in five postseason games and rates tied for the AHL lead in playoff helpers (with Colin White of San Jose Barracuda). The #13 overall selection in the 2024 draft became the youngest player in Philadelphia Flyers history when he debuted on October 12 at 18 years and one month. After spending the remainder of the season with the Guelph Storm of the OHL, Luchanko joined the Phantoms on March 29 for his AHL debut where he became the second-youngest in Phantoms’ franchise history at 18 years and seven months. Only Zayde Wisdom suited up for the Phantoms at a younger age. Luchanko got into the last nine games of the regular season with Lehigh Valley notching three assists.
Emil Andrae has four assists in the playoffs which first among AHL defensemen in the Calder Cup Playoffs and one behind the league lead for all players combined. Andrae, 23, was a Round 2 selection of the Flyers in 2020. He has scored 3-13-16 in 25 games with the Phantoms this season and also suited up in 42 games with the Flyers scoring 1-6-7.
Anthony Richard is one behind the league lead in the Calder Cup Playoffs with three goals. The 29-year-old veteran has 11 career goals in the Calder Cup Playoffs, most of any Phantoms player. The 29-year-old speedster played in 15 games with the Flyers this season scoring 2-4-6 while also appearing in 42 games with the Phantoms scoring 17-19-36. In parts of 10 career seasons with Milwaukee, Chicago, Syracuse, Laval, Providence and Lehigh Valley, Richard has played in 523 games in the AHL 161-175-336.
Zayde Wisdom has a +6 rating in the Calder Cup Playoffs which is one behind the league lead (Kevin Korchinski, Rockford, +7). The 22-year-old also had two shorthanded goals at Hershey in Game 2 and is the only player with two goals in the Calder Cup Playoffs this season. He also became the first player in Phantoms’ franchise history to score two shorthanded goals in a postseason game. The high-energy winger had a massive bounceback season scoring 13-19-32 in the regular season including a January 29 hat trick after the Bridgeport Islanders.
TEAM LEADERS
Goals: Alexis Gendron (20), Jacob Gaucher (20), Olle Lycksell (19)
Assists: Olle Lycksell (25), Louie Belpedio (23)
Points: Olle Lycksell (44), Jacob Gaucher (38), Anthony Richard (16)
Plus/Minus: Louie Belpedio (+15), Olle Lycksell (+12), Hunter McDonald (+12)
PIM: Garrett Wilson (134), Hunter McDonald (99)
PPG: Anthony Richard (6), Alexis Gendron (5)
SHG: Brendan Furry (5), Furry (2), Gaucher (2), Wilson (2), Wisdom (2)
Shots: Olle Lycksell (151), Ethan Samson (140)
PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE –
Garrett Wilson – AHL 22 games, 2-7-9 and NHL 10 games, 1-1-2 (with Florida and Pittsburgh)
Louie Belpedio – AHL 39 games, 3-15-18 (with Iowa, Laval, Lehigh Valley)
Anthony Richard – AHL 26 games, 11-9-20 (with Milwaukee, Syracuse, Providence, Laval, Lehigh Valley)
Olle Lycksell – AHL 14 games, 5-7-12 (Lehigh Valley)
Cal Petersen – AHL 13 games (Ontario and Lehigh Valley, NHL 1 game (Los Angeles)
PHANTOMS PLAYOFFS PHAST PHACTS – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs for a second consecutive season and also for a third time in the team’s history.
The deepest Lehigh Valley has made it was the team’s 2018 run to the Conference Finals which included a 3-1 series win over the Providence Bruins and then a 4-1 series win over the Charlotte Checkers before falling just short of a bid to make it to the Calder Cup Finals in falling to the Toronto Marlies.
This is the third time Lehigh Valley has faced Hershey in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Hershey eliminated the Phantoms 3 games to 2 in 2017 and the Bears got the better of the Phantoms last year as well 3 games to 1.
The Phantoms are in the Playoffs for the 15th time in franchise history and are also appearing for the fifth time since the team arrived in Allentown in 2014. The Philadelphia Phantoms have twice won the Calder Cup in 1998 and 2005.
REGULAR SEASON TEAM LEADERS
Goals: Alexis Gendron (20), Jacob Gaucher (20), Olle Lycksell (19)
Assists: Olle Lycksell (25), Louie Belpedio (23)
Points: Olle Lycksell (44), Jacob Gaucher (38), Anthony Richard (16)
Plus/Minus: Louie Belpedio (+15), Olle Lycksell (+12), Hunter McDonald (+12)
PIM: Garrett Wilson (134), Hunter McDonald (99)
PPG: Anthony Richard (6), Alexis Gendron (5)
SHG: Brendan Furry (5), Furry (2), Gaucher (2), Wilson (2), Wisdom (2)
Shots: Olle Lycksell (151), Ethan Samson (140)
ON THIS DATE – Tonight is the anniversary of the longest game in AHL history when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Charlotte Checkers did battle for over six hours on May 9 (and May 10) 2018. Alex Krushelnyski scored the winning goal at 6:48 into the fifth overtime at 1:09 a.m. to cap the exhilarating and exhausting night. Alex Lyon produced a herculean 94-save effort on 95 shots. The Phantoms actually beat their own record from April 24, 2008 when Ryan Potulny of the Philadelphia Phantoms scored the winner against Michael Leighton of the Albany River Rats on the Phantoms’ 101st shot of the game in the only other five-overtime game in AHL history.
THAT’S BEARY INTERESTING! – Hershey (44-20-8) won the Atlantic Division crown and is seeking to become just the second team ever to win three consecutive Calder Cups.
Veteran defenseman Ethan Bear (10-36-46) led the team in scoring but was recalled to the Washington Capitals for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Penn State product Alex Limoges (17-27-44) is having another strong season and is their active leading scorer. First-rounders Ivan Miroshnichenko (23-19-42) and Hendrix Lapierre (7-25-32) had stretches with Washington but have spent the second half of the campaign working on their abilities in the AHL.
Last year’s Bastien Memorial Award winner as top goaltender in the league, Hunter Shepard (23-11-4, 2.80, .891), has not been the same as last year when he went 27-4-3, 1.76, .929. Elliot Desnoyers (1-5-6), Helge Grans (3-2-5), Olle Lycksell (2-3-5) and Jacob Gaucher (3-1-4) are among Lehigh Valley’s scoring leaders in the season series while Cal Petersen (4-3-1, 2.19, .918) was especially strong against our I-78 rivals.
Phantoms Playoff Scoring Leaders
Anthony Richard 3-3-6
Jett Luchanko 0-5-5
Jacob Gaucher 2-2-4
Olle Lycksell 2-2-4
Helge Grans 1-3-4
Emil Andrae 0-4-4
Regular Season Scoring Leaders
Phantoms
Olle Lycksell 19-25-44
Jacob Gaucher 20-18-38
Anthony Richard 17-19-36
Rodrigo Abols 15-17-32
Zayde Wisdom 13-19-32
Samu Tuomaala 11-21-32
Alexis Gendron 20-8-28
Bears
Ethan Bear 10-36-46
Alex Limoges 17-27-44
Ivan Miroshnichenko 23-19-42
Pierrick Dube 19-21-40
Mike Vecchione 19-20-39
Chase Priskie 12-23-35
Henrik Rybinski 10-25-35
Special Teams:
Lehigh Valley – PP 17.3%, 26th / PK 81.8%, 18th
PP vs. HER Reg Season, 3-29, 10.3% / Playoffs PP 2-19, 10.5%
Hershey—PP 17.7%, 19th / PK 83.6%, 8th
PP vs. LV Reg Season, 3-37, 8.1% / Playoffs PP 1-16, 6.3%
REGULAR SEASON SERIES (5-4-1)
10/30/24 Away – Win – 2-1
11/16/24 Home – Loss – 3-6
11/29/24 Home – OT Win – 2-1 (OT)
12/7/24 Home – OT Loss – 2-3 (OT)
12/8/24 Away – Loss – 4-5
1/7/25 Away – Win – 5-4
3/2/25 Away – Loss – 0-4
4/4/25 Home – Loss – 1-2
4/12/25 Home – Win – 5-1
4/19/25 Away – Win – 4-3
REGULAR SEASON SERIES LEADERS
Lehigh Valley:
Elliot Desnoyers 1-5-6
Helge Grans 3-2-5
Olle Lycksell 2-3-5
J. R. Avon 1-4-5
Jacob Gaucher 3-1-4
Rodrigo Abols 2-2-4
Cal Petersen 4-3-1, 2.19, .919
Hershey:
Ethan Bear 2-7-9
Mike Sgarbossa 2-4-6
Henrik Rybinski 1-5-6
Ivan Miroshnichenko 3-2-5
Pierrick Dube 1-4-5
Spencer Smallman 1-4-5
Hunter Shepard 3-2-0, 3.03, .884
Calder Cup Playoffs – Atlantic Division Semifinals
Best of 5 Series
Game 1 – Wednesday, April 30 – Phantoms 0 at Hershey Bears 3
Game 2 – Friday, May 2 – Phantoms 3 at Hershey Bears 1
Game 3 – Sunday, May 4 – Hershey Bears 2 at Phantoms 4
Game 4 – Friday, May 9 – Hershey Bears at Phantoms
Game 5 – Sunday, May 11 – Phantoms at Hershey Bears
