Lehigh Valley Phantoms tries to get rid of the ghosts of the past with the ghosts hired by Snowden – Hockey Writer – Lehigh Valley Phantoms
It has been more than a month since Lehigh Valley Phantoms hired John Snowden as its head coach. It has been weeks since Hershey Bear hired Derek King. The comparison of the introduction press for the American Hockey League (AHL) team is obvious.
Related: Lehigh Valley Phantoms has a lot of optimism after John Snowden hires
There are three types of teams in this league. Those who want to win and develop prospects first in the process, those who are interested in development are in the process of winning the second place, and then the team is focused only on development. The overall sentiment of the Bears Press is how important it is to win the Calder Cup title, or “it’s time to win the game again.” With Phantom, the focus is on the reconstruction of the Philadelphia pilots driven by the AHL team. “This is where the reconstruction of the flyer is about to begin,” Snowden noted in his introduction as head coach.
The two teams were otherwise similar and compelling competitors. Both the Bears and Phantoms play in the Atlantic division, and more importantly, two of the three Pennsylvania teams in the AHL play a market that is passionate about hockey and success. For Phantom, they want to close the gap, chase, and eventually exceed departmental and alliance standards.
Phantom is chasing the bear
The bear is the team that Phantom looks up to. Their former head coach Ian Laperriere often notices the way he tried to put the team into the Bears and play his own style. They do have a pre-reviewed presence and have become a great team by the end of last season.
The past two playoff matches show that Phantom is closer but still far from the competition. The 2024 showdown is not close as the Bears took care of their business in four games on their way to the Calder Cup title. This shows what a team’s defeat looks like compared to a team that has hope but has to do a lot of work.
Last season was fun as Phantoms grew into a team that would upset the Bears and they looked ready to do it with a 2-1 lead in the series by five-fifths. However, the bears prove that whenever they need to win, they step up their efforts. This is what happened to win 6-4 in Game 4, defeating the Phantom again with a 4-2 victory in Game 5.
The team is heading in the opposite direction, or at least since the start of the offseason. The Bears are a young team that is losing many key players, while the head coach has fueled the Calder Cup title. They hope the king will take over where Todd Nelson left. The Phantoms have prospects, and they hope to eliminate the NHL roster from training camp, but are ready to make an impact on the AHL from day one. Here, Phantoms can pass their competitors and become the new team to beat in the Atlantic Division.
Chasing the past
This works for leaflets (if not more), not against Phantoms. Both teams are chasing the past, and the reality is that they have not been the same since Ed Snider died in 2016. Flyers have made only three playoffs in the playoffs over the past decade, and since he sold the team, Phantoms hasn’t won the Calder Cup (they won the 2005 Philadelphia Phantoms last time).
The organization is looking to return to glorious days. Whether it was the broad street bullies of the 1970s, the 1980s teams appeared in the last three times, even the teams that reached the finals in 2010, had the belief that the only way to succeed was in the past. That’s why flyers are so that people from previous eras can bring people back from previous eras, general manager Daniel Briere and new head coach Rick Tocchet are a great example (Laperriere also joined the team in 2009-10).
This explains Snowden’s employment. He didn’t play for the flyer, but he was an in-house hire. It also speaks to another ghost of the past, Kris Knoblauch, a flyer assistant and a young emerging coach who did not keep it. Knoblauch went on to coach Hartford Wolf Pack, then Edmonton Oilers, who helped them reach the Stanley Cup final over the past two seasons. Snowden doesn’t want the same thing to happen to the flyer.
Why Snowden is different
Snowden is not a typical in-house hire. “I’m a very process-oriented guy,” he noted during the introductory press. He directed all the power game about the details, and with the Phantom, he would direct a team that plays sound and principles hockey. If Phantom doesn’t hire Snowden, another AHL team would be similar to Knoblauch’s situation, then it’s very likely that Snowden would be hired.
He is one of the coaches to watch this season and beyond. Snowden could build something special in Allentown and start doing something bigger. Like many great NHL coaches, Snowden can start in the AHL and become one of the young coaches who can both connect with his players and become innovative coaches.
Will the Phantom catch the bear?
Phantoms narrowed the gap this summer, not the big signing itself, but the team is one year older, and the prospect of moving forward units can take over AHL-level games (assuming they are not in the NHL). Meanwhile, the Bears are the teams to beat, and their moves reflect a team that wins priority. A classic example is the signing of Louie Belpedio, a defensive player who is not part of the future of Phantoms, but the key part of the Bears gift is the closing defender of his championship.
The upcoming season will indicate the Phantom’s position and how it looks when the playoffs roll. “It’s not now, from now on, when we get into the playoffs and it’s hard to play, they’re ready for success.” In a rematch, they’ll be ready and ready to be a tough team, and probably the team beat the AHL. Phantoms are the sleeping giants of the AHL, and with Snowden taking over the bench, they could become the new Swordsman, while also promoting a successful reconstruction of the NHL team.
