Phantoms Weekly - Home Opener Just Days Away
Published on October 14, 2014 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms News Release
This Week
Friday, October 17 (7:05 PM) - Adirondack Flames @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Inaugural Season Home Opener!)
Saturday, October 18 (7:05 PM) - Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Adirondack Flames
Upcoming
The Phantoms' first regular season home game in the Inaugural Season at PPL Center is now just a few days away! History will be made this Friday, October 17 when the Phantoms host the Adirondack Flames at
7:05 P M in the first-ever regular season game at the brand-new PPL Center. The Phantoms will kick off the Inaugural Season at PPL Center with a bang when the club hosts an "Orange Out" this Friday where all fans in attendance will receive a FREE orange shirt! The shirts will be waiting for fans on their seats Friday evening and fans are encouraged to wear their orange shirts throughout Friday's game!
A limited number of tickets for the highly anticipated Home Opener are still available at the Mealey's Furniture Box Office at PPL Center (7th & Hamilton), by calling 610-347-TIXX (8499) or online at pplcenter.com. It's the hottest ticket in town - make sure to get yours before they're sold out!
This Week's Matchup
Lehigh Valley enjoys its first two-game week of the 2014-15 regular season this weekend as the Phantoms prepare for a home-and-home series with the Adirondack Flames. It seems only fitting that the Phantoms kick off the franchise's new era of hockey at PPL Center against the team that now occupies the Phantoms' former home. The weekend series begins Friday with a 7:05 PM showdown at PPL Center before the two sides reconvene just 24 hours later at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
The Phantoms spent the last five seasons playing within the Glens Falls Civic Center in Glens Falls, NY. During that time, the team accumulated 161 regular season victories.
The Flames began their regular season last weekend with a pair of setbacks as Adirondack fell 6-1 in Rochester Friday evening before suffering a 5-1 loss in its home opener on Saturday. The Flames will host the Rockford IceHogs this Thursday before traveling to Lehigh Valley for Friday's showdown.
Inaugural Season
After 13 seasons competing at the Spectrum in Philadelphia followed by another five campaigns at the Glens Falls Civic Center in Glens Falls, NY, the Phantoms are on the verge of a new era in the franchise's long and storied his tory as the team prepares for its Ina ugural Season at the brand-new PPL Center.
The state-of-th e-art PPL Center has a sellout capacity of 8,420 fans for hockey
games and features 26 Luxury Suites, 6 Party Suites, 4 Ice Suites and the incredibly unique BSI Suite, which offers fans the opportunity to be face-to-face with the Phantoms as they exit their locker room and head out onto the ice! What's more, the PPL Center also features a four-panel, center-hung, high-definition video scoreboard.
All told, the Phantoms will play 38 regular season games at PPL Center.
Last Week - Regular Season Opener
Saturday, October 11: Lehigh Valley Phantoms 5 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2
Photo courtesy KDP Photography.
Chris VandeVelde scored two goals, including the first goal in Lehigh Valley Phantoms history, and Nick Cousins added a goal and an assist as the Phantoms claimed an historic 5-2 victory at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last Saturday. The win was the first for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the 699th triumph in Phantoms franchise history.
Goaltender Rob Zepp, who spent the last seven seasons playing in Germany, earned the victory in goal and his first AHL win since March 30, 2003 after 21 saves on 23 shots. Meanwhile, Brandon Alderson and Mark Alt also contributed goals for the Phantoms who claimed their regular season opener for the fourth consecutive year.
O Captain! My Captain!
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms announced last week that forwards Andrew Gordon, Darroll Powe and Zack Stortini will all serve as alternate captains for the 2014-15 season. Gordon, Powe and Stortini represent the three most experienced players on Lehigh Valley's roster having enjoying a combined 1,612 professional games. What's more, the trio brings 960 career games of AHL experience to the Phantoms. "All three bring a tremendous amount of experience and leadership to our hockey team," Phantoms head coach Terry Murray said of the announcement. "They conduct themselves like professionals both on and off the ice and will be excellent mentors to help bring along some of our younger players."
Welcome Back!
11 players on Lehigh Valley's current roster played at least one game with the Phantoms last season, including forwards Brandon Alderson and Nick Cousins along with defensemen Mark Alt and Brandon Manning who each suited up in more than 70 tilts for the Adirondack Phantoms a season ago.
Other skaters who appeared in a Phantoms sweater last season include forwards Kevin Goumas, Petr Straka and Chris VandeVelde along with defenders Steven Delisle, Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hagg and Oliver Lauridsen.
Bench Bosses
In the inaugural season of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey, NHL veteran coach Terry Murray begins his third season as head coach of the Phantoms. Murray has coached 1,012 NHL games with Washington, Philadelphia, Florida and Los Angeles posting a career record of 499-383-89-41 (.557 winning percentage). Murray is 19th all-time in NHL his
Photo courtesy JustSports Photography. tory in regular season games coached and 18th on the NHL's all-time list for total wins. He also boasts the most NHL coaching experience of any AHL head coach in the league's 79-year history.
Meanwhile, Riley Cote enters his fifth season as Assistant Coach for the Phantoms and his tenth campaign in the Flyers/Phantoms organization. Cote spent six seasons with the Flyers and Phantoms as a player from 2004 to 2010 before he was hired to join the Adirondack Phantoms as an assistant coach.
Broadcast Coverage
Service Electric's TV2 Sports will be broadcasting live all of the Phantoms' 38 regular season home games. If you can't make it out to the rink, be sure to catch all the exciting action in high definition with Steve Degler and former Flyers and Phantoms goaltender Brian Boucher! And don't miss "Phantoms - Breaking the Ice" every Monday from 7:00 - 8:00 PM throughout the season live at Chickie's & Pete's (701 Hamilton Street)!
Be sure to also catch each and every Phantoms game this season live on Fox Sports 1470 AM, online at Fox1470.com or via the iheartradio app! Join Voice of the Phantoms, Bob Rotruck, for all of the heart-pumping action of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey whether the team is at home or on the road. Nazareth Pallett Countdown to Faceoff begins 45 minutes prior to puck drop.
Ticket Information
Tickets for all of the Phantoms' 38 regular season games, including the highly-anticipated regular season home opener this Friday, are on sale now at the Mealey's Furniture Box Office at PPL Center (7th & Hamilton), by calling 610-347-TIXX (8499) or online at pplcenter.com.
Check it out! Don't miss the action and fun of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey at PPL Center in downtown Allentown! Contact the Phantoms Front Office for information on season tickets and affordable partial-season plans by calling 610-224-GOAL (4625).
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
