Phantoms mum on protected list

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Although the USHL expansion draft is weeks away, the Youngstown Phantoms have sent to the league office their list of players that they will protect for the 2010-11 season.

Curtis Carr, Phantoms coach and general manager, on Thursday declined to name the players he hopes to retain and who will be exposed in the draft.

This past season, the Phantoms and Team USA joined the top-tier junior hockey league. The 14-team USHL had two seven-team divisions.

Alex Zoldan, Phantoms president, said recently that the addition of the Dubuque Fighting Saints (Iowa) and Muskegon (Mich.) for fall means that league officials will realign the divisions when owners meet in early June.

Zoldan said three divisions are likely, with Youngstown to be placed with Muskegon, Team USA (Ann Arbor, Mich.), the Chicago Steel and Indianapolis Ice.

Zoldan said the USHL will increase the games between division rivals, which would mean fewer Phantoms road trips to the Dakotas, Nebraska and Iowa. Youngstown is the eastern-most team in the USHL.

“We’re still going to play all the teams but it will help out with travel,” Zoldan said.