PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Thunderbirds, Game 13

Red-Hot Phantoms Look to Keep it Going

TONIGHT – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (8-3-1) are one of the hottest teams in the AHL and they look to keep it going as they host the last-place Springfield Thunderbirds (2-8-2), AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. The Phantoms have won four straight and are off to one of their best starts in team history. The T-Birds had dropped eight in a row but bounced back on Wednesday in a 3-1 victory against the Laval Rocket. The Phantoms are 3-1 at home and this is Game 13 overall on the 2025-26 season. Lehigh Valley and Springfield are meeting for the first of six divisional clashes this season. Tonight is also the middle contest of a three-game homestand for the Phantoms.

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

LAST TIME – The Phantoms returned to PPL Center for the first time in 15 days and delighted the home crowd with a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Marlies last Saturday. Lehigh Valley used a second-period energy surge that included a season-high 17-shot barrage leading to three straight goals. Devin Kaplan (3rd), Lane Pederson (5th) and Alexis Gendron (2nd) all lit the lamp in a 3-2 win over the Marlies. The Phantoms also blasted out a season-high 36 shots in the game. Lehigh Valley’s fourth consecutive victory also ended Toronto’s three-game win streak. Christian Kyrou had a two-assist night, his third consecutive multi-point performance.

TRANSACTIONS –
11/3/25 Del Emil Andrae (D) – Recalled to PHI
11/6/25 Add Jacob Gaucher (F) – Loaned to LV by PHI
11/7/25 Add Alekseo Kolosov (G) – Loaned to LV by PHI
11/7/25 Del Yaniv Perets (G) – Loaned by LV to Reading
11/7/25 Del Carl Grundstrom (F) – Recalled to PHI
11/12/25 Add Carl Grundstrom (F) – Loaned to LV by PHI
11/14/25 Add Ethan Samson (D) – Activated from PHI Injured Reserve, Loaned to LV

MORE MILESTONES FOR THE CAPTAIN – Garrett Wilson already has the all-time Lehigh Valley record for career games. This weekend, Wilson will become the first in Lehigh Valley history to play in 300 games for the team. In his sixth season with the team, Wilson is also on the verge of playing in his 900th career pro game. He is also the seventh player in franchise history to reach 300 games with the Phantoms. The top six all did so with the Philadelphia Phantoms (1996-2009).

The rugged 33-year-old winger and veteran leader has played in 896 pro games including 298 with the Phantoms and 711 in the AHL overall. He has also played in 84 career NHL games with Florida and Pittsburgh. And he began his career in the ECHL where he played in 101 games. He has scored 192 career goals with 227 assists for 419 points while also pulverizing several opponents along the way to rack up 1459 penalty minutes.

PHANTOMS FRANCHISE – GAMES PLAYED
1. Peter White – 431
2. John Slaney – 415
3. Neil Little – 351 (Goaltender)
4. Mark Greig – 348
5. Kirby Law – 309
6. Boyd Kane – 303
7. GARRETT WILSON – 298
8. Greg Carey – 277

SHOOTING LANE – Veteran center addition Lane Pederson has found his scoring touch while racking up a four-game point streak. The 27-year-old from Moose Jaw, SK who has played in almost 400 pro games signed with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent last July. Recently, Pederson has been centering for rookie wingers Denver Barkey and Alex Bump. Pederson’s scoring surge began with an overtime winner on October 31 at Hartford on a 2-on-1 with Bump. He followed that up with a two-goal game at Bridgeport on Sunday and then added another goal with an assist in Lehigh Valley’s 3-2 win over Toronto on Saturday. Pederson leads the Phantoms with five goals in his first experience in the Eastern Conference. He has previously played in the AHL with Bakersfield, Abbotsford, Tucson, San Jose and Chicago and he also has 71 games of NHL experience with Columbus, San Jose, Vancouver and Arizona.

KYROU KRUSHING IT – Christian Kyrou has been an impressive force from the blueline since joining the Phantoms on October 30. The right-handed shooting defenseman has racked up one goal with six assists in just four games played with his new team since being acquired from the Dallas Stars in a trade for Samu Tuomaala. His creative stretch-pass to Lane Pederson who neatly connected with a speeding Alexis Gendron for a breakwway goal on Saturday was good for Kyrou’s third consecutive multi-point game.

SQUEAKERS – Lehigh Valley’s success has largely come in the clutch and in tight games. The Phantoms are 5-0-1 in one-goal contests to lead the AHL in most one-goal victories. The Phantoms are 3-1 after regulation to tie for the most wins after 60 minutes. Lehigh Valley has a 2-0 mark in overtimes and 1-1 in shootouts. In Lehigh Valley’s current four-game win streak, three of the wins have been decided by one goal including back-to-back overtime wins at Hartford to begin the streak.

HOT START – Lehigh Valley’s 8-3-1 mark after 12 games is among the best for the franchise all-time.
John Snowden has set a new franchise record for best start by a new Phantoms head coach.

Phantoms Franchise – Best Record After 12 Games
2007-08: 10-1-1
2004-05: 10-2-0 (part of 17-game win streak)
2017-18: 8-2-2
2020-21: 8-2-2 (shortened season)
2025-26: 8-3-1

MILESTONES –
– Tucker Robertson, 98 pro games
– Garrett Wilson, 896 pro games
– Garrett Wilson, 298 games with Phantoms (Lehigh Valley record)
– Lane Pederson, 394 pro games
– Anthony Richard, 190 pro assists
– Zayde Wisdom, 200th game with Phantoms (Nov 5, 2025 LV at BRI)
– Christian Kyrou, 100th pro game (Nov 5, 2025 LV at BRI)

SPEAKING OF SPRINGY – NHL veteran and Boston Bruins legend Milan Lucic has joined on a tryout deal. But otherwise, there hasn’t been much to be excited about in Springfield (2-8-2). At least the last-place Thunderbirds ended their eight-game losing slide with a 3-1 win over the Laval Rocket on Wednesday. Last weekend, they were swept by the Bridgeport Islanders by the tennis-like count of 6-2, 6-1. The 37-year-old Lucic has joined the T-Birds on a tryout deal just down the Mass Turnpike from where he won a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011. Lucic has 1177 NHL games and 233 goals with 1301 penalty minutes but hasn’t played a full season since the 2022-23 campaign with Calgary. He also has 136 careeer Snaley Cup Playoff games scoring 29 goals. First-rounder Dalibor Dvorsky was recalled to St. Louis. 28-year-old veteran Matt Luff (5-5-10) had a goal and assist in their Wednesday win. 2019 second-rounder Nikita Alexandrov (2-7-9) had 21 goals last year. Third-rounder Dylan Peterson (2-3-5) is in his second year of pro hockey and was previously teammates with Lehigh Valley’s Devin Kaplan at Boston University. 32-year-old captain Matthew Peca (2-6-8) in his fifth season with Springfield and cranked out 32-31-63 last year to finish sixth in the AHL in goals and points. Former long-time Washington Capitals winger Steve Konowalchuk is in his second season at the bench for skaters from Springy.
Lehigh Valley’s Jacob Gaucher recorded a hat trick at Springfield on November 2, 2024 but that was Lehigh Valley’s only win in four tries against the T-Birds. Vadim Zherenko (2-3-2, 2.79, .912) posted a 38-save shutout in a 1-0 overtime thriller in his last appearance at PPL Center on April 5, 2025. Springfield is allowing 3.92 goals per contest, second-worst in the AHL behind only Abbotsford.

SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Anthony Richard 3-6-9
Alex Bump 3-5-8
Lane Pederson 5-2-7
Denver Barkey 2-5-7
Christian Kyrou 1-6-7

Springfield Scoring Leaders
Matt Luff 5-5-10
Nikita Alexandrov 2-7-9
Matthew Peca 2-6-8
Juraj Pekarcik 3-4-7
Dylan Peterson 2-3-5

Special Teams
LV PP 21.7%, 13th / 78.6%, 23rd
SPR PP 16.4%, 21st / 83.8%, 9th

LOOKING AHEAD – The homestand continues on Saturday, November 15 taking on the Hershey Bears with our second annual Phan Con! The Phantoms return the favor on Sunday afternoon in Chocolatetyown to conclude the home-and-home series.

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