Phantoms Weekly - And We're Off
Published on October 15, 2025 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms News Release
Allentown, PA - Two games down. Plenty more to go! The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1-1-0) split their Opening Weekend homestand, John Snowden recorded his first win as an AHL head coach, Devn Kaplan scored his first career pro goal and then scored another one for good measure, and the Phantoms got the season started in style with a 5-2 win over the Belleville Senators before a raucous and energetic Opening Night crowd. This weekend, the Phantoms travel to northeast Ohio for a two-fer weekend against the Cleveland Monsters (2-0-0), AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
LAST WEEK
October 11 - Phantoms 5 - Belleville Senators 2
October 12 - W-B/Scranton Penguins 4 - Phantoms 1
THE WEEK AHEAD
Friday, October 17 (7:00) - Phantoms at Cleveland Monsters
Saturday, October 18 (7:00) - Phantoms at Cleveland Monsters
WEEKLY RECAP
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Phantoms 5 - Belleville Senators 2
Devin Kaplan scored the first two goals of the season just 2:40 apart to set the tone as Lehigh Valley raced out to a 4-0 lead on its way to a 5-2 win at PPL Center. Karsen Dorwart also scored his first and Denver Barkey recorded his first pro point with an assist. The penalty kill was also a big key holding the B-Sens to 0-for-7 on the power play. Aleksei Kolosov was solid with 28 saves on 30 shots. Lane Pederson also scored in his first game as did Ty Murchison with an empty-netter. Emil Andrae, Garrett Wilson and Anthony Richard all notched two assists apiece.
Sunday, October 12, 2025
W-B/Scranton Penguins 4 - Phantoms 1
Pennsylvania foes renewed rivalry acquaintances in Game 2 and partly avenged last year's playoff ousting as the Phantoms ran out of gas in the weekend finale. Helge Grans struck on the power play for the team's lone goal but Filip Larsson otherwise held off the Orange and Black. 20-year-old rookie Carson Bjarnason stopped 26 of 29 shots in his pro debut ut two of the goals he surrendered were on the power play. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Tristan Broz was up to his old tricks with a two-goal game including an empty-netter to cap it off as the Baby Pens took Round 1 of the season series.
MEDIA MATERIALS - Fans can browse rosters and Media Materials for upcoming games at the following link: https://www.phantomshockey.com/media/media-materials/
TRANSACTIONS -
Oct 12 - Emil Andrae (D) - Recalled to PHI
Oct 12 - Dennis Gilbert (D) - Assigned to Phantoms by PHI
Oct 13 - Massimo Rizzo (F) - Assigned to Reading Royals by PHI
Oct 15 - Emile Chouinard (D) - Loaned by Phantoms to Reading
KAP-TIVATING - Rookie newcomer Devin Kaplan arrived on the scene ready to Kap-ture the moment. Kaplan's rifle from the right circle to the upper-left corner at 6:18 put him into a select group of Opening Night first-goal scorers where he joins Jacob Gaucher, Cooper Marody, Zayde Wisdom, Scott Laughton among others. The 21-year-old rookie out of Boston University appeared in three straight Frozen Fours with the Terriers. He also made his NHL debut with the Flyers at the end of last season shortly after signing his entry-level contract. A Bridgewater, NJ native getting the opportunity to play close to home, Kaplan was a product of the North Jersey Avalanche and New Jersey Rockets minor hockey programs eventually progressing to the U.S. National Development Team.
MEET THE PHANTOMS - 28-year-old veteran center Lane Pederson scored in his Lehigh Valley debut on Opening Night, his 112th career goal in the AHL. Entering the season, Pederson has played in 311 AHL games with Bakersfield, Abbotsford, Chicago, San Jose and Tucson. The Saskatoon, SK native also has 71 NHL games of experience with Columbus, Vancouver, San Jose and Arizona. Pederson is also a new father with his three-month old baby attending his first-ever hockey games last weekend!
ROAD WARRIORS - The Phantoms are playing eight of their next nine games on the road in a stretch that will take the team to Cleveland, Wilkes-Barre, Hershey, Laval, Hartford and Bridgeport.
The lone home game in the next three weeks is Friday, October 24 against the Hershey Bears featuring spooky fun for the kiddos at "Haunted on Hamilton."
PHANTASTIC - Lehigh Valley improved to 8-4-0 all-time in season openers and 21-9-0 overall in franchise season openers dating back to 1996.
IMPENDING MILESTONES -
- Dennis Gilbert, 299 pro games
- Zayde Wisdom, 197 pro games
- Carl Grundstrom 393 pro games
- Garrett Wilson, 887 pro games
- Garrett Wilson, 289 games with Phantoms
UPCOMING -
Friday, October 17, 2025 (7:00 p.m.)
and
Saturday, October 18, 2025 (7:00 p.m.)
Rocket Fieldhouse, Cleveland, OH
Phantoms at Cleveland Monsters
Cleveland (2-0-0) swept a two-game series at the Utica Comets last weekend with a 1-0 win and a 3-2 overtime triumph. Friday night is Cleveland's home opener. Former Philadelphia Flyers' goaltender Ivan Fedotov posted a 21-save shutout at Utica on Friday in his AHL debut. He will potentially be between the pipes against the Phantoms this weekend. Fourth-rounder from Finland, Mikael Pyyhtia, has 66 career NHL games with Columbus and also had the overtime winner to finish the weekend.
Trey Fix-Wolansky and his franchise-leading 112 goals have since departed for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Riley Bezeau scored a goal and got in a fight in his Monsters' debut after joining from the Charlotte Checkers. 2022 second-rounder Luca Del Bel Balluz racked up 27-26-53 last year. 31-year-old captain Brendan Gaunce returns to Cleveland after one season with the Iowa Wild and Minnesota Wild. 30-year-old winger Hudson Fasching brings 175 career NHL games of experience. Cleveland finished fifth in the North Division last year at 35-26-11 under third-year head coach Trent Vogelhuber and advanced past Toronto to the second round of the playoffs before falling to the Laval Rocket. The Phantoms were 3-1-0 against Cleveland last season including a 7-3 thrashing at PPL Center rallying for five goals in the third period in the most recent meeting on April 18. Garrett Wilson had two goals in that game and three goals against Cleveland last year.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Deviln Kaplan 2-0-2
x - Emil Andrae 0-2-2
Anthony Richard 0-2-2
Garrett Wilson 0-2-2
Karsen Dorwart 1-0-1
LOOKING AHEAD - After this weekend's games at Cleveland, the Phantoms head over to Wilkes-Barre for a mid-week rivalry rematch on Wednesday, October 22. The Phantoms are at home on Friday, October 24 against the Hershey Bears for "Haunted on Hamilton" ahead of a five-game roadie beginning Satuday, October 25 at Hershey and continuing north of the border on Wednesday, October 29 at the Laval Rocket.
American Hockey League Stories from October 15, 2025
- IceHogs Day of the Dead Night Returns Saturday, November 1 - Rockford IceHogs
- Nolan Renwick Assigned to Wheeling - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Tampa Bay Lightning Reassign Forwards Milo Roelens, Connor Kurth and Goaltender Harrison Meneghin to Orlando Solar Bears - Syracuse Crunch
- LA Kings Recall Goaltender Erik Portillo - Ontario Reign
- Phantoms Weekly - And We're Off - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Checkers Add Tyler Motte on PTO - Charlotte Checkers
- Rangers Recall Defenseman Scott Morrow from Wolf Pack - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Trio of Roster Moves Announced - Manitoba Moose
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