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Philadelphia Phantoms AI simulator
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Philadelphia Phantoms
The Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played most of its home games at the Spectrum. During schedule conflicts or some Calder Cup playoff games, games were moved to the adjacent Wachovia Center. The Phantoms won two Calder Cup titles (1998 and 2005) during their tenure in Philadelphia.
In anticipation of the planned closure and demolition of the Spectrum, the franchise was sold in early 2009. The new owners moved the club to Glens Falls, New York, for the 2009–10 season and renamed them the Adirondack Phantoms. Beginning in the 2014–15 season, the team moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania, in a new 8,500-seat arena, the PPL Center.
The Phantoms were the fourth AHL franchise to call Philadelphia home, following the Ramblers/Rockets (1936–1942), Rockets (1946–1949), and Firebirds (1977–1979).
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 formally merged on June 28, 1938, and the circuit renamed itself the American Hockey League in 1940. 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 were made in 1946 by a new Philadelphia Rockets (1946–49) and again in 1977 by the NAHL refugee Philadelphia Firebirds (1977–1979), but neither team met with much 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 the city, the Phantoms, which went on to win a pair of Calder Cup titles (1998, 2005) during its thirteen-season run.
For the 12 seasons (1984–96) prior to the Phantoms' founding, the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Philadelphia Flyers had maintained a highly-successful affiliation with the AHL's oldest franchise, the Hershey Bears, which included a Calder Cup title in 1988. In September 1996, however, the Flyers left their long-time home arena, the Spectrum, and moved across the parking lot into the soon-to-be-completed CoreStates Center. Instead of demolishing the Spectrum, Comcast Spectacor, the owner of both arenas as well as the Flyers, elected to keep it open and active, but doing so would require a tenant to fill the 80 to 100 NHL and National Basketball Association (NBA) dates the Spectrum would lose to the CoreStates Center.
To help achieve this end, the Flyers purchased an AHL expansion franchise in December 1995 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. This was the same tandem who were then coaching the Flyers' prospects in Hershey.
The Phantoms played their first ever regular season game on October 4, 1996, defeating the Springfield Falcons 6–3 in Springfield. The franchise's first goal was scored by defenseman John Stevens, the team's first captain (who had, coincidentally, scored the first goal in Falcons' history as that team's first captain). The club made its Spectrum debut two days later on 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 Vaclav Prospal finished fourth overall in the League with 95 despite having been called up to the Flyers with 17 games left in the season.
Philadelphia Phantoms
The Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played most of its home games at the Spectrum. During schedule conflicts or some Calder Cup playoff games, games were moved to the adjacent Wachovia Center. The Phantoms won two Calder Cup titles (1998 and 2005) during their tenure in Philadelphia.
In anticipation of the planned closure and demolition of the Spectrum, the franchise was sold in early 2009. The new owners moved the club to Glens Falls, New York, for the 2009–10 season and renamed them the Adirondack Phantoms. Beginning in the 2014–15 season, the team moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania, in a new 8,500-seat arena, the PPL Center.
The Phantoms were the fourth AHL franchise to call Philadelphia home, following the Ramblers/Rockets (1936–1942), Rockets (1946–1949), and Firebirds (1977–1979).
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 formally merged on June 28, 1938, and the circuit renamed itself the American Hockey League in 1940. 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 were made in 1946 by a new Philadelphia Rockets (1946–49) and again in 1977 by the NAHL refugee Philadelphia Firebirds (1977–1979), but neither team met with much 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 the city, the Phantoms, which went on to win a pair of Calder Cup titles (1998, 2005) during its thirteen-season run.
For the 12 seasons (1984–96) prior to the Phantoms' founding, the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Philadelphia Flyers had maintained a highly-successful affiliation with the AHL's oldest franchise, the Hershey Bears, which included a Calder Cup title in 1988. In September 1996, however, the Flyers left their long-time home arena, the Spectrum, and moved across the parking lot into the soon-to-be-completed CoreStates Center. Instead of demolishing the Spectrum, Comcast Spectacor, the owner of both arenas as well as the Flyers, elected to keep it open and active, but doing so would require a tenant to fill the 80 to 100 NHL and National Basketball Association (NBA) dates the Spectrum would lose to the CoreStates Center.
To help achieve this end, the Flyers purchased an AHL expansion franchise in December 1995 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. This was the same tandem who were then coaching the Flyers' prospects in Hershey.
The Phantoms played their first ever regular season game on October 4, 1996, defeating the Springfield Falcons 6–3 in Springfield. The franchise's first goal was scored by defenseman John Stevens, the team's first captain (who had, coincidentally, scored the first goal in Falcons' history as that team's first captain). The club made its Spectrum debut two days later on 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 Vaclav Prospal finished fourth overall in the League with 95 despite having been called up to the Flyers with 17 games left in the season.