Lehigh Valley, PA – The Philadelphia Flyers, parent club of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, have returned on loan goaltender Anthony Stolarz to the Phantoms. Meanwhile, Lehigh Valley has returned on loan goaltender Connor Knapp to the Reading Royals of the ECHL.
Photos courtesy JustSports Photography.
A 21-year-old netminder from Jackson, New Jersey, Stolarz is in the midst of his first professional season and has compiled a 7-11-3 overall record with Lehigh Valley to go along with a 3.17 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. He made his professional debut on October 18th at the Adirondack Flames and earned his first professional win on November 21st with a 36-save shutout of the Worcester Sharks.
A second-round selection (45th overall) by the Flyers in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Stolarz returns after his second NHL call up. He received his first NHL call up on February 9th and served as Ray Emery’s back up for games in Montreal, Columbus and Buffalo earlier this month. The 6’6″, 220-pound goaltender spent the last two seasons with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he compiled a 38-8-4 overall mark, 2.43 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in 55 appearances.
Meanwhile, a 24-year-old goaltender from York, New York, Knapp has produced a 17-8-1 record to go along with a 2.71 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 28 games with Reading this year. This was the third recall to Lehigh Valley this season for the 6’5″, 221-pound netminder who spent parts of last season with five different teams (Buffalo Sabres of the NHL, Rochester Americans of the AHL, Greenville Road Warriors, Florida Everblades and Alaska Aces of the ECHL). Knapp was originally a sixth-round selection (164th overall) by Buffalo in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
The Phantoms conclude their four-game home stand this Saturday, February 28th when Lehigh Valley welcomes the rival Binghamton Senators back to PPL Center. Saturday’s contest is the ninth of 10 total meetings during the 2014-2015 regular season between the Phantoms and Senators and fourth head-to-head collision between the East Division foes this month.
A limited number of tickets for Saturday’s highly-anticipated rivalry showdown are available now at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office at PPL Center (701 Hamilton), by calling 610-347-TIXX (8499) or online at pplcenter.com.
Check it out! Reserve your season tickets now for the 2015-2016 season of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey. For more information on how to reserve your seat at PPL Center to the hottest ticket in town call the Phantoms front office today at 610-224-GOAL (4625)!
Upcoming Home Games:
Saturday, February 28, 2015 Binghamton Senators vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 PM
(Little League Night!)
Friday, March 6, 2015 Bridgeport Sound Tigers vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 PM
(FREE Shirt Giveaway! All fans in attendance will receive a FREE Military Appreciation Phantoms shirt.)
Saturday, March 7, 2015 Portland Pirates vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 PM
(Legends Night! John Slaney, 2005 Calder Cup champion, AHL Hall of Famer and the highest scoring defenseman in Phantoms history, will be at the game. FREE Collector’s Edition Poster for all fans.)
In their 19th season of operation, the Phantoms are currently in the midst of their Inaugural Season as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms playing at the brand-new PPL Center. Established in 1996, the Phantoms spent their first 13 seasons at the Spectrum before re-locating to Glens Falls, New York in 2009 where the team spent the next five seasons as the Adirondack Phantoms. A new era of Phantoms hockey began in the fall of 2014 when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms began play at the state-of-the-art PPL Center. Through 18 incredibly successful campaigns, the Phantoms have captured two Calder Cup Championships (1998, 2005), two Conference Championships (1998, 2005), two Regular Season Titles (1996-97, 1997-98) and four Division Championships (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04).
