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Phantoms back at it after short summer break
By Tom Williams
BOARDMAN
Summer flew by for the returning Youngstown Phantoms. When you play until mid-May in the league’s championship series, the offseason is shortened in a good way.
Four months ago, the Phantoms and Fargo Force finished the 2017-18 USHL season in the Clark Cup Finals. After splitting the first two games in North Dakota, the Force won twice at the Covelli Centre (May 18-19) to secure their first championship.
It was the first time in nine seasons that the Phantoms had advanced to the USHL championship round.
For forward Jack Malone, one of the best things he did since then was comparing notes with his hockey-playing friends back home in New Jersey.
“It was [about] bragging rights,” Malone said. “It was cool [having] everyone ask you what it’s like to make that type of run.
“I told them what I could, but there was a piece at the end missing,” said Malone of finishing runner-up. “Hopefully, next summer, I’ll have that part to tell.”
Malone is one of 10 Phantoms in training camp at the Deep Freeze Ice Arena (formerly The Ice Zone) who have experience with the team.
The other forwards are Joey Abate, Craig Needham, Trevor Kuntar and Dalton Messina.
On defense, the Phantoms return Gianfranco Cassaro, Steven Holtz, Liam Dennison and John Larkin.
In goal, Jon Mor is back. He was part of the Phantoms system in 2015-16 and 2016-17, then spent last season with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
“Any type of experience is good,” said Brad Patterson, who is beginning his third season as head coach and 10th overall with the team.
The Phantoms began last season with seven returning players.
“There are teams that have a lot more guys back,” Patterson said, “but they have a different mentality on how they build their team.”
Mor and Juraj Ovecka from Slovakia are the goaltenders in camp. Wouter Peeters, a 2016 Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, and Ivan Prosvetov, who was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round of June’s NHL Draft, have moved on.
Prosvetov was the Phantoms’ workhorse in April and May, winning two series to send the team to the Finals.
Once the Russian was drafted, Patterson knew his time in Youngstown was pretty much over.
“If he signs during the year, he’d be ineligible to play for us,” Patterson said.
Prosvetov will be playing for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. Players in the USHL are amateurs to preserve their college eligibility. The OHL is a top junior league in Canada where players are paid. Among the newcomers in camp are forward Brett Murray, a 2016 fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres.
This weekend, the Phantoms will play preseason games at the Deep Freeze against the Northeast Generals (today, 7 p.m. and Saturday, 1 p.m.).
Next week, the season opens with the USHL Fall Classic at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa.
Because the USHL has expanded to 62 regular-season games (up from 60), these games will count in the standings. In the past, the Fall Classic games were the final ones of the preseason.
At the Fall Classic, the Phantoms will open against the Tri-City Storm on Sept. 27 at 5 p.m.
Their second game will be on Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. against the Dubuque Fighting Saints.