Transactions: Brown and Zmolek to Reading

Magic Number at 7 Points with 5 Games to Go

April 11, 2024

Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have announced a pair of transactions today.

Defenseman Will Zmolek has been reassigned by the Philadelphia Flyers from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to the Reading Royals of the ECHL. Additionally, forward Matt Brown has been loaned by the Phantoms to the Reading Royals.

Zmolek, 24, has played in five games with the Phantoms recording two assists. He has also played in 48 games with Reading scoring 3-7-10.

Zmolek also played in three games with the Phantoms at the end of last season. In 2022-23, he served as an alternate captain and collected 21 points on four goals and 17 assists in 36 games with Bemidji State University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in a year in which he was also a Hobey Baker Award nominee.

His father, Doug Zmolek, played 467 games over eight seasons in the NHL (1992-2000) with San Jose, Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Brown, 24, is a rookie from Wood Bridge, NJ who has played in 12 games with the Phantoms with two assists. He was leading the Royals in scoring at the time of his recall to the Phantoms in February with 13-26-39 in 36 games played while also representing Reading in the ECHL All-Star Game.

Brown joined the Phantoms on April 13, 2023 on an ATO and newly signed AHL contract. The Boston University product was First-Team Hockey East and a Second-Team All-American in 2022-23 while helping the Boston Terriers to their first Frozen Four appearance since 2015.

The Phantoms are back in action Friday night at the Hershey Bears and return to PPL Center on Saturday night against the Bridgeport Islanders on “Hockey Fiesta” Night featuring the return of the Los Fantasmas monicker.

Phantoms Tickets are available HERE