Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Lore & Background

The franchise originated as the Philadelphia Phantoms in 1996, playing in Philadelphia until 2009, then moved to Glens Falls, New York, as the Adirondack Phantoms from 2010 until 2013. In March 2011, plans for a new arena in downtown Allentown were announced, with demolition beginning in January 2012. The Adirondack Phantoms were announced to relocate to the PPL Center in February 2012, but due to litigation over construction, the team did not begin play in Allentown until the 2014–15 AHL season. The team's purple color was replaced by electric blue upon relocation.

The PPL Center, an 8,500-capacity, $282 million indoor arena, opened on September 10, 2014. The arena has been consistently full; during the 2015–16 season, it was filled at 97.9% capacity on average, with 24 sellouts in 38 home games, including the last 13. The Phantoms finished seventh in AHL attendance rankings with an average of 8,244 fans.

The team introduced its mascot 'meLVin' on August 13, 2014, wearing number 55 (LV in Roman numerals, referring to Lehigh Valley). meLVin succeeded previous mascots 'Phlex' (Philadelphia Phantoms) and 'Dax' (Adirondack Phantoms).

Reader's Guide

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms represent the latest iteration of a franchise that has been the Philadelphia Flyers' primary AHL affiliate since 1996–97. The team's relocation to Allentown in 2014 ended a period of uncertainty following litigation that delayed the opening of PPL Center. The arena's consistent sellout rates and high attendance ranking (seventh in the AHL in 2015–16) indicate strong local support. The franchise has produced notable individual achievements, including Phil Varone winning the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP in 2017–18, and multiple players earning All-Star Team selections. Team records include Greg Carey's 31 goals in a season and 103 career goals, Chris Conner's 199 career points, and Alex Lyon's 75 career goaltending wins. The team has had several head coaches, with John Snowden taking over in 2025. The mascot meLVin, introduced in 2014, continues the tradition of team mascots from previous locations.

Did You Know?

• The team's mascot meLVin wears number 55, which is LV in Roman numerals for Lehigh Valley.
• The franchise originally intended to begin play in Allentown in 2013, but litigation delayed the start until the 2014–15 season.
• During the 2015–16 season, the Phantoms had 24 sellouts in 38 home games, including the last 13.
• Phil Varone won the AHL's Les Cunningham Award as Most Valuable Player in 2017–18.