Game Day – Opening Night!!!

October 23, 2021 – Lehigh Valley Phantoms vs. Hartford Wolf Pack

It’s a Phantoms Game Day presented by MassMutual!

The Phantoms are back for Opening Night at PPL Center in the team’s 25th Anniversary Season! The Lehigh Valley Phantoms began as the Philadelphia Phantoms in 1996.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms take on the Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers.

It is the official debut at the Phantoms’ bench for new head coach Ian Laperriere who served as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers for eight seasons following an NHL career in which he played 1,083 games. Welcome, Lappy!

Tonight marks the first game at PPL Center in 591 days in which full attendance is allowed. Lehigh Valley’s last game without attendance restrictions was March 11, 2020. Lehigh Valley’s last sellout was 594 days ago on Sunday, March 8, 2020 in a game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers which was also the team’s 100th sellout all-time at PPL Center.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are a very strong 5-2-0 all-time in home openers and the Phantoms franchise has a tremendous record of 18-6-1 all-time in home debuts.

The Phantoms won their home opener last season on February 20, 2021 with Zayde Wisdom scoring the first PPL Center goal of the season. He also set a record as the youngest-ever player in franchise history debuting at just under 18 years and 7 months old.

Lehigh Valley’s first home game at PPL Center was October 17, 2014  in a 4-3 overtime win over the Adirondack Flames. Scott Laughton scored the first PPL Center goal in Phantoms’ history.

The Phantoms’ first-ever home game was October 6, 1996 at Spectrum when the Philadelphia Phantoms defeated the Rochester Americans 3-1.

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