Phantoms Power Play Presented by Provident Bank

Thanksgiving Hockey!

November 25, 2024

Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (6-6-4) will be back at PPL Center for a pair of Thanksgiving Weekend games with big promotions. Friday is Phantoms Hat Night from Service Electric when the Phantoms host the rival Hershey Bears plus it’s our annual WFMZ-69 Phantoms Coat Drive. Saturday features the return of GRITTY including a pregame Meet and Greet when the Laval Rocket pay a visit.

The Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally one of the most exciting of the season drawing big crowds including many visitors returning to the area for the holiday.

LAST WEEK
November 22 – Phantoms 0 at Bruins 3
November 23 – Phantoms 1 at Bruins 2 (OT)

THE WEEK AHEAD
Wednesday, November 27 – Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack
Friday, November 29 – Hershey Bears at Phantoms
Saturday, November 30 – Laval Rocket at Phantoms

WEEKLY RECAP
Friday, November 22, 2024 
Bruins 3 – Phantoms 0
The Phantoms ran into the Brandon Bussi show once again as the big, lefty goaltender for Providence posted a 30-save shutout with several spectacular denials along the way. He saved his best for last with under two minutes left when he dove across to his left with an outstretched paddle to somehow knock away Jacob Gaucher’s rebound effort on the backdoor. Fabian Lysell (2) and Frederic Brunet (2) scored in the first period for the P-Bruins before the Phantoms largely dominated the rest of the way. Former Philadelphia Flyer Tyler Pitlick capped the night with an empty-net goal.

Saturday, November 23, 2024
Bruins 2 – Phantoms 1 (OT)
Lehigh Valley earned a standings point with an overtime loss but the Providence Bruins completed the weekend sweep on Georgii Merkulov’s breakaway goal in overtime. Ethan Samson (3rd) gave the Phantoms the initial lead with his power-play blast just 4:44 into the game. But the Bruins equalized in the second period on Riley Tufte’s goal. Parker Gahagen (25 saves) was solid between the pipes in his season debut for the Phantoms while Michael DiPietro (22 saves) earned the win for Providence.

BRINGING THE RIZZ – Friday night’s game marked the belated pro debut of rookie center Massimo Rizzo who centered Lehigh Valley’s fourth line. The two-time national champion at the University of Denver was a seventh-round selection of the Carolina Hurricanes before he was acquired in a trade by the Flyers two summers ago. Rizzo had an appendectomy surgical procedure following the final preseason game which sidelined him for approximately six weeks before he was able to play in his first AHL game.

RICHARD RETURNS – The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned forward Anthony Richard to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Richard has played in seven games with Lehigh Valley scoring 4-5-9 with his most recent game coming on November 2 at Springfield when he scored 1-2-3. He played in seven games with the Flyers on his recall scoring 2-4-6 including a four-game point streak from November 9 through November 16. The 27-year-old from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec was leading the Phantoms in scoring at the time of his recall and carries a five-game point streak back with the Phantoms having scored 3-4-7 since October 25. Richard scored 25 goals for Providence last year and 30 goals for Laval the season before that. In 488 career AHL games, Richard has over 300 points on 148 goals and 161 assists for 309 points.

CAPTAIN GAHAGEN – With goaltender Eetu Makiniemi on the sidelines with an injury, Parker Gahagen has been summoned from the Reading Royals to serve as the team’s second goaltender. Last year with Lehigh Valley, the Army Captain out of Buffalo, NY performed very well in 18 games going 7-8-3, 2.59, .914 in the longest AHL stint of his career. Gahagen’s accomplishments and tour include four years at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he starred for the hockey team. Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the Army as a Second Lieutenant. While stationed at Fort Carson, CO, Gahagen was assigned to the 1st Strike Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division where he received two Army commendation medals. He was honorably discharged from active duty in 2022 at the rank of Captain but remains active in the reserves.

Gahagen, 31, entered the 2024-25 season with 30 career AHL games with Lehigh Valley, Milwaukee, Colorado, Toronto and San Jose going a combined 12-12-3, 2.87, .903.  The well-traveled backstop has played in 122 career ECHL games with Reading, Jacksonville, Florida, Utah and Newfoundland going 70-35-6, 2.36, .920.

TRANSACTIONS – 
– Nov 21 – Sawyer Boulton (F), Loaned by Phantoms to Reading
– Nov 21 – Mason Primeau (F), Loaned by Phantoms to Reading
– Nov 21 – Sam Sedley (D), Recalled to Phantoms from Reading
– Nov 23 – Sam Sedley (D), Loaned by Phantoms to Reading
– Nov 23 – Sawyer Boulton (F), Recalled to Phantoms from Reading
– Nov 23 – Anthony Richard (F), Loaned to Phantoms from Flyers

PHANTASTIC

– Lehigh Valley has played in seven overtime games this year, almost half of the 16 games total. That’s second-most in the AHL trailing only Toronto (8). Lehigh Valley is 2-3 in overtime decisions and 1-1 in shootouts. The Phantoms have two overtime games each against Hartofrd and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

– Second-year defenseman Ethan Samson has scored two goals in the last three games and has three goals on the season including a pair of power-play markers. The 21-year-old right-handed shooter has taken on extra duties this season with his power-play time and it’s paying off. The product of the WHL Prince George Cougars was a sixth-round selection of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2021.

– Olle Lycksell leads the AHL with 71 shots on goal. Lycksell (3-8-11) has moved up to second on the team in scoring. Last year, he averaged over a point-per-game while tying for the team in goals when he scored 19-20-39 in just 38 games played with the Phantoms while also playing in 18 NHL games with the Flyers last year.

– Defenseman Hunter McDonald is second among AHL rookies with a +9 rating. The Round 6 selection in 2022 out of Northeastern University has also shown his toughness with three fighting majors this season.

– The Phantoms are third in the AHL on the power play at 25.5% trailing only Charlotte (35.8%)

– Lehigh Valley is second in the AHL with 33.1 shots per game trailing only Rochester (34.3). The Phantoms have 30 or more shots on goal in 11 out of 16 games this season

UPCOMING

Wednesday, November  27, 204 (7:05)
XL Center, Hartford, CT
Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack

Hartford (8-7-2) has dropped two straight following a three-game win streak including a 4-1 setback to the last-place Bridgeport Islanders on Sunday. Alex Belzile (4-8-12) had a hat trick plus a shootout goal against the Charlotte Checkers last week in a 5-4 win. Brett Berard (7-6-13) has been recalled to the New York Rangers. Bo Groulx (7-5-12) is a former Anaheim Ducks prospect who scored an overtime goal against the Phantoms on October 25. Big 6’8″ center Matt Rempe (2-1-3) has played 10 games with Hartford since his return from the Rangers and has yet to drop the gloves. Both of the previous encounters between the Phantoms and Wolf Pack have gone to overtime. Lehigh Valley won in a shootout 4-3 on Opening Night at PPL Center on October 12 when the Phantoms lit the lamp for three power-play goals while racking up 49 shots against Louie Domingue before Olle Lycksell scored the shootout winner. The Wolf Pack got revenge on October 25 back in Hartford with a 4-3 overtime win.

Friday, November 29, 2024
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Hershey Bears at Phantoms

First-place Hershey (13-4-2) is on a four-game point streak (3-0-1) after a pair of extra-time thrillers last weekend. The two-time defending Calder Cup Champions are heating up again as former Phantom Mike Vecchione (4-8-12) scored the tying goal at Rochester with just nine seconds left before lighting the lamp again with his second overtime goal of the season on Friday. The next night, it was Ethen Frank (12-8-18) with the shootout winner at Syracuse in a 5-4 decision. Frank is second in the AHL with 12 goals after scoring 59 combined goals in his first two pro seasons. First-rounder Ivan Miroshnichenko (7-7-14) was recalled to the Washington Capitals following Alex Ovechkin’s injury. Hunter Shepard (10-2-1, 2.44, .909) is tied for the AHL lead in wins after winning the Baz Bastien Memorial Award last year as the league’s top goalie.

Both teams have secured road wins so far in the series. Lehigh Valley prevailed in Chcolatetown 2-1 on October 30. The Bears broke a late 3-3 tie at PPL Center on Ethan Bear’s strike midway through the third period on November 16 to come away with a 6-3 decision. This is Game 3 out of 10 in the season series. The Bears return to Allentown on December 7 for their third appearance at PPL Center in a three-week stretch. Lehigh Valley’s 2024 Calder Cup Playoff run came to an end last year at the hands of the Bears 3 games to 1 in the Division Semifinals.

Saturday, November 30, 2024
PPL Center, Allentown PA
Laval Rocket at Phantoms

The Phantoms tangle with a first-place team for a second consecutive night when Laval (13-3-1) makes its only appearance of the season at PPL Center. The AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens is led by fifth-rounder Joshua Roy (8-8-16). The 21-year-old split his time between Laval and Montreal last season. Veteran Alex Barre-Boulet (4-9-13) returns to his home area after six strong seasons with Syracuse and Tampa Bay where the two-time AHL All-Star and 2018-19 All-Rookie Team member racked up 113 goals and 302 points for the Crunch while also playing 70 NHL games with the Lightning. 21-year-old first-rounder Logan Mailloux (4-9-13) has been strong from the blueline. 20-year-old Owen Beck (3-9-12) was a Round 2 (#33 overall) selection in the 2022 NHL Draft and won an OHL title with the Perborough Petes in 2023 where he was teammates with Lehigh Valley’s J.R. Avon

The Rocket are allowing just 2.24 goals per game, second-best in the AHL behind only Grand Rapids, and are receiving strong goaltending from 6’5″ Czechia product Jakub Dobes (7-1-1, 2.18, .920) who tied for the AHL lead last year with 51 games played. 28-year-old Connor Hughes (6-2-0, 2.30, .920) has been outstanding in his first season in North America after nine seasons playing in Switzerland.

Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Samu Tuomaala 6-10-16
Olle Lycksell 3-8-11
Jacob Gaucher 6-4-10
Anthony Richard 4-5-9
Rodrigo Abols 3-5-8
Oscar Eklind 4-4-8

UPCOMING

Wednesday, November 27 – Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack

Friday, November 29 – Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears – Phantoms Ballcaps from SECTV. WFMZ-69 Phantoms Coat Drive

Saturday, November 30 – Phantoms vs. Laval Rocket – Flyers Night with GRITTY!

Wednesday, December 4 – Phantoms vs. Rockford IceHogs – Pregame Happy Hour

Saturday, December 7 – Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears – Teddy Bear Toss presented by Big Woody’s

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