Exclusive: Spectrum demolition set for November
After sitting dormant for an entire year, the Spectrum is now walking the Green Mile en route to its day of reckoning … or rather … wreckoning.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Times Comcast-Spectacor President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Luukko announced that the demolition of the Spectrum will begin in a little more than a month.
“The paperwork should be finished this week,” Luukko said. “We will begin the demolition during the first week of November.”
Luukko added that the process will take a little more time than it took for Veterans Stadium to become a pile of rubble and a memory.
The Vet took 62 seconds, the Spectrum will take a little more than a month.
“You can’t just implode it like you did the Vet because of the way it’s built,” Luukko said.
“The Vet had all those columns, so all you had to do for that was strap some dynamite to each column and watch it collapse on itself.
“The Spectrum would have to be blown up in pieces, and that doesn’t make any sense, so we’re going to just take a wrecking ball to it.”
That’s not to say there won’t be anything ceremonial.
“We’ll start by gutting it from the inside,” Luukko said. “Then, sometime in December, when it’s just a shell, we’ll have a little ceremony and we’ll take down the exterior with the wrecking ball.”
The Spectrum was first committed to sports arena death row in January, 2008 when it was first reported in the Times that it was going to be razed in favor of a new hotel and entertainment complex in South Philadelphia known as “Philly Live!”
The project, which will be constructed by the Cordish Co. of Baltimore, Md., will bring a series of shops, restaurants, bars and night clubs to the South Philadelphia sports complex area and will take up a significant piece of land on the property where the Spectrum and its parking lots sit.
Luukko added that the plans are in place for the beginning of the construction of that project as well and that groundbreaking will occur soon after the Spectrum is a memory.
The Spectrum hasn’t housed an event since last October, when a Pearl Jam concert closed the building.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Demolition of Spectrum set for November 2010
Monday, October 19, 2009
"Final Stroll" at the Spectrum on October 24: open to the public and free of charge
They'll be selling memorabilia there. No suprise.
They'll also be taking orders for Spectrum chairs. I have to see how to go about getting my season ticket seat. I sat there for over 10 years, so IMO they owe me and other former STHs first crack at our seats.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Starting a new Phantoms Blog
Visit the Flyers Farm Team Chronicles for the new blog. It will follow the Phantoms during their time in Glens Falls, NY, as well as any locations where they may play when their tenure in the Adirondacks comes to an end.
Thanks for being faithful readers of this blog. I hope to see you all on the new site!
Donna M.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Phantoms Home Opener will be Saturday, October 3
From this article in the Times Union:
Phantoms to play home opener Saturday, Oct. 3
June 3, 2009 at 11:21 am by Pete Dougherty, Staff writer
The Adirondack Phantoms will make their Glens Falls Civic Center debut Saturday, Oct. 3, one of five home dates announced today by the team.
The opponent won’t be known until the schedule is released later this summer, although the Albany River Rats have said that they are trying to arrange a home-and-home series with the Phantoms for that opening weekend. (The uncertainty of the Hamilton franchise, which may have to be moved if the NHL puts a team into the Ontario city, could delay the schedule announcement until late in the summer.)
The Phantoms announced “guaranteed” home dates for Oct. 3, Oct. 17, Nov. 13, Jan. 2 and Jan. 9. All are Saturdays except Nov. 13, which is a Friday.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Mike Thompson named VP of Business Operations for the Adirondack Phantoms
In the meantime, we are still seeing occasional news items regarding the team. For example, there's this item from Oursportscentral.com:
Mike Thompson named VP of Business Operations for the Adirondack Phantoms
May 20, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL) Springfield Falcons
Springfield, MA - The Springfield Falcons, proud members of the American Hockey League, announced today that Mike Thompson has been named the new Vice President of Business Operations for the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms. Thompson served as the Falcons Vice President of Corporate Partnerships during the 2008-09 campaign.
"I am very happy for Mike and his family," said Falcons President and General Manager Bruce Landon. "This is a wonderful opportunity for him at this stage in his career. He has done a great job with the Falcons over the past 4 1/2 years and has helped us grow our sponsorship revenues."
Thompson joined the Falcons during the 2004-05 season with a strong background in ticket sales and servicing. Prior to arriving in Springfield, Thompson created Vertix Sports Marketing. Vertix Sports Marketing's notable clients included twenty hockey franchises in the ECHL, CHL and the OHL, Penn State University, Western Kentucky University, Texas Christian University, Bowling Green State University, and Cleveland State University. Thompson has also worked in baseball at both the major league and minor league levels.
"The Phantoms ownership group offered me an incredible opportunity and I am very excited to move on to the next stage in my career," said Thompson. "I cannot overstate how important and valuable it has been to have Bruce Landon as a mentor and friend, and I will miss the entire Falcons organization tremendously. Fortunately, I won't be too far away and I'll definitely be visiting the MassMutual Center to see the Falcons and Phantoms play next season."
The Phantoms will be based in Glens Falls, NY starting in 2009-10 and their National Hockey League affiliate will remain the Philadelphia Flyers. The Phantoms will play their home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
"We are excited to be adding Mike to our staff," said Adirondack Phantoms President Jim Brooks. "His excitement and passion are unmatched and his success and skills speak for themselves. Mike has a tremendous amount of experience in sports and specifically hockey to draw from, including working with us several years ago, and we look forward to working with Mike again for a long time to come."
There's coverage at poststar.com, also.
Phantoms choose front-office leader
By MAURY THOMPSON
thompson@poststar.com
Updated: Thursday, May 21, 2009 1:20 AM EDT
GLENS FALLS - The Adirondack Phantoms are beginning to assemble their front-office staff as they gear up for the American Hockey League team's inaugural season at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
The team, on Wednesday, announced the hiring of Mike Thompson as vice president of operations.
Thompson, who most recently worked in the front office of the Springfield Falcons, will start full time on June 1, heading the team's local front office staff.
Team co-owners and co-presidents Rob and Jim Brooks will be splitting their time between Glens Falls and other cities where they operate sports franchises.
Thompson said in a telephone interview he has already visited Glens Falls a few times and is excited about being part of returning professional hockey to Glens Falls, which has been without a permanent hockey team for three seasons.
"It's a great hockey barn, and I cannot wait," he said.
The Phantoms, the top farm club of the Philadelphia Flyers, is relocating to Glens Falls and will begin playing at the Civic Center in October.
Thompson, a native of Oakville, Ontario, has worked in a variety of sports management and consulting roles in hockey and baseball, including a stint with the Florida Marlins.
"Last count, I've been in about 40 states," he said.
He previously operated Vertix Sports Marketing, a ticket sales consulting firm whose clients included hockey teams and college sports programs.
His clients included the Wheeling Nailers, an ECHL team that the Brooks Group also owns.
"He has great enthusiasm, and he really knows how to sell tickets," said Rob Brooks, the team's co-owner.
The owners have set a goal of selling 2,500 season tickets.
As of Wednesday, the team had commitments for the equivalent of 1,772 full-season tickets.
The number is prorated to include the equivalent commitments for 20-game and 10-game partial season ticket packages.
Thompson said the team will be hiring six to eight people, in addition to himself, to run the front office.
"We'll have the core staff, I would say, ready to go within the next three to four weeks," he said.
Brooks said the team will be announcing the hiring of a ticket sales director later this week.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Glens Falls newspaper has a dedicated Phantoms area on its website
The Post-Star has established an area on their newspaper's website for Phantoms-related coverage. This will make it that much easier to keep track of the team's local coverage. Hit the link above for details.
For example, here is an interesting article on the prospective roster of next year's Phantoms team. (Even if its headline is apparently unproofread: "Phantoms expects young, fast team".) Contained in it are the following quotes:
The plan is for veteran coach John Paddock to return, Holmgren said. Paddock coached parts of five seasons in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets and the Ottawa Senators. In his most recent NHL stint, he coached 64 games with Ottawa in 2007-08 before being fired. Last season was his first with the Phantoms.
At the AHL level, Paddock has coached in Maine, Hershey, Binghamton, and Hartford, winning a Calder Cup with Hershey.
Paddock will be guiding some familiar faces. Asked to identify a potential returning core, Holmgren mentioned four young forwards: Jonathan Matsumoto, David Laliberte, Patrick Maroon and Jared Ross.
Mastsumoto and Ross were the team's leading scorers with 29 goals each; Laliberte had 28. Ross played 16 games with the Flyers last season.
...
Defensively, Holmgren pegged Michael Ratchuk, Oskars Bartulis and Danny Syvret as potential returners. Syvret led the AHL in scoring for defensemen with 57 points.
Here is an interesting quote from this article on Wednesday's press conference:
But a bit of their Philadelphia home ice will be making its way with the team to Glens Falls.
Ike Richman, vice president of Comcast-Spectacor, said he saved some of the ice when it was taken up after the last game in Philadelphia.
That ice has since melted, but the water is stored in a jar that will be emptied at the Civic Center when the first ice surface is laid down for the hockey season this fall, he said.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
New Adirondack Phantoms jersey design unveiled
Thanks to philabright.com for the image below:
Adirondack Phantoms take up new haunts in Glens Falls
Before I post the text of the actual article, I can't help but highlight the EXTREME IRONY of the content of the photo that accompanies the report.
First of all, that's an old-style Phantoms jersey, not the one that we have worn for the past couple of seasons. They couldn't find a current version of the jersey to use for this press conference?
Second of all, take a close look at the shoulder patch. IT'S THE LOGO OF PHLEX WITH THE SPECTRUM.
This is the sort of thing that makes my head go . If anyone connected with the Philly incarnation of the team had had a lick of sense, they would have used last season's Phantoms third jersey, which has a FLYERS LOGO for the shoulder patch. Then again, IMO if the Comcast-side people connected with the Philly incarnation of the team had a lick of sense, or gave a hoot about anything besides the bottom line, the team would still BE in the Philadelphia area.
OK, anyway... rant over. On to the actual article.
Adirondack Phantoms take up new haunts in Glens Falls
Updated: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 3:14 PM EDT
With a new moniker, a new jersey and a new city, the American Hockey League's newest entry in New York was formally introduced this morning during a press conference at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
The team, which co-owner Rob Brooks announced would be called the Adirondack Phantoms, will begin play at the Glens Falls Civic Center this fall, with team officials promising a high-energy, hard-hitting team on the ice and a community-minded team off it.
Glens Falls Mayor Jack Diamond, members of the Common Council, team owners and representatives from the parent club Philadelphia Flyers and GlobalSpectrum were all on hand to make the announcement in Heritage Hall.
City and team officials announced late last month that the Flyers farm team would be moving from Philadelphia to Glens Falls, returning AHL hockey to the region for the first time in a decade, since the Adirondack Red Wings left town after more than 20 seasons here.
For more on the announcement, please continue to visit poststar.com and read more in tomorrow's Post-Star.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Adirondack Phantoms introduced in Glens Falls
CLICK HERE: Adirondack Phantoms introduced in Glens Falls
Adirondack Phantoms introduced in Glens Falls
05/06/2009 9:59 AMThe Brooks Group, new owners of the Philadelphia Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate, today formally introduced the Adirondack Phantoms to Glens Falls, N.Y.
"Having the Phantoms playing here in Glens Falls creates some great rivalries. So, to all the New York teams in the AHL, beware of the Phantoms," said Glens Falls mayor Jack Diamond.
"Glens Falls is a terrific hockey town and the players are going to enjoy playing here," said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko.
"We're gonna have a young, hard-working team. All of our players will be very active in the community," said Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren. "We're looking forward to writing a new history for hockey in Glens Falls."
The Adirondack Phantoms will begin play at the Glens Falls Civic Center in 2009-10. The Civic Center is managed by Global Spectrum a subsidiary of Flyers' parent company, Comcast-Spectacor.
Friday, May 1, 2009
PA state funding for the Allentown/Lehigh Valley arena has fallen through
CLICK HERE: Governor Rendell nixes state funding for Lehigh Valley hockey arena
It appears that the plans to build a new arena in Allentown are in jeopardy. The state, which had originally written $30M into its budget for the purpose of funding the arena's construction, has taken that money off the table.
My personal suggestion is that the Brooks Group should seriously consider becoming a tenant of an already-existing arena in the Philly region, if funding a new venue turns out to be impossible to come by. I wonder when the ECHL Trenton Devils'lease expires at the Sovreign Bank Arena? Maybe Brooks Group needs to become Extremely Aggressive about landing the next lease in that arena after the Devils' time there is done. But at this point, I''m- just thinking
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
AHL Board of Governors approves sale and relocation of Phantoms
AHL hockey team moving to Glens Falls
AHL hockey team moving to Glens Falls
By PETE DOUGHERTY, Staff writer
After a 10-year absences, the city of Glens Falls once again has an American Hockey League franchise.
The league's board of governors, meeting today in Chicago, approved the transfer of ownership of the Philadelphia Phantoms to a newly formed entity known as Phantoms Hockey LLC, owned by the Brooks Group.
In addition, the new owners were given approval to move the franchise from Philadelphia to Glens Falls, beginning with the 2009-10 season.
The move is seen as a boost to the Albany River Rats, who supported the city's efforts to gain a franchise since the Adirondack Red Wings departed after the 1998-99 season.
The Rats' average attendance has fallen 26 percent in the past decade, and Albany team officials attribute much of that to the lack of a geographic rival.
The AHL also approved the relocation of the Quad Cities franchise to Abbotsford, British Columbia, and the addition of a franchise in Austin, Texas.
The Phantoms were looking to move because their Philadelphia home, the Wachovia Spectrum, is being demolished to make room for an entertainment development.
"On behalf of our board, it's my privilege to welcome these three cities to the AHL family," AHL president Dave Andrews said in a statement. "We are looking forward to these new opportunities in Austin and Abbotsford, and we're excited to be returning to the rich AHL tradition and history in Glens Falls."
Monday, April 27, 2009
Last Spectrum Ice melts away :(
Global Spectrum’s Chris Jennings uses the zamboni to remove the last ice ever at the Spectrum. After 42 years, the former home of the Philadelphia Flyers (1967-96) and Philadelphia Phantoms (1996-2009) will close at the end of 2009 to make way for Philly Live, a retail, restaurant and entertainment district.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Phantoms at Hershey Bears, Game 4, East Division Semifinals, 4-24-09: Third Period
HAHAHA, they were showing some Bears fan waving a faux broom with a cardboard tube for a handle. The cardboard tube broke and the broom wilted away. Here's to seeing Hershey's attempt to sweep the Phantoms be broken just as utterly.
The Bears start off by buzzing in our zone, including the first "pinball off the back boards" attempt that I've specifically noticed in this game. We had some congestion around the net and Aubin was in position to prevent trouble.
Hershey has iced the puck a couple times so far. We get a little something-something going in the Bears end, and though they clear it, we get it back and start Buzzing: The Sequel. Ah, there we go, we draw a penalty and go on the PP. Matsumoto's line is with Syvret and Kukkonen. Maroon stations himself at the net for rebounds. Bears block a shot. Two Bears and two Phantoms battle in the corner and we get the disk back. But the Bears clear it.
Curry and Ratchuk with JVR and I can't see who the other two forwards are. The penalty ends, and the Bears get called for icing even though technically they were still shorthanded when the puck was cleared. Kane, Kalinski, and Szwez are out. Kalinski brings it in and Neuvirth freezes it.
Raduns, Kempe, and Clackson are out with Curry and Ratchuk. Ratchuk and Pinnizotto, he who caused a ten-skater scrum by taking a slapshot into an empty Phantoms net, battle all the way up the boards into our zone for the puck.
Kempe is getting sent off for hooking, when his stick never touched the freaking Bear on the replay. Expletive Omitted. Strings of Expletives Omitted, actually. Kane/Kalinski are out with Kukkonen and Bartulis. Kalinski rushes up and gets a shorthanded shot on goal. Syvret blocks a shot back in our end. There goes the Zebra's arm up once again. Kempe's penalty ends, so Guenin goes into the box to replace him. Too bad the dive on Perrault wasn't called. It must be nice.
Good freeze by Aubin. Next shift, Hershey gets a shot through a screen but the post helps us out on that one. Kane prevents The Wrong Giroux from getting a shot off. HOLY COW at least three consecutive saves by Aubin. He is busting his rump keeping us in this game. We absolutely HAVE to reward him with some activity at the other end. Period. End of sentence.
Nodl, Sirianni, and JVR are out with Bartulis and Kukkonen. AAH Scramble in front of Neuvirth and he had to get very creative to avoid giving up a rebound to Nodl. Tbat was the most dangerous play we have had all game, really. Six minutes and change remain in the period.
Matsumoto's line is out and we are starting to buzz somewhat in the Bears end again. Kalinski/Nodl/Szwez with Cury/Ratchuk. Out they go to the Phabtoms end. Five minutes and change left in the frame. Back to the Hershey end and we try to get into position. So far the SOG in this period are Phanbtoms 7, Bears 4. AAH Laliberte blasts one on goal. Neuvirth stops it and we get a faceoff.
Nice hip check to eliminate Mink at the Phantoms half-boards. AUBIN nice work to keep us within one. Now we are getting a lot of end-to-end play. Kempe is out with Sirianni and JVR.
Holy moley, a late penalty vs. Hershey after Aucoin trips Maroon. Hershey tries to kill time by not touching the puck. Eventually we get it, even tho9ugh we go offside. Sirianni, Syvret, Kukkonen, Kane, JVR are out. Aubin is actually pulled for a 6 on 4 with under 2 minutes left in the period. Timeout, Phantoms.
One minute left: we have Matsumoto, Laliberte, Maroon, JVR, Syvret, and Kukkonen out. DAGNAB IT Laliberte actually fell on top of the freaking puck which was loose in the crease. ARGH ARGH ARGH. 50.5 seconds left in the period. Faceoff. JVR is the extra forw1ard with Matsumoto's line, apparemtnly. Syvret is one of the D LONG pass to Maroon from our end. Hershey gets called for a hand pass. Ten seconds left in the PP, 24 left in the period.; Faceoff in the Bears end. Same guys on the ice. Hershey clears it to the far end Syvret retrieves it. 32 seconds left. Long pass. Hershey clears again.
Game over and series over.
And there's the end of the Phantoms' 13-year stint in Philadelphia.
Handshake line forthcoming.
Aubin had BETTER BE one of the game's stars. We shall see.
It's astounding that the Phantoms went 0-for-21 on the PP, but as our announcer is pointing out, the absence of Jared Ross from our lineup surely made a difference there.
Yes, Aubin is, in fact, the second star. Mink (goal-scorer) was the third star, and Neuvirth (shutout) was the first star.
Hershey will face the Penguins in the next round. I will most definitely root for the Bears over the Penguins.
I will keep updating this blog with info about where the Phantoms' franchise will be playing nezt season. However, when the new season begins, I will start a separate blog for the reincarnated version of the Flyers' farm team.
This blog is for the Phantoms, which have accounted for my absolute favorite pastime for the past 13 years. Because of my time supporting this team, I will never be the same.
With them consigned to history, nothing will ever be the same. It is NOT an adjustment I look forward to making in the least.
Phantoms at Hershey Bears, Game 4, East Division Semifinals, 4-24-09: Second Period
Interesting stat: Sirianni has two of our four shots, with Kempe and Guenin accounting for the other two.
OK, guys, we are at even strength, time to get out of our zone... oh, wait. Did I say we were at even strength? Silly me. There goes a whistle and another penalty against the Phantoms. Matsumoto goes.
Mink scores for Hershey. So the score is Ciamaga 1, Phantoms 0.
GREAT SAVE, AUBIN, and about ten seconds later, what do you know? Another freaking whistle. At this rate, we will get called with too many men on the ice when we have five guys out there. CHEESE AND RICE with these penalties.
AAAH, shorthanded breakaway by Mastumto, GO GO GO aaack HAULED DOWN and we are getting a Penalty Shot! GO MATSY, GO MATSY! Nuts, Neuvirth made the save.
Nice blocked shot by a Phantom, but I can't see who it was. I think Guenin was on the ice, though, so it wouldn't surprise me if he was the one.
We are (whispering) even strength (/whispering) and Aubin just made a fantastic stop on a point-blank deflection. ANOTHER great save on the following shift. NICE job!
Now it's Hershey's turn to go shorthanded for a spell, as Amadio heads off. Kukkkonen and Syvret are out with what I believe is the Matsumoto line... here comes a long 5-on-3 advantage for the Phantoms, as Hershey just got a tripping call. Samd guys out, and yes, that's the Matsumoto line. We are cycling but mixing in some good shots and shot attempts on goal. BLAH, the net goes off its moorings and Neuvirth has been doing acrobatics to keep the net puck-free. Now Ratchuk and Curry are out with Kane, Sirianni, and someone I can't see as the first penalty ends. Not overly long after that, the second penalty ended as well. The Phantoms have yet to score on the PP in this series, which is a pity as our special teams were absolutely great toward the end of the regular season.
Gee, how astounding. A penalty on the Phantoms. Who'd've thought it? Maroon goes. AUBIN, YAY, consecutive point-blank stops, NICE JOB! Maroon is out but we are having fits trying to clear the flipping puck. NICE save again by Aubin. Finally we get the heck out of our freaking zone. Eventually there is a stoppage in play as the Bears have a hand pass.
Per our announcer, we have not ad a shot since our two-man advantage, about eight minutes ago. Now it looks like we are giving Neuvirth something to do, however. Boy, we have been at (whispering) 5-on-5 (/whispering) for a while now. SOG are now Hershey 21, Phantoms 12.
Drat, I can't even whisper about being at even strength. There goes Sirianni to the sin bin after hitting a Bear who stopped a bit too far short of the boards to be safe. Boarding is the call. The Bears have their 8th man advantage. Guenin/Syvret iwth Matsumoto/Laliberte. Matsumoto clears and the Phantoms change, Kalinski/Kane with Bartulis/Kukkonen. We clear again, and the Bears go offside carrying it back in. NICE "Statue of Liberty" save by Aubin through a whole lot of traffic. :D
53.7 seconds left in the period; the Phantoms ice the puck and we have the faceoff in our end. We get out, but the Bears come back on a 2-on-1; Aubin makes the stop.
Nice pick-off by Maroon. The Bears net gets pushed well askew, but Ciamaga chose to let the play continue until the time ran out. We SHOULD have had an offensive-zon draw, instead we got bupkis.
At the end of the period, the Bears lead 1-0. SOG: Bears 25, Phantoms 13. (The *EIGHT* Hershey PPs have something to do with the skewed stats.)
Time for the Phantoms to regroup and come out borderline homicidal in the third period. Lose the game, lose the series and lose the team, so it's now or never for a comeback. GO PHANTOMS!
Phantoms at Hershey Bears, Game 4, East Division Semifinals, 4-24-09: First Period
BOMBSHELL: J-S Aubin started in goal in place of Scott Munroe, and I have no idea why. Stay on your feet as long as possible, JS; be patient, make the shooter commit first, and make yourself big in net.
Former Phantom Triston Grant's team, the Milwaukee Admirals, have swept their first-round opponent. I'm glad for him. I don't particularly follow Western teams this year, but since T-Bird's on the MilAds, I would like to see them have a long run.
JVR is going off for hooking. It'll be Hershey's second PP of the game, and we have 9:59 left in the period. Both teams have three shots on goal.
I just checked the box score. Munroe is the backup tonight, so I'm not thinking he's injured. (If he is, it's not bad enough to keep him from dressing for the game.) I'm not sure what the rationale is behind having a goalie change at this point in the series, but here we are.
7:40 left in the frame; we gave up three shots on the PP. Here we go with another penalty vs. the Phantoms. Time to glance over at the box score and see who our whistle-happy ref is. Ciamaga. Aaah... never mind. No comment. Let's leave it at that.
I realize that I grew up watching standup goaltending, so seeing a netminder leave his feet still strikes me as something my childhood idols would have avoided whenever possible. In the past, oh, decade and a half, I have seen lots of butterfly goaltending, and therefore the sight of a goalie in a split is not foreign to my eyes anymore. HOWEVER... Munroe and Aubin have a very different style when it comes to how they respond to an incoming puck, or even a potentially incoming disk. Aubin tends to drop into the split more readily, and I'm not as accustomed to seeing that because Munroe had a lot of the home games down the stretch during the season. Seeing JS drop into the split, sometimes before the puck has actually been shot, is giving me anxiety.
OK, Ciamaga, you ignored the hook Osala had against Clackson, and moments later you call a borderline infraction against Clackson? For making some CONTACT behind the NET? GRRRRR... Onto the PK we go, once again.
In the past six and a half minutes, the Bears have had seven shots on goal. We haven't had any in that time. Here we go on the farging PK again. Matsumoto/Laliberte with Syvret and most likely Guenin (he's not on screen). NICE stop by Aubin!
50 seconds left in the PK, Hershey is outshooting the Phantoms 11-3. Nice clear, Bartulis. Kalinski/Kane are the forward pair, and Kane cleared the puck as soon as the Bears brought it back in.
We're at even strength again, with very little time left in the period. JVR, Sirianni, and Nodl are out together with Bartulis and presumably Kukkonen. Finally, we get a shot on goal. Neuvirth hangs on for the faceoff.
Maroon, Matsumoto, Laliberte, Syvret, and Guenin are out. We buzz a bit around the Bears net, but the horn sounds to end the period. Hershey outshot the Phantoms 11-4. It appears that we will be at even strength to start the second period. (There was some extracurricular grouchiness after the horn, so we'll see if anyone is in the sin bin for either team when the wecond frame begins.)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Phantoms at Hershey Bears, Game 3, Round 1, East Division Semi-Finals: recap and box score
I got home from class and tuned in JUST in time to hear the Phantoms' tying goal disallowed, and a penalty assessed to Nate Raduns, in the final few minutes of the third period.
I am unhappy to report that the Phantoms lost the cotest 3-2, and currently trail the Hershey Bears 3 games to 0 in this series.
CLICK HERE for the game recap from the Phantoms site.
CLICK HERE for the box score from the AHL's site.
As they say, the fourth game is the hardest one for a team to win. Here's to seeing the Phantoms take tonight's game in Hershey. Then, not only will we stay alive in the series, but it will allow the Phantoms fans who can't get to Hershey tonight, but CAN be there on Saturday night, to attend Game 5.
Tomorrow, the extra inspiration to win could come from the desire to play in the Spectrum at least once more; on Sunday, it'll be that we want to take the series and advance to the next round. But all in due time. First, the Phantoms need to focus on going Bear Hunting with the heavy artillery in tonight's game. Series are played, and ultimately won, ONE game at a time. So the best bet is to concentrate on the task at hand: the current game, the current period, and even the current shift.
GO PHANTOMS!
Phantoms' new owners ink a lease with Glens Falls
Glens Falls Lands AHL Team
The salient points:
- If Glens Falls has 2500 subscriptions by the end of this month, they are guaranteed to have the franchise
- They have less than half that number of subscriptions as of tonight
- The contract includes an "out" clause for the Brooks Group to back out if the number of subscribers falls short
Hence, I say "semi-concrete". Heck, the AHL's Board of Governors has yet to finalize their approval of the sale of the team, and as Brooks Group owns part of the Penguins franchise, that could translate into a conflict of interest. In that case, the league could vote down the sale.
Anyway... here is the actual article.
Glens Falls Lands AHL Team
Comments 0 | Recommend 53-Year Lease Has Ticket Stipulation
April 22, 2009 - 3:52 PMGLENS FALLS -- For the first time since the Adirondack Red Wings left town in 1999, the city of Glens Falls is back in the American Hockey League. The Philadelphia Phantoms signed a three year lease Wednesday evening to move their AHL franchise to the Glens Falls Civic Center. But the fine print on the contract says that if 2,500 season tickets are not sold by Tuesday, then the Phantoms can back out of the deal.
As of Wednesday night, the GFCC wasn't quite halfway to that lofty threshold. But the number of tickets sold seems to be quite pliable, "If we get 25-hundred we're guaranteed to bring the team (to Glens Falls). If we get a little under that we'll make a decision whether we do it this year or not", says Phantoms owner Rob Brooks. He also added that there is still a chance the franchise would be dormant this coming season.
Senator Chuck Schumer, who has been an advocate of the move for months, says, "This is great news, not only for the Glens Falls area where it will be an economic boost to the city, but to a great hockey rivalry that will occur along the Hudson River between the River Rats and the new Glens Falls team".
During its heyday in the 1990's, the Glens Falls-Albany AHL rivalry regularly played to large crowds, both at the Civic Center and at the then named Knickerbocker Arena. Since the Red Wings left town a decade ago the River Rats have badly missed their "Northway Rival" in terms of ticket sales.
Glens Falls was home to the Adirondack Red Wings from 1979 until 1999, during which time the franchise won four Calder Cups and typically enjoyed tremendous community support.
The Phantoms need a new home since their facility in Philadelphia, The Spectrum, is destined for the wrecking ball. There's no word yet whether the franchise would keep the name Phantoms, or come up with a new nickname.
Phantoms at Hershey Bears, Game 3, East Division Semi-Final, 4-22-09
However, here is a Playoffs Update recapping the first two games, and analyzing some key stats, from the Phantoms' site.
I hope to be posting about good news after this game. I know our guys can do it. LET'S GO, PHANTOMS! GO BEAR HUNTING!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears, Game 2 East Division Semi-Finals, 4-18-09
Scratches: Duchesne, Lehtivuori, Sloane, DeSantis, RADUNS (Surprise! And drat!), Klotz, Beaulieu, Bellamy.
Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears, Game 2, East Division Semi-Finals, 4-18-09, Pregame Musings
15? Say what? Has THAT much time passed since 1996, when the Phantoms' first captain came here with his wife and two little boys? Eeee. It ages me. ;)
Anyway, tonight's game is at 7 PM in The Spectrum. There are two different scenarios, one happy and one not-so-happy, by which this actually COULD be the final hockey game in the Spectrum, so come on down!
The Phantoms actually don't have home ice advantage in this series. We got Games 1 and 2, rather than the traditional 3 and 4, because Disney on Ice is at the GIANT Center. So after tonight, we won't have a home game in this series until the proverbial "Game 6 If Necessary".
Therefore, if this series ends in under 6 games, either happily with a Phantoms win, or not-so-happily with the Bears advancing, we won't see Game 6 at the Spectrum. Since we don't know where the Phantoms will be playing Round 2 of the playoffs, even if we win the series we might not see the Spectrum again once this round is over.
So come on down to one of the last surviving ARENAS, an experience which we'll appreciate all the more once we only have Entertainment Venues to watch our pro hockey games in.
GO PHANTOMS!!!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears, Game 1, East Division Semi-Finals, 4-16-09
Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears, Game 1, East Division Semi-Finals: 4-16-09 Pregame Notes
The Bears have home ice advantage, but they also have Disney On Ice at the GIANT Center. Therefore, the Phantoms are going to host Games 1 and 2 of the series, as well as Game 6 if necessary.
Jared Ross and Luca Sbisa are called up to the Flyers. Andreas Nodl is sent back to the Phantoms.
We still have JVR, and I hope the presence of him, Nodl, and Kempe will help fill the hole in the lineup left by Ross's clallup.
THe complete game blog will be posted after the game.
GO( PHANTOMS!!!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Phantoms at Hershey Bears, 4-11-09; Final Regular Season Game
We're at Hershey for the final Phantoms regular season game
The recap will go up when we're on the way home. GO PHANTOMS!!!
Yep -- It was a legit Hat Trick!
"let me clear it up for you guys haha. goal was originally credited to sirianni bc of the tip. then it was temporarily changed to syvret. then it was changed back to sirianni because of one reason or another. so yes, sirianni did indeed have a hatrick."
Friday, April 10, 2009
Phantoms vs, Hershey Bears, 4-10-09, Final Game at the Spectrum
Oustside, the band played "These Were The Best Days Of My Life". I wanted to cry, Which was only exacerbated when I saw the STH gift: a mini banner saluting the Final Game at the Spectrum, with Gene Hart's quote, "Good Night and Good Hockey".
The music on the PA is getting me, too; "Philadelphia Freedom", "I Will Remember You" (which nearly set me off again), "If I Could Turn Back Time"... the pregame music choices are surely no accident.
John Paddock is on the bench, pre-warmups, with his own personal video camera. Lou Nolan was signing autographs in the tunnel, but ran out of autograph cards before he got to me.
I already saw one small kid whom I'm familiar with crying at his seat. Yeah, little buddy, I can empathize.
So many familiar faces are here. That's what happens when you sit in the same place for at least 9 of the past 13 seasons. (I had three other locations, including the seats I shared with Bob P. and Karla in the first two seasons, before a seat adjacent to the tunnel became available.) So many long-timers like myself whom I've seen year in and year out, and am unlikely to see much of anymore after the season concludes.
I can see the original press box, which still has WIP on it, and the original organ which is still up in the rafters.
There's a Final Game banner in the rafters, also, waiting to be unfurled.
Scott Munroe just led the team out of the tunnel. Warmups are starting.
Luca Sbisa has returned to Philly, following the elimination of his junior team from the playoffs, and he is wearing #47
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Scratches: Duchesne, Lehtivuori, Ratchuk, DeSantis, Klotz, Beaulieu, Kempe, Bellamy.
Starting Lineup: Munroe, Guenin, Syvret, Ross, Kane, Sirianni
Less than two minutes into the game, MacNeill and Josh Gratton fight. Meanwhile we also get a PP because Helmer went off for inbte2rference, so it's our first PECOOOO POWER PLAY of the game. MacNeill landed more punches early, but Gratton landed haymakers of his own and got the eventual takedown. The fans went berserk when he raised his arms on the way to tbe sin bin. When Berube was our assistant coach in the Cup year, he reprimanded Josh for doing that, but I think even he would understand the emotion of the moment. This is NOT just any game,and everyone knows it.
Sbisa is out with Curry and the Matsumoto line. OMG this place is as deafening as old-time Bears/Phantoms games. WOW.
With 8 seconds left in the PP, we have the only three SOG.
Hee, make that 4 SOG with five seconds left in the PP.
With Ratchuk scratched, the D Pair is now Curry and Sbisa.
Szwez is out with Kalinski and JVR. and we are back to even strength. Syvret/Guenin and Bartulis/Kukkonen are our other D pairs.
FIGHT, Clackson vs. Brennan. Like Gratton, Clackson got the takedown and I would say the edege. GREAT GREAT GREAT this team has really come out on fire. At the time of the Clackson fight, we had 5 SOG to Hershey's 1.
Now there's a scrum on Munroe's doorstep as the Bears attempt to get the frozen puck loose. But the ref calls play dead and we get a faceoff.
SCOOOOOOOORE! Matsumoto jams his 29th goal in from he doorstep with assists from Maroon and Laliberte! It was our 6th shot of the game, compared to Hershey's 2.
We then get our first PK as Sbisa goes of. Ross and Kane break out 2 on 2, with Syvret and Guenin on D for the start of the kill.
Next, Matsumoto/Laliberte with Kukkonen and Bartulis AAAA BREAKAWAY... shoot, the goalie made the stop. Nice way to shave time off the clock. :D The Phantoms are out there with an intensity that is easily playoff-level. We know that it's a "win or go home situation", and we are playing like it.
Koharski calls Guenin for slashing with 4 seconds left in the Sbisa penalty. Kane, Syvret, and Kukkonen are out. Ross comes out whe Sbisa crosses the ice and arrives at the bench. Next up are Matsumoto/Lalibere th Bartulis/Curry. Again Laliberte takes the puck all the way in for a shot on goal. SOG are Phantoms 8, Bears 2, with 21 seconds left in the Guenin penalty.
Bartulis blocks a shot. As the penalty expires, the SOG are Phantoms 9, Bears 3.
With just under five minutes left, again Laliberte rushes the puck up ice full speed, followed by eeryone else.; Our scoring attempt earned us another PECOOOO POWER PLAY. Ross, Kane Sirianni, Kukkonen, and Syvret are out. SCOOOOOORE Sirianni from Syvret and Ross!!!! Outstanding! It was our 10th SOG.
About a shift later, here comes another PECOOOOO POWER PLAY. Matsumoto's line is out with Sbisa and Curry. The Bears are clearing the puck pretty well this time around, but the infraction is only half served. SCOOOOOORE!!! Sirianni again from Kane and Kukkonen! 3-0 Phantoms! SOG are 13-4 in favor of the Phantoms. One of those Bears shots came during the PP we just truncated with a goal.
And at the end of the period, the Phantoms went off to a standing ovation, leading 3-0 and outshooting Hershey 13-4.
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Intermission music: "Times of Your Life" and "Glory Days". HA HA HA, they're playing the Three Stooges theme again as the officials come out. :D They'd stopped doing that for a while, but tonight, it's baaaaack. :)
The second goal is now credited to Syvret from Kukkonen and Ross. We spent most of the first 90 seconds of the frame in our end, but allowed no shots. Matsumoto and company toook it in for a shot on Neuvirth, but Matsy shot high. However,even over the crowd noice, the puck struck the glass loudly. He got ALL of that disk!
The Bears must have gotten an earful in the locker room, because they are spending time cycling in our end again. However,a mixed line combo of Gratton, Raduns, and Ross got out of our zone and Ross sent a blistering puck on goal for the first shot by either team in the period. Nearly 4 minutes have elapsed in the frame. Neuvirth had to make a NICE save to keep that one out. For his troubles, he gets to stop three more pucks on the next shift. Ross's line is out for the faceoff. With 4 and a half mijtes gone, Munroe stops his first shot of the period, and it's a dandy save from point blank range. His next save thuds loudly off his pads, to loud applause from the Phantoms Phaithful.
Clackson gets called for hooking, so we go on the PK. Matsumoto/Laliberte are wth Guenin and Syvret. And MUNROE. :) Who is making stops With Authority. Aw, heck. Bears score just as the penalty ends. It's their 10th SOG, compared to our 7th. Also reminiscent of Days Of Old, there is a loud contingent of Bears fans in the house. We Phantoms fans will be returnng the favor tomorrow night at the GIANT Center, however.
With 9:30 left in the period, we give Neuvirth a puck to freeze just before the promo timeout.
Kalinski, JVR, and Szwez are out with Kukkonen and Bartulis.
Guenin blocked a shot. :)
HOLY COW. Our Phan Club's Sergeant-at-Arms just told me that Norfolk is leading Binghamton 6-0. OH. MY. GOSH. GO ADMIRALS!!!! If we win and Bingo loses, we clinch the last playoff berth!
AAAH SCOOOORE! While I was typng the great news about how much Norfolk is helpng our cause, KALINSKI scored an un-assisted goal on our 21st shot! $-1 Phantoms!!!
Next up, another PK. They think Matsumoto tripped someone. The Phantoms Phaithful beg to differ, LOUDLY. :D Oddly enough, I thought the Bears got a shot six seconds into the PK, but it never registered on the board. NOW they have a shot, with 36 seconds left in their man advantage. Munroe had to stop one other puck during the PK. Now the Matsumoto line is buzzing around the Bears net with a minute to go in the frame. They're followed by the Ross line, THEY'RE followed by the sound of the horn.
At the end of the second period, the Phantoms lead 4-1, and the SOG are Phantoms 21, Bears 17.
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I had some computer issues during the third period and the recap I was typing got lost. Dang it. But in short order, you know that second Phantoms goal that was recredited to Syvret? Well, apparently everyone conveniently decided to pay no mind to that, because when Sirianni scored an empty-net goal to make it Phantoms 5, Hershey 2, there was a downright avalanche of hats. :) So if the box score remains as it is right now, crediting Sirianni with three goals, then we closed out our tenure at the Spectrum by winning two fights, scoring five goals, celebrating a hat trick, and clinching a playoff berth!
For a few points of interest that happened during the third period: Hershey's second goal was scored by The Wrong Giroux, aka Alexandre Giroux. It was bhis 58tb of the season. WHY is this man not with the Washington Capirals?! CALL HIM THE HECK UP! Anybody with 58 freaking goals belongs in the SHOW, thank you very much!
Hershey repeatedly pinballed the puck off the boards behind the net, aiming it for a guy who would be stationed there to try and stuff the puck in before Munroe could move laterally. On one of those attempts, Kukkonen saved us from being scored on by crouching down to block the puck. It was a gutsy move on his part, given he still is wearing a guard on the lower half of his face, and he put himself right in the line of fire for both the oncoming puck and the stick that shot it. Fortunately, he kept the puck out without getting injured. But this team was motivated enoujh to dive in front of a Mac truck if that's what it took to win this game. This was just one bit of evidence to that effect.
Keith Jones, wired jaw and all, announced both Sirianni's goal and the "For the final time in the Spectrum, one minute left in the period" call. At the end, the whole team gathered at center ice and saluted the fans, then followed Phlex around the perimeter of the ice. Phlex had the "THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES" sign held high, and the team tapped the glass with their sticks all the way around the ice.
During the "Shirts Off Our Backs" after the game, the final song to be played in the Spectrum was "Say Goodbye".
It was a great send-off for one of the last ARENAS in pro sports. For make no mistake, the Spectrum is an ARENA. Most of the new buildings today are Entertainment Venues. The sports world will be a lesser place when the Spectrum is relegated to history.
But at least the Sports World will continue to have the Phantoms in it for a while longer. We are in the playoffs!
GREAT JOB, Phantoms! Now go kick some more Bear tail in Hershey tomorrow night!