Phantoms to play one more year in Glens Falls

By Bob H
Posted on 05/03/2013 at 5:05 pm

According to a letter submitted by Adirondack Phantoms VP Chris Porreca to the Mayor of Glens Falls, New York, the club will remain in place for the 2013-14 season. The Post Star was first with the official word on Friday evening. That means, for a fifth and final campaign, the Flyers will have their American Hockey League affiliate playing in the Glens Falls Civic Center. While putting an end to the speculation about whether or not minor-league hockey will have a home there next season, there is a note of bittersweetness knowing the Phantoms will be departing for the Lehigh …

Glens Falls’ best hope for future is still to support the team it has now

By Tim McManus
Posted on 01/11/2013 at 8:00 am

When the Phantoms announced last week they’d remain in Glens Falls for another season, their release contained a caveat that struck an unusual note to those not attuned to the unique rhythms of the drawn out dance between city and team. Fairly high in the Phantoms’ statement, Glens Falls’ mayor Jack Diamond trumpeted the franchise’s pledge to step aside for parts unknown next season should another franchise pledge to move to Glens Falls. “Why announce that part,” the Flyers own inside reporter Anthony SanFilippo wrote on Twitter. “Doesn’t instill confidence for fans for next season.” That was a pretty typical reaction outside …

Let’s talk about Allentown. Really, it’s OK.

By Tim McManus
Posted on 11/16/2012 at 8:00 am

The Phantoms made a major announcement Wednesday afternoon about the future of their franchise. Once they move to Allentown at the start of the 2014-15 season, they’ll be known as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. There’s a new logo, some tweaked colors, and of course, merchandise for sale. Wait, you missed the big hullabaloo? Me too. As far as I can tell, the news release went out to an Allentown-specific media list that bypassed the usual sources to disseminate information. I find no mention on the team’s official Twitter or Facebook or web pages, and none of the reporters I checked …

Would the Phantoms still work in Philly?

By Bob H
Posted on 10/20/2012 at 2:00 pm

The NHL is on indefinite hiatus. It’s hard to forget that there’s no minor-league team just down the street, and across a parking lot from the big empty building that has a perfect sheet of ice laid down with no skaters to stain it. People want hockey, something to replace the lack of Flyers games, and they want it now. But you have to ask yourselves, just because you need hockey, will it really work in Philadelphia again, with the Spectrum still standing and the Phantoms taking their turn once more? Check out the following bar graph: You’ll notice that …

The ultimate Adirondack Phantoms road trip guide

By Tim McManus
Posted on 10/19/2012 at 8:00 am

They aren’t playing hockey in Philadelphia anytime soon, or so it seems. But it’s business as usual for the Adirondack Phantoms, and the lockout is a perfect excuse to visit beautiful upstate New York, a place I fell in love with during my six years there. If you make the 4 1/2-hour trek north to get your hockey fix this winter, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised. There are no big cities to be found, but there are plenty of gems to discover, if you know where to look. There are two main options to anchor your stay: Glens Falls, where …

Allow me to reintroduce myself

By Tim McManus
Posted on 10/10/2012 at 1:00 pm

Every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in. When I left The Post-Star of Glens Falls in September after nearly six years to return home to Philadelphia, I thought my days of writing about the Phantoms were over. Honestly, I wanted it that way. I’d been covering the Phantoms as a full-time beat for three years, and had been writing about the saga of the AHL’s return to Glens Falls for even longer. The stories seemed to be stuck on repeat: the team was never any good, the city always on the cusp of losing hockey for …