Phantoms Enthusiastic after NAHL Draft FRISCO, Texas (Wednesday May 21, 2008) - The Mahoning Valley Phantoms stayed busy this weekend, making trades to sign key tenders as they try to replace the five veteran defensemen that have moved on following last season.

The Phantoms traded the rights to veteran Kyle Bailey to the Alaska Avalanche for their first two picks of the draft and a tender. With the tender, they signed defenseman Tyler Bowman, formerly of the Texas Tornadoes. Assistant Coach and Director of Player Personnel Curtis Carr has high hopes for Tyler. "We lost five veteran defensemen from last year. Tyler has played in the league before and has been a top defender on his teams and in the league, so we're looking for him to be a top defender for us."

The Phantoms then traded the pick acquired from Alaska and two more picks to Owatonna for two more tenders. They used these to sign forwards, and brother, Brandon and George Saad, formerly of the Midget Major Pittsburgh Hornets. "We're looking for the Saads to help replace our offensive losses. Brandon has lots of potential and a knack for scoring goals. George is a late bloomer that is very strong. We'll look to develop him into a power forward type player."

All tenders for the league had to be signed by midnight, May 19th.

The 2008 NAHL Robertson Cup Runners-Up made selections with their remaining seven picks in the draft. Assistant Coach Carr had plenty of positives to focus on for his incoming draftees. Due to league policy, the draft order of the players cannot be given.

The Phantoms selected:

Nate Brown, Defenseman, Team NXI Midget Major - "Nate is a very skilled defender who plays bigger than he is. He's extremely solid."

David Chaney, Defenseman, Bell Tire Midget Major- "David is a solid defender who makes big plays from the defensive zone. We expect him to be a playmaker and make simple plays."

Grant Gettinger, Defenseman, Cleveland Barons Midget Major - "Grant is a talented young defender with lots of potential. He can add a lot of offense from the defensive side."

Cody Ganchar, Forward, Mahoning Valley Phantoms Midget Major - "Cody is a solid player that does all the little things. He'll come back to black shots on the defensive end and is great on the penalty kill. He has a knack for scoring goals and will be solid on our front line."

Michael Gunn, Defenseman, Compuware Midget Minor - "Michael is a young, skilled defenseman with a ton of potential. We'll look for him to step in and be an offensive minded player and score points from the defensive side." Michael Pateras, Forward, Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major - "Mike is a young forward that is strong and aggressive. He has a good shot and will be a solid forward."

Trevor Schively, Defenseman, Mahoning Valley Phantoms Midget Major - "Trevor is defensive defenseman who likes to block shots and play very physically. He does everything you ask of him and has proven to be a great leader for his teams in the past. We look for him to provide leadership for us."

The Phantoms will have an open tryout camp to fill remaining roster spots on May 29-31 at the Ice Zone. For more information or to sign up, contact Curtis Carr by phone at (330) 965-7500, or email to ccarr@fireworks.com.

The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are owned by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks, located in Youngstown, Ohio.

FRISCO, Texas (Monday, May 12, 2008) - The North American Hockey League announced this week that the 2008 NAHL Entry Draft will take place on Wednesday, May 21, at 2 p.m. EDT.

Amateur players less than 21 years of age on or before Dec. 31, 2008 who are not listed on an NAHL team roster, or are listed on an NAHL team roster, but played less than 10 NAHL regular season and playoff games combined last season, and did not accept a tender from an NAHL team prior to the 2008 NAHL Entry Draft, are eligible for selection in the draft. No, there is no registration process to be eligible.

The number of players each team is able to draft is dependant on that team's current roster, minus the number 30, as of midnight of May 19. Leading up to that time, each team's roster is comprised of veteran players and signed tenders only. With the Phantoms having 13 returning veterans and eight signed tenders, they will have nine draft picks this year.

"We are looking to take the best players out there to help re-build the team and get back up to where we've been the past two seasons," said Phantoms assistant coach and director of player personnel Curtis Carr. "We are losing a lot of firepower up front, so we are looking for some guys that can step in and contribute right away."

Eligible teams will make their selections in each round in reverse order of their finish in the 2007-2008 NAHL regular-season standings. New member clubs will have their order of selection determined by a lottery.

Players not drafted, but who still want to play in the NAHL, are encouraged to attend individual team's open tryout camps. The Phantoms will be holding two such tryout camps this year. The first one begins Thursday and lasts until Sunday in Plymouth, Mich. The second camp - in Boardman - is from May 29 - June 1.

The results of the NAHL Entry Draft will be posted on NAHL.com and www.mvpphantoms.com upon completion. All NAHL rosters must be reduced to 25 players by August 1.

The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are owned by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks, located in Youngstown, Ohio.

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (Sunday, May 4, 2008) - Despite 41 saves from goaltender Garrett Bartus, the Mahoning Valley Phantoms fell 5-2 to the St. Louis Bandits in the Robertson Cup Championship game on Sunday afternoon at the Hardees' IcePlex.

Kyle O'Kane led the way for St. Louis, scoring a pair of goals, while goaltender Cal Heeter turned aside 27 shots en route to the Bandits' second consecutive Junior A National Championship.

"These guys gave everything they had, but just ran a bit out of gas," said Phantoms head coach Bob Mainhardt after the tough loss. "We've been beating the odds here all week, playing shorthanded - we've had our share of injuries and hard luck - but to be able to come out and battle the way we did for 60 minutes - I couldn't be prouder of this group of young men.

"In my eyes, they are champions because they proved to everybody how much heart they have. I am very proud of them."

Despite being outshot 14-5 in the opening frame, the Phantoms showed that heart and grinded their way to a 2-2 tie heading into the first intermission.

With 8:01 off the clock, the Bandits drew first blood, however. David Makowski skated the puck in behind the Phantoms' net and dropped a pass back to the edge of the crease to O'Kane who one-timed it home, catapulting St. Louis out to the 1-0 advantage.

The Phantoms had an immediate answer. Just 10 seconds later, Alden Hirschfeld took the puck from center ice, drove wide into the zone, and stuffed a wrap-around in between Heeter's legs. Derek Graham assisted on Hirschfeld's seventh goal of the post-season to even things back up.

The first period scoring frenzy continued only two minutes later when Bandits' captain Mike Murray found a wide open Tom Brooks on the back door. Brooks hammered a shot over Bartus' glove to put St. Louis back on top.

With just 2:08 left in the stanza, Phantoms captain Trent Bonnett threw a shot in from the left point that was redirected over Heeter's glove by veteran forward Miles Winter to even things back up at two-all right before the break. Chad Boeckman also picked up a helper on Winter's fourth marker of the playoffs.

St. Louis jumped back on top just 44 seconds into the middle period. Warda's drop pass found a wide open Mike Merrifield in the slot, who wristed home his eighth of the post-season to give the Bandits the lead for good.

Solid goaltending at both ends held the score at 3-2 for the next 30-plus minutes before O'Kane chimed in with his second of the night at 13:34 of the final frame. After a turnover in neutral ice, O'Kane tallied his sixth goal of the post-season, getting a partial breakaway, and chipping a shot over Bartus' blocker - extending the St. Louis lead to two.

Josh Rabbani's empty-netter with just 34 seconds to go put the icing on the cake, and solidified the Bandits' second straight Robertson Cup Championship Game win over Mahoning Valley.

Miles Winter and defenseman Robert Harrison from the Phantoms were named to the Robertson Cup All-Star team following the game. The Phantoms finished the tournament with a 2-2-1 record, playing five games in five days. Overall, Mahoning Valley went 36-18-4 in the regular season, 6-5-1 in the playoffs, and has moved at least eight more kids on to the Division I NCAA hockey ranks.

"The big thing is that we've prepared a lot of guys for the next step in their life - everyone has become a better hockey player and a better person and we are very proud of that," said Mainhardt. "We are going to start working tomorrow towards next season, and doing everything we can to get back here and win it next time."

The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are owned by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks, located in Youngstown, Ohio.

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (Saturday, May 3, 2008) - Derek Graham and Kurt Washnock had two goals apiece, while Alden Hirschfeld tallied a pair of helpers to lead the Mahoning Valley Phantoms to a 5-2 win over the Topeka Roadrunners in their National Semifinal game on Saturday afternoon at the Hardees IcePlex. The Phantoms will now face the St. Louis Bandits in the National Championship game.

"This is the type of effort we expected," said Phantoms head coach Bob Mainhardt after the win. "We believed in this team all year. When we put it on the line like we did this weekend, good things happen, and I couldn't be more proud of this group right now."

After killing off an early Phantoms power play, it was the Roadrunners who struck first with their own man-advantage. Josh Kamrass found Matt Hartmann streaking in towards the back door. Hartmann one-timed home his second of the playoffs, over the glove of Phantoms goaltender Garrett Bartus, giving Topeka the 1-0 lead just 6:34 into the contest.

Quality goaltending at both ends held the game scoreless for the next 25 minutes of action before the Phantoms finally started hitting on all cylinders.

Hirschfeld led a rush down the right wing before feeding Graham alone at the bottom of the right circle. Graham then slid his fifth goal of the playoffs between the legs of Topeka goalie Bryce Merriam to tie things up at 1-1 midway through the middle frame.

Minutes later, Hirschfeld and Graham struck again - this time to put the Phantoms on top for good. After penetrating the zone, Hirschfeld found Graham in the left circle, who beat two Roadrunners and flipped a shot top-shelf over Merriam's right shoulder for his second netter of the day. Graham's team-leading 14th point of the post-season gave Mahoning Valley a 2-1 lead heading into the second intermission.

Midway through the third period, Derek Carr won a battle behind the net, and found Washnock in front to fire home his first career playoff goal and push the Phantoms lead to 3-1. Washnock's goal would eventually be the game-winner.

"Kurt is a kid that we have tremendous expectations for," Mainhardt said. "He had a rough go of it early in the year with a couple of injuries. He has worked hard on the Midget (AAA) team, earned his way back into the lineup, and has had a couple of outstanding games - he came up huge for us today."

Minutes after Washnock's goal, Miles Winter notched his third of the playoffs, finishing off a 2-on-1 with linemate Chad Boeckman and extending the Mahoning Valley lead to three.

The Roadrunners looked to mount a comeback with just over three minutes remaining in regulation. With the goalie pulled and while on the power play, Josh Kamrass fired a laser from the slot off the left post behind Bartus, cutting the Topeka deficit to two.

Washnock added his second of the night - an empty netter from 180 feet away with just 45 seconds remaining - to stymie the comeback and seal the deal.

Bartus tuned aside 27 of the 29 Topeka shots he faced to earn his sixth win of the playoffs and backstop the Phantoms to their second consecutive championship game.

The Phantoms will now face-off against North Division rival St. Louis in the Robertson Cup Championship game on Sunday. The teams are 1-1-1 against each other in their last three games head-to-head. Last season, the Bandits beat the Phantoms 8-4 for the championship.

"We know we have some unfinished business with St. Louis," said Mainhardt in anticipation of Sunday's rematch. "We've been counting the days since last year, and both teams held up their end of the bargain, so it's going to be a heck of a final."

Game time on Sunday for the Robertson Cup Championship is 6 p.m. EDT at the Hardees' IcePlex. You can catch all the action live on the web at www.mvpphantoms.com.

The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are owned by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks, located in Youngstown, Ohio.

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (Friday, May 2, 2008) - Displaying their offensive prowess in a must-win game on Friday afternoon, the Mahoning Valley Phantoms scored five unanswered goals, including four in the final frame, en route to a 6-1 win over the Alexandria Blizzard on Day 3 of the Robertson Cup Championships at the Hardees' IcePlex.

Miles Winter tallied three points and Alden Hirschfeld scored a pair of goals, while Derek Graham and Chad Boeckman collected two points apiece to lead the Phantoms to the National semifinal game on Saturday afternoon.

Phantoms goaltender Garrett Bartus turned aside all but one of the Blizzard's 25 shots for his fifth win of the playoffs.

"We stuck to the game plan for all 60 minutes," said Phantoms head coach Bob Mainhardt after the win. "When we don't let things that we have no control over get into our heads, and get us off our game plan, we know we are a tough team to beat."

It took nearly eight minutes for the Phantoms to get their first shot on goal, but they made it count. Defenseman Jon Madden jumped on a Blizzard turnover in neutral ice to lead a 3-on-2 rush. Madden dropped a pass for Nick Kenney, who fed it to a wide open Kyle Bailey in the slot. Bailey one-timed home his fifth of the playoffs and put Mahoning Valley on top 1-0.

Skating 4-on-4 less than four minutes later, Brandon Bahnemann won a battle along the boards behind the Phantoms net, and stuffed the rebound of his own wrap-around behind Bartus to knot the score at one-all heading into the first recess.

Despite a number of power plays for each team, only the Phantoms converted in the middle frame. With the man-advantage, and just 19 seconds into the period, Hirschfeld polished off a one-time feed from Graham, sniping the upper corner over the glove of Blizzard goalie Ryan Leets, and giving the Phantoms a 2-1 lead.

Late second period penalty trouble for the Blizzard set the Phantoms up early in the third. Working a 5-on-3 to perfection, Winter curled around Graham in the left circle and fired a laser over Leets' glove just 1:19 in. Graham and Brent Dexter picked up the helpers on Winter's second tally of the post-season.

Winter picked up an assist 10 minutes later, when he spearheaded a rush towards Leets. Winter's shot created a rebound for Boeckman in the slot. Boeckman buried it for his first goal of the playoffs.

Hirschfeld and Meo added some icing on the cake with goals just 81 seconds apart late in regulation to secure the triumph.

The Phantoms will now move on to play in the National Semifinal game on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. EDT for the right to play in the Robertson Cup Championship game on Sunday. Mahoning Valley will face off against the loser of the Topeka Roadrunners versus St. Louis Bandits game tonight at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

Catch all the action live on the web at www.mvpphantoms.com. The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are owned by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks, located in Youngstown, Ohio.