Mahoning Valley Phantoms
Encyclopedia
The Youngstown Phantoms are a Tier I Junior A ice hockey
team that plays in the East Division of the United States Hockey League
. The team plays home games at the 5,200-seat Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio
. The team is owned by Bruce J. Zoldan, founder and CEO of leading fireworks brand Phantom Fireworks, hence the team's name.
North Division, with home games at the 1,000-seat Boardman Ice Zone
in the suburb of Boardman, Ohio
. From 2005 until 2009, the team was known as the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, because the Central Hockey League
's Youngstown SteelHounds
moved into the county. However, soon after the SteelHounds shut down, the Phantoms started playing most of their games in the city of Youngstown, and with the move to the USHL, re-adopted the old Youngstown Phantoms name.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team that plays in the East Division of the United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
. The team plays home games at the 5,200-seat Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. The team is owned by Bruce J. Zoldan, founder and CEO of leading fireworks brand Phantom Fireworks, hence the team's name.
History
From their inaugural season until 2009, the Phantoms played in the North American Hockey League'sNorth American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...
North Division, with home games at the 1,000-seat Boardman Ice Zone
Boardman Ice Zone
The Boardman Ice Zone is a 1,000-seat ice-arena located in Boardman, Ohio, a suburb of Youngstown, Ohio. The Ice Zone has two ice rinks an NHL regulation-sized ice sheets and one Olympic-sized ice sheet...
in the suburb of Boardman, Ohio
Boardman, Ohio
Boardman is a census-designated place in Boardman Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, just south of Youngstown. Boardman is considered to be a moderately affluent community and is one of two major retail hubs in the greater Youngstown area...
. From 2005 until 2009, the team was known as the Mahoning Valley Phantoms, because the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
's Youngstown SteelHounds
Youngstown Steelhounds
The Youngstown SteelHounds were a professional ice hockey team that participated in the CHL from the 2005-2006 season through the 2007-2008 season. The team was affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL and the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The team played its home games at the Covelli...
moved into the county. However, soon after the SteelHounds shut down, the Phantoms started playing most of their games in the city of Youngstown, and with the move to the USHL, re-adopted the old Youngstown Phantoms name.
Regular season records
| Season | League | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA | PIM | Finish |
| 2003-04 | NAHL | 56 | 28 | 21 | 7 | 63 | 168 | 169 | 1347 | 5th, North |
| 2004-05 | NAHL | 56 | 27 | 25 | 4 | 58 | 201 | 181 | 1365 | 4th, North |
| 2005-06 | NAHL | 58 | 34 | 20 | 4 | 72 | 214 | 181 | 1288 | 3rd, North |
| 2006-07 | NAHL | 62 | 47 | 14 | 1 | 95 | 283 | 168 | 1198 | 1st, North |
| 2007-08 | NAHL | 58 | 36 | 18 | 4 | 76 | 227 | 173 | 1272 | 2nd, North |
| 2008-09 | NAHL | 58 | 36 | 17 | 5 | 77 | 224 | 173 | 1092 | 2nd, North |
| 2009-10 | USHL | 60 | 20 | 36 | 4 | 44 | 170 | 247 | 1607 | 7th, Eastern |
| 2010-11 | USHL | 60 | 23 | 30 | 7 | 53 | 167 | 205 | 1145 | 7th, Eastern |
| 2011-12 | USHL | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 38 | 31 | 223 | In Progress |
Playoff Records
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | PIM | Finish |
| 2004-05 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Did Not Qualify |
| 2005-06 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 33 | 166 | Lost in Quarter-Finals |
| 2006-07 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 24 | 152 | Lost in Championship Game |
| 2007-08 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 39 | 34 | 222 | Lost in Round 2 |
| 2008-09 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 42 | 37 | 159 | Lost in Semi-Finals |
| 2009-10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Did Not Qualify |
| 2010-11 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Did Not Qualify |
Roster
(as of 10/28/11)| # | Pos. | Name | Height | Weight | Previous Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | Matthew O'Connor | 6'5" | 193 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 30 | G | Sean Romeo | 6'0" | 155 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 2 | D | Eric Sweetman | 6'0" | 165 | DC Capitals (AAA) |
| 3 | D | Chris Bradley | 6'4" | 190 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 4 | D | Mike Gunn | 6'2" | 195 | Chicago Steel (USHL) |
| 5 | D | Jordan Young | 5'10" | 175 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 6 | D | Kevin Liss | 6'0" | 200 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 11 | D | Daniel Renouf | 6'1" | 190 | Hill Academy (Prep) |
| 13 | D | Ryan Lowney | 5'8" | 165 | Compuware (AAA) |
| 7 | F | Sam Anas | 5'7" | 155 | DC Capitals (AAA) |
| 9 | F | Austin Cangelosi | 5'8" | 165 | Northfield Mount Hermon (Prep) |
| 14 | F | Mike Ambrosia | 5'10" | 170 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 10 | F | Stephen Collins | 5'11" | 185 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 16 | F | Ryan Belonger | 5'10" | 180 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 17 | F | JT Stenglein | 6'0" | 200 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 18 | F | Nolan Culver | 5'9" | 155 | Sylvania Northview (HS) |
| 19 | F | Dylan Margonari | 6'0" | 190 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 23 | F | Todd Koritzinsky | 5'8" | 165 | Middleton (HS) |
| 26 | F | Alex Gacek | 5'9" | 175 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| 28 | F | Alexander Dahl | 6'0" | 170 | Eau Claire Memorial (HS) |
| 41 | F | Richard Zehnal | 6'2" | 210 | Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) |
| 71 | F | Pat Conte | 5'11" | 190 | Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL) |
| 88 | F | Brent Norris | 5'9" | 185 | Nepean Raiders (CCHL) |
| 91 | F | Zach Tatrn | 6'3" | 215 | U/A |