Only three regular season home games in October this season, and this is the third. It’s our first real view of this season’s Hershey team, who haven’t been great so far. Another loss to the Penguins to end the road trip for the good guys. And, expect some Halloween festivities tonight!
“Don’t know where you’re goin’Only know just where you’ve been” – Jimmy Page
The Phantoms have returned from three games on the road, two last weekend in Cleveland where they took four points, and got some outstanding play from their two goaltenders. Then, a stop off Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre where they once again lost to the hated Penguins’ affiliate.
This followed an opening weekend where they were gangbusters on opening night against Belleville before losing a game the following afternoon against those same Penguins.
Records and Standings
Record: 3-2
Standings: 4th Place
Home: 1-1
Away: 2-1
Recent: 2-1 on the road trip
Overtime: 0-0
Shootout: 1-0
Friday: 1-0
Saturday: 2-0
Sunday: 0-1
Sunday 3/3: 0-0
Wednesday: 0-1
White “Home” Jerseys: 1-1
Black/Orange “Away” Jerseys: 2-0
Orange Alternate Jerseys: 0-1
Post-Game Fan Event Game: 0-0
Team Updates
D Dennis Gilbert (#48) was assigned from the Flyers. He was traded at the deadline last season from Buffalo to Ottawa in a multi-player/picks deal. He last played in the AHL in 2022-23 with Calgary. He was originally a third-round pick of Chicago and played for Notre Dame. He’s from Buffalo and shoots Left.
D Emil Andrae, following a magnificent game opening night at the PPL Center opening night, was immediately called to Philadelphia. He’s back now.
F Massimo Rizzo, D Ben Meehan, and D Emil Chouinard are all in Reading (ECHL).
D Ethan Samson is injured and hasn’t been added to the Phantoms roster yet. Same for D Oliver Bonk, per reports.
Lines Wednesday Night in Wilkes-Barre:
52 Barkey 25 Pederson 91 Grundstrom “Barkey and the Vets”
90 Richard 56 Gaucher 72 Gendron “Time to Score Some Goals”
21 Bump 23 Dorwart 12 Kaplan “Three Yutes”
17 Wilson 74 Wisdom 20 Marody “Tough Guys”
6 Andrae 3 Grans “The Swedes”
19 McDonald 48 Gilbert “Ready For Flyers”
4 Murchison 24 Berger
35 Kolosov (64 Bjarnason)
New for this season we’re going to start nicknaming the lines. It’s a work in progress.
Player Spotlight: #25 C Lane Pederson
The undrafted veteran centerman from Saskatoon was originally signed by the Coyotes organization in 2016. He’s played significant AHL time on several teams in the Western Conference and has seen NHL time with Arizona, San Jose, Vancouver and Columbus. Pederson only played a handful of games last season until he required surgery for his shoulder. He was signed as a free agent by the Flyers on July 1st. Two seasons ago in the AHL he posted 22G/30A/52pts over 66 games with only 40 penalty minutes. His +/- was +8 that season. He’s 28 years old and shoots Right.
Royal Report
Reading starts the season with seven straight road games, which is a little weird. Busy schedule at the Santander? They will take their 1-0-1 record into Greensboro for two games this weekend. They open their home schedule on November 8 and 9 when Trois Rivieres comes to town.
GAME DAY!
It’s “Haunted on Hamilton” tonight at the PPL Center as the Hershey Bears come to town for the first of a home/home this weekend. Please check your game-day communication from the team and the arena with regard to what types of costumes and props will be allowed. Expect some trick-or-treating, pumpkin coloring, and a costume parade!
Hershey is off to a 1-2-1 start this season as they split two games with visiting Springfield last weekend. They have 10 goals on this young season, and have yielded 14. They are 0 for 10 on the power play thus far to open 2025-26. Meanwhile opponents are 5 for 18 on the man advantage; however, Hershey has scored two shorties already this season. They are near the bottom in both PP and PK thus far.
The Phantoms have the #6 Power Play in the small sample, and the #9 PK–this prior to the goal-fest the PK allowed on Wednesday on Casey Plaza.
Old friends Matt Strome and Louie Belpedio are on this team. Mike Vecchione, who always should have stayed a Phantom, is now in the KHL overseas.
Gates: 5:45PM, Air Products and WFMZ, Premier Season Tickets; 6:00PM All Gates.
“Show Time” 7:05PM
Puck Drops: 7:17PM
Tickets: Widely Available. There are deals to be had on the secondary market.
Parking: As per usual, $10 in the close locations, $5 if you walk a block. $7 if you pre-pay for the arena deck
Traffic: It is our understanding that the Center Square re-design project is underway. There may be traffic disruptions and turn restrictions at 7th and Hamilton. It may be advantageous to just avoid traveling through that intersection at this juncture.
Promotion: “Haunted on Hamilton” Halloween-themed game; UPDATE: Dollar Dogs until the end of the first period. Also: Post-game raffles at 10PM, 10:15PM and 10:30PM at Chickie’s and Pete’s.
Television: Service Electric TV-2 or via FloSports/FloHockey
Radio/Audio: Listen via web feed, or via the Phantoms365 App. Also over the air at 1470AM WSAN.
Media Link: Media materials from the team, including Media Guide can be found at THIS LINK
Media Kit For Tonight (rosters, etc.): Hershey 102425
Refs and Lines: Referees Jack Young (#24), Jake Kamrass (#3); Linesperson Shawn Oliver (#66), J.P. Waleski (#14)
What To Watch Tonight
- Goalie and Goalie Play: We have had some good netminding thus far this season, although reports from Scranton suggest some juicy rebounds left by Kolosov–although unending penalty kills will exacerbate that happening. Both goalies are considered prospects and depth for the Flyers so we would expect the rotation to continue so that both can get work. Look for Bjarnason tongiht.
- Penalties. They’ve got to clean it up. The penalty kill had been pretty good until they broke Wednesday against the Penguins. Watch to see if they can minimize the man-disadvantage and if that makes the PK group look better.
- Special Teams overall. On paper it looks like the Phantoms should have the advantage over the Bears in both scenarios. However, the season is young and the Hershey team hasn’t put it together yet and it could happen at any moment.
- The new scoreboard. Take a look at how they’re using it this season. It does look good.
- The sound system. Is it still overly loud? Or, have they toned it down?
- The lines. We’ve nicknamed the lines above. What do they look like tonight? Are they playing to their nicknames?
Up Next
The Phantoms complete the home/home with Hershey tomorrow at the (not so) Giant Center.
Then, it’s back on the road for four more, making it a five-game road swing total. Wednesday in Laval, Canada followed by two in Hartford, Connecticut over next weekend and then one in Bridgeport the following Wednesday before returning home.
The next home games will be three in a row and 4/5 through the middle of November. Saturday November 8 for Toronto, Springfield and Hershey the following weekend, with a Sunday matinee in Hershey to finish a 3/3, and then our first home Wednesday versus Rochester on November 19.
See you at the arena,
@Kram207
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