Goaltender Phillips Traded to Gwinnett

December 17, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


Stockton, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder (@StocktonThunder), proud ECHL affiliate of the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the NHL's New York Islanders, have traded goaltender Brad Phillips to the Gwinnett Gladiators, Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Rich Kromm announced Tuesday. Details of the trade were not disclosed, though Kromm did say that the Thunder will not receive a player in return.

The move comes a day after goaltender Parker Milner was reassigned to the Thunder from Bridgeport. Milner started the season in the ECHL with Stockton before being recalled by the Sound Tigers on November 17th. The Thunder brought in Brad Phillips as a free agent signing two days later to handle the goaltending duties with Brian Foster.

"He comes from some pretty good programs and I knew him a little bit from his when he was in Bloomington (in the CHL)," Kromm said. "I was confident he could come in and play well for us and help us out and he did and he was a great fit in the room, but with Parker coming back we can't keep three goaltenders. So we had an opportunity to move him to Gwinnett where he'll have an opportunity to play and possibly earn himself a permanent spot."

Phillips, 24, played in three games with the Thunder going 1-1-1 with a .883 save percentage and a 3.50 goals against average. The Bloomfield, MI native made his first start with the team on November 24th when he held down the fort as the Thunder picked up a 4-3 overtime win versus the Idaho Steelheads. He also got starts on the road against Idaho in a 4-2 loss and in San Francisco where the Thunder fell 6-5 in a shootout.

"He battled hard for us and did a great job," Kromm said. "It was good for both us and him to get himself back playing again and back into game shape to get ready for this kind of opportunity. I'd like to see him have success."

The former 7th round draft pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007 had not played a regular season game in the ECHL since the 2011-12 season when he made 29 starts for the Trenton Titans and played with current Thunder player Ryan Hayes. Phillips also played with Hayes on the U.S. National U-18 Development Team in Ann Arbor, MI for two seasons, where he led the U.S. to a silver medal at the 2007 U-17 World Hockey Championships in Canada. Phillips spent three years playing college hockey at Notre Dame before turning pro for the 2010-11 season.



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