The Philadelphia Flyers will host the New Jersey Devils in a preseason game at the PPL Center in Allentown, Penn., the team announced Monday. The contest is set for Sept. 28 at 7:05pm.
The arena is the home ice of their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It’s the second consecutive year that the Flyers will host a preseason match at the home of their AHL affiliate. Last year they hosted the New York Islanders in a game dubbed “Flyers in the Valley.” It was the first-ever NHL game player in Allentown.
“We are very excited to have the Flyers playing again in Allentown,” said flyers president Paul Holmgren. “We are absolutely thrilled with our affiliation and look forward to bigger and better things in the future. Our fans in The Lehigh Valley are great and this game will give them the opportunity to see not only current Flyers but future Flyers as well.”
The game is an effort to continue to grow the home audience for the Phantoms. The team relocated from Glen Falls, NY prior to the 2014-15 season, where they played as the Adirondack Phantoms.
“This game is a true celebration of the Flyers/Phantoms affiliation and the organization’s collective commitment to growing the sport of hockey in the Lehigh Valley,” said Phantoms co-owner and governor Rob Brooks in a statement.
This is one of the first looks at what the 2016 preseason will look like in the NHL in a year when camp will be crushed a bit due to the World Cup of Hockey.
