Philadelphia Phantoms

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History

When the Canadian-American Hockey League (1926-36) and original International Hockey League (1929-36) began playing an interlocking schedule in 1936-37 (and formally merged in June, 1938) as the International-American Hockey League (renamed American Hockey League in 1940), the then defending C-AHL champion Philadelphia Ramblers were one of the new combined circuit's eight original member clubs. That original franchise (renamed the "Rockets" in 1941) suspended operations in 1942, and 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 both also 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.) That dismal history 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 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.

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.

The Phantoms played their first ever regular season game on October 4th, 1996, defeating the Springfield Falcons, 6-3, in Springfield. The club made its Spectrum debut two days later on Sunday, October 6th, 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.

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 14th. (Hershey went on to win their eighth Calder Cup title a few weeks later.)

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.

A crowd of 17,380 (the club’s ninth sell out of the year) filled the Spectrum on the evening of June 10th, 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.

Founded: 1996-1997

Arena: Wachovia Spectrum (capacity 17,380)

Uniform colors: purple, orange, and black

Logo design: A black spectral mask that is roughly 2 Philadelphia Flyers logos mirrored together.

Affiliates: Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), Trenton Titans (ECHL)

Division Championships: 4 (1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 2003-04)

Conference Championships: 2 (1997-98, 2004-05)

Most Points in AHL: Twice (1996-97, 1997-98)

Calder Cup Championships: 2 (1997-98, 2004-05)

Local Media: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News

Based in: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Head coach: Kjell Samuelsson

Assistant coach: Joe Mullen

General manager: Paul Holmgren

Owner: Comcast-Spectacor

Phantoms in the NHL

Eight players -- Antero Niittymäki, 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 is also the current coach of the Flyers, a once player and coach for the Phantoms.

Team records

Goals: 47 Mike Maneluk (1999-00)

Assists: 78 Peter White (1997-98)

Points: 105 Peter White (1996-97 and 1997-98)

Penalty Minutes: 416 Francis Lessard(1999-00)

GAA: 1.96 Neil Little (2003-04)

SV%: .926 Neil Little (2001-02)

Career Goals: 153 Peter White

Career Assists: 319 Peter White

Career Points: 472 Peter White

Career Penalty Minutes: 1046 Pete Vandermeer

Career Goaltending Wins: 177 Neil Little

Career Shutouts: 18 Neil Little

Career Games: 431 Peter White