PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Charlotte, Game 55

Rematch Saturday

TODAY – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (24-25-5) conclude their two-game weekend series against the Charlotte Checkers (32-18-5), AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers.

The Phantoms are currently hanging on to fifth place in the Atlantic Division and looking to close the margin on fourth-place Hershey. Charlotte is in third place in the division and is wrapping up a massive 10-game road trip over the last three weeks. Today is Game 55 of the 2025-26 season. There are 18 games to go in the final six weeks before the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Top 6 teams in the division make the postseason and Lehigh Valley’s Magic Number to clinch a Playoff spot is at 33 points. Tonight is Game 4 out of 8 in the season series between the Phantoms and Checkers. The Phantoms are 0-2-1 against Charlotte.

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

LAST TIME – Oscar Eklind extended his goal streak to a career-best four games, but Charlotte used a three-unanswered goal surge across the second and third periods to skate away with a 5–3 victory on Friday night at PPL Center. Cooper Marody (8th), Eklind (6th) and Jacob Gaucher (12th) tallied for Lehigh Valley while the Phantoms outshot Charlotte 36–21, but the visitors converted key chances and prevented a late comeback push. Marody posted a three-point game with one goal and two assists while Jacob Gaucher also had a multi-point effort. Nolan Foote (14th) opened the scoring for Charlotte in the first and led the way with a goal and an assist. NHL veteran Luke Kunin recorded a pair of helpers in his Charlotte debut. Noah Gregor (8th), Nate Smith (11th) and Brett Chorske (10th) also scored against Kolosov in building a 4-1 lead. Kirill Gerasimyuk thrived in a 33-save performance for the Checkers. Newly acquired forward Boris Katchouk made his Phantoms debut and quickly began adjusting to the team’s style.

BUMP IT UP – Alex Bump has been recalled to the Philadelphia Flyers and is potentially on the verge of his NHL debut. Bump is thriving in his rookie season with Lehigh Valley with 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in 36 games. He has played in 38 career games with the Phantoms scoring 12-17-29 including the games he played when he joined the club at the end of the 2024-25 season immediately following a National Championship at the Frozen Four with Western Michigan. The Prior Lake, Minnesota native was a fifth-round selection of the Flyers in 2022. Bump can become the third Phantoms player to make his NHL debut this season joining Ty Murchison and Denver Barkey.

JUMPIN’ JIRICEK – The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired defenseman David Jiricek from the Minnesota Wild who is expected to make his Phantoms’ debut tonight. Jiricek, 22, arrives in exchange for Bobby Brink. The #6 overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft has appeared in 84 NHL games with Columbus and Minnesota scoring 2-11-13. He has also spent parts of four seasons in the AHL with Cleveland and Iowa scoring 17-60-77 in 139 games. The 6-foot-5 righty shot has split time this season between Minnesota and Iowa, posting 2-10-12 in 24 games with Iowa.

CONGRATS TO THE CAPTAIN! – The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Garrett Wilson to a two-way NHL contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. The Phantoms’ captain had previously been on an AHL contract. He is the all-time games played leader in Lehigh Valley history having skated in 339 games with the Phantoms. His 789 penalty minutes is also the most all-time in Lehigh Valley history. He rates fourth in career goals (62) and points (148) with Lehigh Valley.

Wilson’s 1,375 career penalty minutes in the AHL ranks 63rd all-time and is the most among active AHL players. He has played in 752 career AHL games with San Antonio, Portland, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Toronto and Lehigh Valley which is the 59th most games he league history. For his pro career, Wilson has played 937 games and has scored 194 goals with 231 assists for 425 points with 1,521 penalty minutes. The rugged 6’3″ winger from Barrie, Ontario has played in 84 career games in the NHL with Florida and Pittsburgh scoring 2-6-8 while also playing in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Wilson’s last regular-season NHL game was 2,516 days ago on April 16, 2019 for the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Islanders.

WELCOME, BORIS KATCHOUK – Newly acquired forward Boris Katchouk made his Lehigh Valley debut on Friday against Charlotte. Katchouk, 28, has played in 29 combined games with the Iowa Wild and Syracuse Crunch this season scoring 4-6-10 while also suiting up in three NHL gmaes with Tampa Bay. Last year, the veteran forward from Vancouver scored 21-28-49 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins setting career highs for goals and points. He also racked up an impressive Hat-Trick-Plus-One on December 11, 2024 scoring four goals in a game for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton against Charlotte. Katchouk has played in 270 career AHL games with Syracuse, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Rockford, Iowa and Lehigh Valley scoring 65-92-157 and also 179 career NHL games with Tampa Bay, Chicago and Ottawa, scoring 15-21-35.

TRANSACTIONS –
3/6/26 Del Massimo Rizzo (D) – Traded PHI to BOS
3/6/26 Del Alexis Gendron (F) – Traded PHI to BOS
3/6/26 Add Brett Harrison (D) – Acquired trade from BOS, loaned to LV
3/6/26 Add Jackson Edward (F) – Acquired trade from BOS, loaned to LV
3/6/26 Add Adam Ginning (D) – Loaned to LV by PHI
3/7/26 Add Carson Golder (F) – Recalled by LV from Reading
3/7/26 Del Alex Bump (F) – Recalled to PHI

EXCELLENT EKLIND – Big winger Oscar Eklind has been heating up with a four-game goal streak plus goals in five of his last six games. The 27-year-old from Trelleborg, Sweden is in his second season with the Phantoms and second season in North America. He has scored 6-5-11 this year after amassing up 5-17-22 last season as a North American rookie. Most of the goals for the 6’5″ lefty shooter have come at the net. He’s scored on deflections, wraparounds, or just sliding the puck wide around the goalie. Eklind’s four-game goal streak is the longest for any Phantoms player this season.

CHECKING ON THE CHECKERS – At long last, it’s the end of the road for the Charlotte Checkers who are wrapping up an epic and marathon 10-game road swing with back-to-back battles in Allentown. Charlotte (32-18-5) is in third place in the Atlantic Division and has gone 5-2-2 so far on its road trip with stops in Rochester, Syracuse, Bridgeport, Springfield, Hershey and now Lehigh Valley.
A pair of undrafted second and third-year pros, Ben Steeves (18-16-34) and Wilmer Skoog (18-15-33), pace the offense. 21-year-old Jack Devine (13-19-32) and defensman Tobias Bjornfot were tabbed for the AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford, but Bjornfot has been recalled to the Florida Panthers. Imposing 6’8″ Cooper Black (21-9-4, 2.49, .905) has been their top goaltender but veteran Louis Domingue has been the winning goaltender for Charlotte in the two previous encounters at PPL Center.

Lehigh Valley is 0-2-1 against the Checkers. On December 29, the Phantoms stunningly rallied with two goals in the last 32 seconds, including Tucker Robertson’s equalizer with just 1.7 seconds left to force overtime, but Nolan Foote scored the winner for Charlotte. And the Checkers also prevailed in a wild 8-5 verdict on January 23 in which Charlotte raced out to a 4-1 lead in the first before the Phantoms closed to within 6-5 in the third. Lehigh Valley has yet to visit North Carolina this season but will do so four times before the regular season concludes.

SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Lane Pederson 18-18-36
Anthony Richard 15-19-34
Christian Kyrou 8-23-31
Alex Bump 11-15-26
Jacob Gaucher 12-14-26
Tucker Robertson 11-13-24

Charlotte Scoring Leaders
Ben Steeves 18-16-34
Wilmer Skoog 18-15-33
Jack Devine 13-19-32
Nolan Foote 14-17-31
Michael Benning 8-11-19

Special Teams PP / PK
LV 19.0%, 16th / 76.4%, 29th
CLT 15.5%, 27th / 83.9%, 7th

Season Series vs. Charlotte Checkers: (0-2-1)
12/29/25 Home OTL 2-3 (OT)
1/23/26 Home L 5-8
3/6/26 Home L 3-5
3/7/26 Home
3/21/26 Away
3/22/26 Away
4/18/26 Away
4/19/26 Away

LOOKING AHEAD – Lehigh Valley has a three-game road trip March 8-14 to Bridgeport, Syracuse and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and then returns to PPL Center for games on Sunday, March 15 in a rematch with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Wednesday, March 18 against the Providence Bruins.

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