PREVIEW: Phantoms vs. Charlotte, Game 54

Weekend Homestand vs. Checkers

TODAY – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (24-24-5) are back at PPL Center for a weekend homestand against the Charlotte Checkers (31-18-5), AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers.

The Phantoms are hanging on to fifth place in the Atlantic Division. Charlotte is in third place in the division and is wrapping up a massive 10-game road trip over the last three weeks. Today is Game 54 of the 2025-26 season. There are 19 games to go in the final six weeks before the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Top 6 teams in the division make the postseason and Lehigh Valley’s Magic Number to clinch a Playoff spot is at 35 points. Tonight is Game 3 out of 8 in the season series between the Phantoms and Checkers.

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

LAST TIME – A scoreless defensive duel for 39 minutes turned with a momentum-changing goal at the end of the second period for the Utica Comets to spark a 4-1 decision on Tuesday night in central New York. Oscar Eklind (5th) broke through for the Phantoms with 6:50 left in the third to get the Phantoms on the board as the big winger extended his goal streak to three games. But Lehigh Valley had its streak of four or more goals in a game snapped at five. Utica won its third in a row on the strength of goals by Xavier Parent (14th), Nathan Legare (8th), Mike Hardman (7th) and an empty netter for Brian Halonen (16th) to finish it off. Carson Bjarnason and Nico Daws were both perfect to start although shots on goal were at a premium. The Comets were out-shooting the Phantoms 15-12 in the first 40 minutes as Parent eventually broke the scoreless duel in the last minute of the second period.

CONGRATS TO THE CAPTAIN! – The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Garrett Wilson to a two-way NHL contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Wilson had previously been on an AHL contract with the Phantoms. Wilson, 34, is in his sixth season with the Phantoms and his third season as the team’s captain. He is the all-time games played leader in Lehigh Valley history having skated in 338 games with the Phantoms. His 787 penalty minutes is also the most all-time in Lehigh Valley history. He rates fourth in career goals (62) and points (148) with Lehigh Valley. Wilson’s 1,373 career penalty minutes in the AHL ranks 63rd all-time and is the most among active AHL players. He has played in 751 career AHL games with San Antonio, Portland, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Toronto and Lehigh Valley which is the 59th most games he league history. For his pro career, Wilson has played 936 games and has scored 194 goals with 231 assists for 425 points with 1,521 penalty minutes.

The rugged 6’3″ winger from Barrie, Ontario has played in 84 career games in the NHL with Florida and Pittsburgh scoring 2-6-8 while also playing in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Wilson’s last regular-season NHL game was 2,515 days ago on April 16, 2019 for the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Islanders.

TRADE! WELCOME, BORIS KATCHOUK – The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired forward Boris Katchouk from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman Roman Schmidt. 
Katchouk, 28, joins the Phantoms from the Iowa Wild where he has played eight games this season scoring one goal with two assists. He also has played in 21 games with the Syracuse Crunch this season scoring 4-6-10 as well as three NHL games with Tampa Bay. Last season, the veteran forward from Vancouver, B.C. scored 21-28-49 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins setting career highs for goals and points. He also racked up an impressive Hat-Trick-Plus-One on December 11, 2024 scoring four goals in a game for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton against Charlotte. Katchouk has played in 269 career AHL games with Syracuse, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Rockford and Iowa scoring 65-92-157 and also 179 career NHL games with Tampa Bay, Chicago and Ottawa, scoring 15-21-35.

TRANSACTIONS –
3/1/26 Del Adam Ginning (D) – Recalled to PHI
3/1/26 Add Vincent Sevigny (D) – Recalled by LV from Reading
3/1/26 Del Roman Schmidt (D) – Traded PHI to MIN
3/1/26 Add Boris Katchouk (F) – Acquired trade from MIN, loaned to LV
3/2/26 Add Ben Meehan (D) – Recalled by LV from Reading
3/3/26 Add Artem Guryev (D) – Reassigned to LV from Reading by PHI
3/5/26 Garrett Wilson (F) – Signed to NHL contract with Flyers. Previously on AHL contract

EXCELLENT EKLIND – Big winger Oscar Eklind has been heating up with a three-game goal streak plus goals in four of his last five games. The 27-year-old from Trelleborg, Sweden is in his second season with the Phantoms and second season in North America. He has scored 5-5-10 this year after amassing up 5-17-22 last year as a North American rookie. Most of the goals for the 6’5″ lefty shooter have come at the net. He’s scored on deflections, wraparounds, or just sliding the puck wide around the goalie. Eklind’s three-game goal streak is tied for the longest on the Phantosm this season. Lane Pederson and Anthony Richard have also accumulated three-game goal streaks.

CHECKING ON THE CHECKERS – At long last, it’s the end of the road for the Charlotte Checkers who are wrapping up an epic and marathon 10-game road swing with back-to-back battles in Allentown. Charlotte (31-18-5) is in third place in the Atlantic Division and has gone 4-2-2 so far on its road trip with stops in Rochester, Syracuse, Bridgeport, Springfield, Hershey and now Lehigh Valley. The Checkers took three out of four points in a two-game series at Hershey on Monday and Tuesday including a 4-1 win their last time out.
A pair of undrafted second and third-year pros, Ben Steeves (18-16-34) and Wilmer Skoog (18-15-33), pace the offense. 21-year-old Jack Devine (13-19-32) and defensman Tobias Bjornfot were tabbed for the AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford, but Bjornfot has been recalled to the Florida Panthers. Imposing 6’8″ Cooper Black (21-9-4, 2.49, .905) has been their top goaltender but veteran Louis Domingue has been the winning goaltender for Charlotte in the two previous encounters at PPL Center.

On December 29, the Phantoms stunningly rallied with two goals in the last 32 seconds, including Tucker Robertson’s equalizer with just 1.7 seconds left to force overtime, but Nolan Foote scored the winner for Charlotte. And the Checkers also prevailed in a wild 8-5 verdict on January 23 in which Charlotte raced out to a 4-1 lead in the first before the Phantoms closed to within 6-5 in the third and then the Checkers finally finished the game with a pair of empty-netters. Lehigh Valley has yet to visit North Carolina this season but will do so four times before the regular season concludes.

SCORING LEADERS
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Lane Pederson 18-18-36
Anthony Richard 15-18-33
Christian Kyrou 8-23-31
Alex Bump 11-15-26
Jacob Gaucher 11-13-24
Tucker Robertson 11-13-24

Charlotte Scoring Leaders
Ben Steeves 18-16-34
Wilmer Skoog 18-15-33
Jack Devine 13-19-32
Nolan Foote 13-16-29
Michael Benning 8-11-19

Special Teams PP / PK
LV 18.4%, 17th / 76.2%, 30th
CLT 15.7%, 26th / 84.5%, 5th

Season Series vs. Charlotte Checkers: (0-1-1)
12/29/25 Home OTL 2-3 (OT)
1/23/26 Home L 5-8
3/6/26 Home
3/7/26 Home
3/21/26 Away
3/22/26 Away
4/18/26 Away
4/19/26 Away

LOOKING AHEAD – The Phantoms return to PPL Center for a pair of games on our PA-250 weekend hosting the Charlotte Checkers on Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7.

Lehigh Valley has a three-game road trip March 8-14 to Bridgeport, Syracuse and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and then returns home on Sunday, March 15 in a rematch against the Penguins.

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