Philadelphia Phantoms
City:	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
League:	American Hockey League
Conference:	Eastern Conference
Division:	East Division
Founded:	1996
Home Arena:	Wachovia Spectrum and Wachovia Center
Colors:	black, purple, orange
Owner(s):	Comcast-Spectacor
General Manager:	Paul Holmgren
Head Coach:	Craig Berube
Media:	The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News
Affiliates:	Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
Championships
Regular Season Titles:	2 (1996-97, 1997-98)
Division Championships:	4 (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04)
Conference Championships:	2 (1997-98, 2004-05)
Calder Cups:	2 (1997-98, 2004-05)

The Philadelphia Phantoms are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA primarily at the Wachovia Spectrum. When the Spectrum is unavailable because of other events such as ice shows or the circus, the adjacent Wachovia Center serves as the alternate home venue for a small number (generally three to six) of the club's regular season games each year as well as many (and sometimes all) of its Calder Cup play off matches. Image File history File links Philadelphia_phantoms_200x200. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The 1996-97 AHL season was the 61st season of the American Hockey League. ... The Wachovia Spectrum (formerly known as the Spectrum (1967-1994), CoreStates Spectrum (1994-1998) and First Union Spectrum (1998-2003)) is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Wachovia Center, formerly known as the CoreStates Center and the First Union Center, is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. ... Comcast-Spectacor is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based sports and entertainment company. ... Paul Howard Holmgren (born December 2, 1955 in St. ... Craig Berube (born December 17, 1965 in Calahoo, Alberta) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and is currently an assitant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL // He played 1054 NHL games between 1986 and 2003. ... The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of a two Knight Ridder newspaper duopoly daily for the Philadelphia area. ... The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that began publishing on March 31, 1925, under founding editor Lee Ellmaker. ... The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... “NHL” redirects here. ... The Wheeling Nailers are an ECHL ice hockey team based in Wheeling, West Virginia. ... The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada, generally regarded as a tier below the American Hockey League. ... The 1996-97 AHL season was the 61st season of the American Hockey League. ... The 1997-98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. ... The 1996-97 AHL season was the 61st season of the American Hockey League. ... The 1997-98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. ... The 1998-99 AHL season was the 63rd season of the American Hockey League. ... The 2003-04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. ... The 1997-98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. ... The 2004-05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. ... The 1997-98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. ... The 2004-05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League (NHL). ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... The Wachovia Spectrum (formerly known as the Spectrum (1967-1994), CoreStates Spectrum (1994-1998) and First Union Spectrum (1998-2003)) is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Wachovia Center, formerly known as the CoreStates Center and the First Union Center, is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. ... The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. ...

History^[1]

Philadelphia and the AHL

When the Canadian-American Hockey League (1926-36) and original International Hockey League (1929-36) began playing an interlocking schedule in 1936-37 as the International-American Hockey League, the then defending "Can-Am" champion Philadelphia Ramblers (née Philadelphia Arrows) became one of the new combined circuit's eight original member clubs. (After two seasons of interlocking play, the two leagues agreed at a meeting held in New York on June 28, 1938, to formally merge. In 1940 it also renamed itself the American Hockey League.) By 1942, however, that original Philadelphia franchise (which was renamed the "Rockets" in 1941 after losing its affiliation with the New York Rangers) fell on hard times and permanently suspended operations. The AHL's next two tries in Philadelphia made in 1946 by a new Philadelphia Rockets (1946-49) and again in 1977 by the NAHL refugee Philadelphia Firebirds (1977-79) unfortunately also both met with very little longevity or on-ice success. (The 1946-47 Rockets in fact still hold the AHL mark for fewest wins in a season at five on a record of 5-52-7.) The AHL's dismal record in the city all changed, however, with the establishment in 1996 of a fourth AHL club in Gov. William Penn's "Greene Countie Towne" -- the now already two-time (1998, 2005) Calder Cup champion Philadelphia Phantoms. The Canadian-American Hockey League existed from 1926 until the 1936. ... The International Hockey League was a professional ice hockey league that existed from 1929 to 1936. ... The American Hockey League (AHL) became the major affiliation league for the National Hockey League upon its amalgamation with the International Hockey League in 2001. ... The Philadelphia Ramblers was the name of two professional ice hockey teams that played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Philadelphia Arrows was a professional ice hockey team that played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York, New York, U.S.A. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Philadelphia Ramblers was the name of two professional ice hockey teams that played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The North American Hockey League (NAHL) and the defunct American West Hockey League merged in 2003 to form a 21-team Junior A league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. ... The Philadelphia Firebirds were a minor league hockey team that played in Philadelphia, Pa. ... For other uses, see William Penn (disambiguation). ... The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. ...

The first of three Philadelphia AHL predecessors to the Phantoms, the 1938-39 Philadelphia Ramblers celebrate a play-off series win over the Hershey Bears. (I-AHL)

The Phantoms are the third AHL franchise to be owned and operated by the NHL Philadelphia Flyers as their top development club. (The Flyers previously operated the Quebec Aces from 1967 to 1971 and the Maine Mariners from 1977 to 1983.) For the twelve seasons (1984-96) prior to founding the Phantoms, the Flyers had maintained a highly successful affiliation with the venerable Hershey Bears which included winning a Calder Cup title in 1988. With the Flyers' impending move in September 1996, from their long-time (1967-96) home at the Spectrum across the parking lot to the then soon to be completed CoreStates Center (later called the First Union Center, now the Wachovia Center), however, Comcast-Spectacor, as the owner of both arenas as well as the Flyers, elected to keep the older building open and active instead of demolishing it as has been the fate of so many other similar arenas. This, however, required finding one or more new tenants to fill some of the 80 to 100 or so NHL and NBA dates each year which the Spectrum would lose to the much larger new Center. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... “NHL” redirects here. ... The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Quebec Aces are a defunct ice hockey franchise from Quebec, Quebec that played in the Quebec Senior Hockey League (1944-1953), Quebec Hockey League (1953-59) and American Hockey League (1959-71). ... The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. ... The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. ... The Wachovia Spectrum (formerly known as the Spectrum (1967-1994), CoreStates Spectrum (1994-1998) and First Union Spectrum (1998-2003)) is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Wachovia Center, formerly known as the CoreStates Center and the First Union Center, is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. ... Comcast Corporation, (NASDAQ: CMCSA) based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest cable company[1] and the second largest Internet service provider in the United States. ... Edward M. Snider (born January 6, 1933, Washington, D.C.) is the Chairman of Comcast-Spectacor, an entity which oversees the operation of the Philadelphia Flyers NHL franchise, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA franchise, the Philadelphia Phantoms minor league hockey team, the Wachovia Center, the Wachovia Spectrum, the regional sports network...

To help achieve that end, in December 1995, the Flyers purchased an AHL expansion franchise which would begin operation in the 1996-97 season. A few weeks later it was announced that the new team would be named the Philadelphia Phantoms and be coached by Hall of Famer and former Flyer winger Bill Barber assisted by veteran ex-Bear and Flyer defenseman Mike Stothers, the same tandem who were then coaching the Flyers’ prospects in Hershey. Hockey Hall of Fame logo The Hockey Hall of Fame, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to the history of ice hockey with exhibits featuring memorabilia and NHL trophies (including the Stanley Cup) along with interactive activities. ... William Charles Bill Barber (born July 11, 1952 in Callander, Ontario) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League. ...

Early success

The Phantoms played their first ever regular season game on October 4, 1996, defeating the Springfield Falcons, 6-3, in Springfield. The club made its Spectrum debut two days later on Sunday, October 6, before an enthusiastic crowd of 9,166 which saw them defeat the visiting Rochester Americans, 3-1, in the first regular season AHL game played in Philadelphia since the departure of the Philadelphia Firebirds in 1979. By season's end the Phantoms had compiled a 49-18-3-10 record for a league best 111 points, ten more than second overall Hershey's 101. Center Peter White captured the Sollenberger Trophy as the AHL's top scorer with 105 points while center Vinnie Prospal finished fourth overall in the league with 95 despite having been called up to the Flyers with 17 games left in the season. is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Rochester Americans are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... The Philadelphia Firebirds were a minor league hockey team that played in Philadelphia, Pa. ... The Honourable Peter White, PC (August 30, 1838 – May 3, 1906) was a Canadian parliamentarian. ...

After sweeping aside the Baltimore Bandits in three games in the opening round of their first ever play-offs, the Phantoms then met their now already arch rivals, the Hershey Bears, in a most eventful best-of-seven second round set. After dropping the opening game, 5-3, the Phantoms evened the series with a 7-4 victory in a most memorable game two which featured, among other things, 350 minutes in penalties (171 to the Phantoms), fourteen game misconducts, a pair of suspensions, a one sided fight in which goalie Neil Little KO'd Bears' substitute netminder Sinuhe Wallinheimo, and most unusual of all the appearance in the game of no less than five goalies (J.F. Labbe, Wallinheimo, and Sylvain Rodrique for Hershey; Little and Dominic Roussel for Philadelphia). After dropping game six, 3-2, in a marathon affair at Hershey which ended when Blair Atchenum slipped the Bears' 57th shot of the night (and the 121st overall by both teams) behind Little on a breakaway at :42 of the third overtime, the Phantoms' first season came to an end when Hershey edged them again, 3-2, in Game 7 at the Spectrum three nights later on May 14. (Hershey went on to win their eighth Calder Cup title a few weeks later.) The Baltimore Bandits succeeded the Clippers and Skipjacks as the Baltimore entry in the AHL. The team played for two seasons at the Baltimore Arena before moving to Ohio to become the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. ... The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. ... Neil Little (born December 18, 1971 in Medicine Hat, Alberta) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. ... Sinuhe Wallinheimo (born March 9, 1972 in Jyväskylä, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

1998: Philadelphia's first Calder Cup

As in their inaugural season, the Phantoms again finished first overall in 1997-98 with 106 points on a record of 47-23-2-10, and again Peter White took home the Sollenberger Trophy as the league's top scorer with another 105 point season. Sell out crowds of 17,380 also packed the Spectrum eight times during the regular season schedule with a total season attendance of 472,392, and over 100,000 more attended the club’s home Calder Cup games during which the Phantoms played and defeated the Rochester Americans, Hershey Bears, Albany River Rats, and Saint John Flames. The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. ... The Rochester Americans are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. ... The Albany River Rats are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... Saint John Flames logo, 1993-2000 The Saint John Flames were an American Hockey League team from 1993 to 2003 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. ...

A crowd of 17,380 (the club’s ninth sell out of the year) filled the Spectrum on the evening of June 10, 1998, for game six of the finals which saw the Phantoms play a virtually flawless contest as they defeated the Flames, 6-1, behind the stellar goaltending of Neil Little who had allowed just 48 post season goals on his way to a 15-5 play-off record. Winger Mike Maneluk earned the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the play-off MVP while also being the league's leading post season scorer with 34 points on 13 goals and 21 assists. Team captain John Stevens (who had also won Calder Cups with Hershey in 1988 and Springfield in 1991, and would coach the Phantoms to another title in 2005) and his teammates paraded the Calder Cup around the same ice as the Flyers had skated their first Stanley Cup twenty-four years earlier. is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Neil Little (born December 18, 1971 in Medicine Hat, Alberta) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. ... Mike Maneluk (born October 1, 1973, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) is a Canadian ice hockey left wing. ... John A. Stevens (born May 4, 1966, in Campbellton, New Brunswick) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and the head coach of the NHLs Philadelphia Flyers. ... The Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (French: ) is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), the major professional ice hockey league in Canada and the United States. ...

1999 AHL All Star game

On January 24, 1999, the Phantoms hosted the 1999 AHL All-Star Game before a crowd of 14,120 at the then First Union (now Wachovia) Center. Philadelphia defenseman Sergei Klimentiev, center Richard Park, and goalie Jean-Marc Pelletier all skated for the PlanetUSA team in that game, while centers Peter White and Jim Montgomery joined head coach Bill Barber and assistant coach Mike Stothers on the Canadian squad for which White also served as captain. Pelletier won the game’s MVP award with his outstanding period of work for PlanetUSA in their 5-4 win over Barber's Canadian squad. is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ...

The Phantoms continued to draw fans through the turnstiles at a prodigious rate in 1998-99 as they drew a then-franchise single game attendance record of 19,532 at the First Union Center on February 28, 1999 to see the Phantoms and the Kentucky Thoroughblades skate to a 3-3 draw. With a capacity crowd of 17,380 at the Spectrum on April 11 to watch the Phantoms conclude their home schedule against the Hershey Bears, the club established an AHL-best overall single season attendance record of 480,106 for an average of 12,002 fans per game. February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... The Kentucky Thoroughblades were an American Hockey League franchise that existed from 1996 to 2001 in Lexington, Kentucky. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Coaches

With head coach Bill Barber's promotion to the Flyers after the 1999-2000 season as an assistant (and later head) coach, assistant coach John Stevens (who had been forced to retire as a player the previous season because of a serious eye injury) became the second head coach of the Phantoms in June 2000. Stevens, the team's first captain, was soon joined by two more former Flyer players, defenseman Kjell Samuelsson and winger Don Nachbaur, to complete the new staff. In November 2003, long-time NHL tough guy and former Flyer left wing Craig Berube signed with the Phantoms to finish his 18-year pro career back in Philadelphia as a player/assistant coach. At the end of that season he retired as a player to become a full-time assistant coach for the 2004-05 campaign replacing Nachbaur who had since returned to the WHL as head coach of the Tri-City Americans. John A. Stevens (born May 4, 1966, in Campbellton, New Brunswick) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and the head coach of the NHLs Philadelphia Flyers. ... Kjell Samuelsson (born 18 October 1958 in Tingsryd, Sweden) is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League. ... Craig Berube (born December 17, 1965 in Calahoo, Alberta) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and is currently an assitant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL // He played 1054 NHL games between 1986 and 2003. ... The Tri-City Americans are a major junior hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington. ...

While it may have only been a coincidence, not long after signing Berube the Phantoms and Binghamton Senators combined for 373 penalty minutes in a 5-1 Sens' win at the Spectrum on December 28, 2003, to establish new club records for most PIM (210), combined PIM, and even an individual team mark set by Peter Vandermeer with 44 PIM. After 11 fights and 15 game misconducts, the game was called with eight seconds remaining due to a lack of enough remaining players on each team. When John Stevens was promoted to the Flyers as an assistant coach after the 2005-06 season, Berube was named the Phantoms' third head coach in June, 2006. After John Stevens was promoted to Flyers head coach, Berube left the Phantoms to join Stevens' staff as an assistant coach. Samuelsson, a Phantoms' assistant coach for six seasons, was named the 4th head coach in Phantoms history on October 23, 2006, and two-time Stanley Cup winner Joe Mullen, a 2000 inductee in Hockey Hall of Fame and former teammate of Samuelsson's with the Pittsburgh Penguins, joined the club as his assistant coach. Berube returned to the Phantoms as head coach again with the 2007-08 season (and Samuelsson to associate coach) while Mullen joined former Phantoms' mentor John Stevens with the Flyers as an assistant coach for the NHL club. The Binghamton Senators are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (French: ) is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), the major professional ice hockey league in Canada and the United States. ... Joseph Joe Mullen (born February 26, 1957) is a former ice hockey player in the National Hockey League who played for more than 16 seasons with the St. ... Hockey Hall of Fame logo The Hockey Hall of Fame, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to the history of ice hockey with exhibits featuring memorabilia and NHL trophies (including the Stanley Cup) along with interactive activities. ... The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ...

A goalie scores -- shorthanded and in OT

The Phantoms clinched the F.G. (Teddy) Oke Trophy as the AHL’s East Division 2003-04 regular-season champion with a 0-0 tie in Bridgeport on April 10 for its fourth division title and 13th shutout of the season. (The previous franchise record for shutouts was just five.) The following night the club ended the regular season by completing its improbable 12-0 season sweep in games of the rival Hershey Bears with a bizarre 3-2 overtime victory at the GIANT Center in Hershey. Goalie Antero Niittymäki was credited with the game-winner on a shorthanded, empty-net goal 2:32 into the extra session, making him the first-ever Phantom goaltender to "score" a goal. (With the Bears needing two points in their final games of the season to make the playoffs, Hershey coach Paul Fixter pulled his goalie in overtime when the home team got a powerplay but then the Bears inadvertently shot the puck into their own net when their pointman missed a pass. Niittymäki was credited with the goal because he was the last Phantom player to have touched the puck.) Over the season Philadelphia had outscored Hershey, 47-14, in the 12 match-ups between the two clubs. But despite finishing the regular season with 46 wins and 101 points, the Phantoms were upset in the second round of the play-offs by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, a team that had finished the season 15 points behind them. is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Antero Niittymäki ( in IPA) (born June 18, 1980 in Turku, Finland) is a professional ice hockey goaltender currently with the Philadelphia Flyers. ... The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHLs Pittsburgh Penguins. ...

2005: A second Calder Cup

The 2004-2005 season would see the now 70-year old Calder Cup return to Philadelphia for a second time, and do so in record setting fashion. After dropping their first two games of the season on the road, the Phantoms posted a 5-3 victory over Hamilton in their home opener on October 22 which would prove to be the first win in an AHL-record 17-game win streak which they set with 3-1 victory in Hershey on November 27. On April 15 Antero Niittymäki's 4-1 victory over Hershey also broke the team record for most wins in a season by a goalie as he registered his 32nd win to break veteran teammate Neil Little’s mark of 31 set in both 1996-97 and 1997-98. While Niittymäki saw most of the playing time in the season, veteran Phantom netminder Neil Little was still able to make his mark as he became just the 10th goaltender in AHL history to accumulate 200 wins when he shut out the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on March 4 as the club compiled a 16-7-1 record over the final two months of the regular season to finish just one point behind the Jason Spezza-led Binghamton Senators for second place in the division. is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jason Anthony Rocco Spezza (born June 13, 1983 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey currently playing centre for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. ... The Binghamton Senators are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ...

While the Phantoms were already a very solid contender entering the play-offs, the roster improved drastically with the addition of the Flyers' two graduating 2003 first-round draft picks -- centers Jeff Carter of the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (taken 11th overall) and Mike Richards of the OHL Kitchener Rangers (taken 24th) -- who each joined the Phantoms as their junior clubs were eliminated from the Memorial Cup playoffs. Carter arrived in time for the final week of the regular season schedule and went on to lead the AHL in playoff scoring with 23 points (12-11) in 21 games. Richards joined the club a game into the second round and went on to collect 15 points (7-8) in 14 games. Jeff Carter (born January 1, 1985 in London, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. // Jeff Carter began his hockey career with the Sault Ste. ... OHL All-Star Game 2006 Opening Face Off. ... The Sault Ste. ... Michael Mike Richards (born 11 February 1985 in Kenora, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. // Richards began his hockey career with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, before Philadelphia selected him 24th overall in the 2003... The Kitchener Rangers are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. ... The Memorial Cup is the championship trophy of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). ...

The Phantoms' 2005 play-off run began against the Norfolk Admirals, a team that had defeated Philadelphia in six of their ten regular-season meetings including the last game of the season played at the Spectrum on April 17. Philadelphia took the first round set in six games with a 4-2 victory at the Wachovia Center located across the parking lot from the Spectrum. (With the circus in the Spectrum for two weeks as the play-offs began and no conflicting Flyers' post season dates at the Center because of the lockout, the AHL club would end up playing all 13 of its home Calder Cup games in the much larger NHL building.) The Norfolk Admirals are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the second round they met the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who had already upset the Binghamton Senators in their first round set. After the Phantoms took the first two games at home and split games three and four in Wilkes-Barre, the series returned to the Center for one of the most memorable games in team history. Trailing 4-1 approaching the midway point of the third period of game five, the Phantoms exploded for six unanswered goals over the game's final ten minutes en route to a 7-4 victory and a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Providence Bruins whom the Phantoms dispatched as well in six games with another victory at the Center which also extended their post season home ice record to a perfect 11-0. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHLs Pittsburgh Penguins. ... The Binghamton Senators are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... The Providence Bruins are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ...

With the victory over Providence the Phantoms were back to the Calder Cup Finals for the first time since 1998 and would meet the Chicago Wolves, another powerhouse team that up until that point had breezed through the playoffs including a sweep of the Manitoba Moose in the Western Conference Finals. While both teams had plenty of scoring power, it was expected to be a battle of two stellar Finnish goaltenders -- the Phantoms' Niittymäki and the Chicago's Kari Lehtonen -- who had both been stellar performers all season long. Even though the Phantoms had finished the regular season with 103 points on a record of 48-25-3-4, for the first time in the 2005 post season the they would have to open a series on the road as Chicago had finished with 105 points (49-24-5-2) -- and had lost just seven times at home all season. The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. ... Kari Lehtonen (born November 16, 1983 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender. ...

As expected, the first three games of the series were tight checking, low scoring contests which featured stellar goaltending at both ends of the ice. Niittymäki, however, who was just a little bit better than Lehtonen, his fellow Finn, earning a surprise 1-0 shutout victory in game one. He was even better in game two, however, holding the high scoring Wolves to just one goal in a 2-1 double overtime victory to send the series back to Philadelphia where the next three games -- if necessary -- would be played and Phantoms were already 11-0 in the play-offs. Niittymäki again held the Wolves to just one goal as the Phantoms defeated Chicago again, 2-1, in game three. Through almost eleven periods of hockey over three games, Niittymäki had allowed the high scoring Wolves (245 regular season goals) just two goals while Lehtonen and had been solved for just five by the Phantoms, but that differential of three goals was enough to give Philadelphia a 3-0 stranglehold on the series going into game four on June 10. is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Phantoms win their second Calder Cup on June 10, 2005.

An AHL playoff-record crowd of 20,103 NHL-lockout hockey starved fans filled the seats as the puck dropped that night hoping to see a Philadelphia professional hockey team win a play-off title on home ice for just the fifth time in the seventy-eight years since the C-AHL Philadelphia Arrows first played a pro hockey game in the city in 1927. The Phantoms did not disappoint the SRO crowd as they defeated the Wolves handily, 5-2, with center Ben Stafford (who retired after the play-offs to go to medical school) collecting the Cup-winning goal. Rookie Jeff Carter's 23 points (12-11) earned him individual honors as the AHL's top scorer in the play-offs and Niittymäki won the Jack Butterfield Award as the Calder Cup MVP. After the Phantoms shook hands with the Wolves' players at center ice AHL President Dave Andrews handed the Calder Cup to team captain Boyd Kane who skated it around the ice. Ironically exactly seven years earlier to the day, Phantoms' coach John Stevens had received the same Cup from the same hands a few hundred yards away at the Spectrum as captain of the 1997-98 Phantoms. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 765 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 627 pixel, file size: 193 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Philadelphia Phantoms win their second Calder Cup on June 10, 2005. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 765 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 627 pixel, file size: 193 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Philadelphia Phantoms win their second Calder Cup on June 10, 2005. ... The Philadelphia Arrows was a professional ice hockey team that played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Boyd Kane (born April 18, 1978 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. // Kane was initially drafted in the 3rd round, 72nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. ...

Phantoms in the NHL

The 2004-05 Phantoms not only brought the Calder Cup back to Philadelphia for a second time, but also sent a dozen members of its championship roster on to the NHL in 2005-06. Eight players -- Antero Niittymaki, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Patrick Sharp, Jon Sim, Joni Pitkanen, Dennis Seidenberg, and R.J. Umberger -- all saw regular service with the Flyers in 2005-06 while Ben Eager, Randy Jones, Wade Skolney, and Ryan Ready also were called up at one time or another during the season. Coach John Stevens joined the Flyers as an assistant coach at the start of the 2006-07 season and replaced Ken Hitchcock as head coach a month into the season. The 2004-05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. ... Antero Niittymäki (/an-te-ro ni:t-ty-mæ-ki/ in IPA), born June 18, 1980 in Turku, Finland, is a Finnish ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers. ... Jeff Carter (born January 1, 1985 in London, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. // Jeff Carter began his hockey career with the Sault Ste. ... Michael Mike Richards (born 11 February 1985 in Kenora, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. // Richards began his hockey career with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, before Philadelphia selected him 24th overall in the 2003... Patrick Sharp (born 27 December 1981 in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian ice hockey center who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL. // First of all Patrick Sharp began his hockey career in his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario playing first for the Thunder Bay Kings program... Jonathan Sim (born September 29, 1977 in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Joni Pitkänen (born September 19, 1983 in Oulu, Finland) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenseman. ... Dennis Seidenberg(born July 18, 1981 in Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany) is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. Seidenberg was drafted in the 6th round, 172nd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. ... R.J. Umberger born May 3, 1982 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is an American hockey player who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers. ... Ben Eager (born January 22, 1984 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. He attended Immaculata High School in Ottawa. ... Randy Jones (born July 23, 1981 in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player. ... Wade Skolney (b. ... Ryan Ready (born November 7, 1978 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player. ... John A. Stevens (born May 4, 1966, in Campbellton, New Brunswick) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and the head coach of the NHLs Philadelphia Flyers. ... Ken Hitchcock (born December 17, 1951 in Edmonton, Alberta) also known as Hitch is an NHL hockey coach and pro scout, currently head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets . ...

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PTS = Points

Records as of April 17, 2007.^[2] is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ...

¹ As of the 2005-06 season, all games will have a winner(all games will go into overtime, and then a shootout until a winner is decided).

The 2007-08 AHL season will be the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. ... The 2006-07 AHL season is the 71st season of the American Hockey League. ... The 2005-06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. ... The 2004-05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. ... The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. ... The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. ... The 2003-04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. ... The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHLs Pittsburgh Penguins. ... The 2001-02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. ... The Syracuse Crunch are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHLs Pittsburgh Penguins. ... The 1999-2000 AHL season was the 64th season of the American Hockey League. ... The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. ... The 1998-99 AHL season was the 63rd season of the American Hockey League. ... The 1997-98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. ... The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. ... Saint John Flames logo, 1993-2000 The Saint John Flames were an American Hockey League team from 1993 to 2003 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. ... The 1996-97 AHL season was the 61st season of the American Hockey League. ... The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. ...

Current roster

As of October 3, 2007.^[3] is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ...

Goaltenders
#		Player	Catches	Acquired	Place of Birth
1		Brian Boucher	L	2007	Woonsocket, Rhode Island
33		Scott Munroe	L	2005	Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
35		Rejean Beauchemin	L	2003	Winnipeg, Manitoba

Defensemen
#		Player	Shoots	Acquired	Place of Birth
2		Chad Anderson	R	2007	Chisago City, Minnesota
3		Oskars Bartulis	L	2005	Riga, U.S.S.R.
5		Mike Vannelli	R	2007	Mendota Heights, Minnesota
6		Jussi Timonen	L	2001	Kuopio, Finland
8		Alexandre Picard	L	2003	Gatineau, Quebec
23		Denis Gauthier	L	2007	Montreal, Quebec
27		Martin Grenier	L	2006	Laval, Quebec
36		Lars Jonsson	L	2006	Borlange, Sweden
77		Ryan Parent	L	2007	Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Forwards
#		Player	Position	Shoots	Acquired	Place of Birth
4		Kyle Greentree	LW	L	2007	Victoria, British Columbia
9		Pete Zingoni	C	L	2006	Bridgeport, Connecticut
10		David Laliberte	RW	R	2004	Saint-Liboire, Quebec
11		Frederik Cabana	LW	L	2004	Fleurimont, Quebec
12		Triston Grant	LW	L	2004	Neepawa, Manitoba
14		Stefan Ruzicka	RW	R	2003	Nitra, Czechoslovakia
16		Ryan Potulny	C	L	2003	Grand Forks, North Dakota
17		Steve Downie	RW	R	2005	Newmarket, Ontario
18		Jared Ross	C	L	2007	Huntsville, Alabama
20		Josh Beaulieu	RW	L	2005	Windsor, Ontario
24		Gino Pisellini	RW	R	2004	Melrose Park, Illinois
25		Darroll Powe	F	L	2007	Kanata, Ontario
28		Boyd Kane – C	LW	L	2006	Swift Current, Saskatchewan
29		Darren Reid	RW	L	2006	Lac La Biche, Alberta
37		Jonathan Matsumoto	C	L	2006	Ottawa, Ontario

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Brian Boucher (born January 2, 1977 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender. ... The 2007-08 AHL season will be the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. ... Woonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Scott Munroe (born January 20, 1982 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. ... The 2005-06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. ... Moose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River 71 km (45 miles) west of Regina. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee. ... Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Location City Information Established: 1738 (Fort Rouge), 1873 (City of Winnipeg) Area: 465. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The 2007-08 AHL season will be the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. ... Chisago City is a city located in Chisago County, Minnesota. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Latvia. ... Oskars Bārtulis (born January 21, 1987 in Riga, Latvia) is a major junior ice hockey defencemen who currently plays for the Moncton Wildcats. ... The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft. ... For other uses, see Riga (disambiguation). ... Soviet redirects here. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The 2007-08 AHL season will be the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. ... Mendota Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland. ... Jussi Timonen (born June 29, 1983 in Kuopio, Finland) is a professional ice hockey player. ... The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held in June at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida. ... Kuopio is a Finnish city located in the province of Eastern Finland and the region of Northern Savonia. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Alexandre Picard (born July 5, 1985 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman. ... The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee. ... Motto: Ursus super montem ivit Area: 342. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Denis Gauthier, Jr (born 1 October 1976 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a professional ice hockey defenceman with the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League. ... The 2007-08 AHL season will be the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Martin Grenier (born November 2, 1980 in Laval, Quebec) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. ... The 2006-07 AHL season is the 71st season of the American Hockey League. ... Motto: Unité, progrès, grandeur(French) Unity, Progress, Greatness City of Laval Coordinates: , Country Province Founded Established 1965 Government  - City Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt (since 1989) Area  - City 247. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Lars Jonsson (born January 2, 1982 in Borlänge, Sweden) is a professional ice hockey player who was signed to a one year contract by the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. // Playing Career Jonsson began playing for Leksands IF of Elitserien in 1999. ... The 2006-07 AHL season is the 71st season of the American Hockey League. ... Borlänge Municipality on Swedens municipal map. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Ryan Parent (born March 17, 1987 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada but grew up in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Philadelphia Flyers. ... The 2006-07 AHL season is the 71st season of the American Hockey League. ... Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prince Consort to Queen Victoria Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Kyle Greentree (born November 15, 1983 in Victoria, British Columbia) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left wing. ... The 2006-07 AHL season is the 71st season of the American Hockey League. ... This article is about the city of Victoria. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Pete Zingoni (born April 28, 1981 in Bridgeport, Connecticut) is an American professional ice hockey player. ... The 2006-07 AHL season is the 71st season of the American Hockey League. ... “Bridgeport” redirects here. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... David Laliberté (born March 17, 1986 in Saint-Liboire, Quebec) is a major junior ice hockey right wing who currently plays for the Prince Edward Island Rocket. ... The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. ... Saint-Liboire is a municipality in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the Noire River in the Regional County Municipality of Les Maskoutains. ... Image File history File link