PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Hershey, Game 40

Keystone Showdown to Conclude Weekend Homestand

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (19-16-4) wrap up their weekend homestand just ahead of the impending winter snowstorm as they host the Hershey Bears (18-14-6) in another rivalry duel between the Pennsylvania foes. The Phantoms and Bears are now tied for fourth place in the Atlantic Division but both teams have been trending in different directions. Lehigh Valley had recently won four straight and had a seven-game point streak but has since followed that up with a five-game losing slide. Meanwhile, the Bears have been picking up standings points in nine straight games (4-0-5) even though they haven’t been racking up the W’s in that stretch.

This is Game 7 out of 10 in the season series. The Phantoms are 2-0-4 against Hershey this season. Tonight is also Game 40 of the 2025-26 regular season.

Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for tonight’s game at www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/

LAST TIME – The goals came fast and frequently. And practically in record proportions. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms kept digging their way out of tough deficits but ultimately were never able to equalize and the Checkers hung on for a wild 8-5 victory at PPL Center on Friday night. Karsen Dorwart (6th, 7th) scored a pair of goals in the second period to twice pull the Phantoms to within a single tally. Not bad for a team that had dug itself a three-goal hole to begin the contest when Charlotte led 4-1 in the first period. Alexis Gendron (8th) also made it a one-goal game in the third period with just 5:04 left as it appeared the Phantoms may have yet another miraculous comeback in them. But the Checkers scored two empty-netters to seal the victory while extending their point streak to six. Lehigh Valley also had goals from Christian Kyrou (6th) and Anthony Richard (11th) who was skating in his 600th career professional game.

JOINING THE PHANTOMS – Lehigh Valley has received forward Hunter Johannes and defenseman Artem Guryev as well as goaltender Yaniv Perets who had been with the Reading Royals of the ECHL.
Johannes, 27, was acquired by the Phantoms from the Charlotte Checkers in a trade for future considerations on December 12, 2025 and he was immediately loaned to Reading after beginning the season with the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates. He recorded his first career hat trick in his Reading debut on December 13 in a win against Norfolk and has now played in 14 games with Reading scoring 7-7-14. He also played in 17 games with Savannah scoring 1-7-8. Last year, as a professional rookie, he played in 51 games in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins scoring 2-2-4.

Guryev, 22, is a 6’4″ left-handed shooting defenseman who was acquired from the San Jose Sharks along with Carl Grundstrom in a trade for Ryan Ellis on October 5, 2025. He played in four games with the Phantoms in October and has also played in 27 games with the Reading scoring one goal. He has played in 35 career games in the AHL with San Jose and Lehigh Valley with zero goals and four assists. He was a Round 5 selection of San Jose in 2021 out of the Peterborough Petes and Flint Firebirds of the OHL.

Perets, 25, entered in relief during Friday’s game appearing in his third contest with Lehigh Valley this season. In 13 games with Reading, he has posted a 7-4-1 record, 3.74 GAA, and .889 SV%. Prior to signing with the Phantoms in July 2025, Perets spent the majority of last season with the Bloomington (IL) Bison of the ECHL going 12-12-1, 2.59, .921 in 27 games. He also appeared in four AHL games with the Chicago Wolves going 1-2-1, 3.93, .846 and made one relief appearance in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes on November 30, 2024. A native of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Perets played collegiately at Quinnipiac University, where he was two-time ECAC Goaltender of the Year and won an NCAA National Championship in 2023 as a sophomore.

ANTHONY ACHIEVEMENT – Another milestone for Anthony Richard who played in his 600th career pro game on Friday AND scored a goal on his special night.. The veteran winger is in his second season with the Phantoms and rates second on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points. Richard has played in 556 AHL games scoring 172-185-356 in various stints with Milwaukee, Chicago, Syracuse, Laval, Providence and Lehigh Valley. He has also played in 39 career NHL games scoring 6-8-14 including stints with Nashville, Boston, Montreal and Philadelphia and he set a career high last year when he played in 15 games with the Flyers. The speedy sniper also played in five games in the ECHL early in his career. It was only the fourth time in Lehigh Valley history to allow eight or more goals in a game and was the first time it had happened since 2017.

TRANSACTIONS –
1/15/26 Add Yaniv Perets (G) – Recalled by LV from Reading
1/15/26 Del Aleksei Kolosov (G) – Recalled to PHI
1/17/26 Add Artem Guryev (D) – Reassigned to LV from Reading by PHI
1/17/26 Del Hunter McDonald (D) – Recalled to PHI
1/18/26 Add Hunter Johannes (F) – Reassigned to LV from Reading by PHI
1/18/26 Del Lane Pederson (F) – Recalled to PHI

BEARY INTERESTING! – Overtime has been following the Bears who have played in a franchise record six consecutive games past regulation while extending a nine-game point streak (4-0-5). Hershey (18-14-6) has slowly pushed up the standings to move into a tie for fourth with the Phantoms. The Bears couldn’t hold a late lead against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton yesterday and lost in a shootout, 4-3. 19-year-old Ilya Protas (16-15-31), brother of NHL’er Aleksei Protas, is second in rookie goals and third in rookie points and will represent the Bears at the AHL All-Star Classic. Andrew Cristal (8-24-32) is second among AHL rookies in scoring and has scored 1-5-6 against the Phantoms. In the WHL, Cristall racked up an incredible 132 points with the Spokane Chiefs and Kelowna Rockets to beat out Gavin McKenna for the league scoring crown. Former Phantom Louie Belpedio (6-16-22) is third on the team in scoring and he joins 35-year-old captain Aaron Ness to anchor the blueline. The Bears have taken four out of six in the season series. Aleksei Kolosov slammed the door on the Bears in a 3-0 shutout in the most recent encounter on New Year’s Eve with Lane Pederson snagging a pair of goals in the first. Lehigh Valley is 2-2-2 against the Bears entering Game 7 out of 10 in the season series.

SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
x – Lane Pederson 13-15-28
Anthony Richard 11-10-21
Alex Bump 7-13-20
Alexis Gendron 8-10-18
Christian Kyrou 6-11-17

Hershey Scoring Leaders
Andrew Cristall 8-24-32
Ilya Protas 16-15-31
Louis Belpedio 6-16-22
Bogdan Trineyev 9-11-20
Graeme Clarke 11-6-17

Special Teams PP / PK
LV 18.5%, 16th / 76.1%, 31st (PP vs. HER 3-18, 16.7%)
HER 18.3%, 17th / 82.2%, 10th (PP vs. LV 4-19, 21.1%)

Season Series vs. Hershey Bears: (2-2-2)
10/24/25 Home W 5-4
10/25/25 Away SOL 3-4 (SO)
11/15/25 Home L 3-4
11/16/25 Away OTL 1-2 (OT)
12/7/25 Away L 2-3
12/31/25 Home W 3-0
1/24/26 Home
2/20/26 Away
2/21/26 Away
3/28/26 Home

LOOKING AHEAD – Next weekend, the Phantoms begin with a road game at Springfield on Friday, January 30 but return to PPL Center hosting the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday, January 31 and then take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday, February 1 in a 3:05 p.m. start in Allentown.

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