PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Philadelphia Phantoms are not only counting down the games left in the regular season, they are also counting down the days left in their short, but historic history. Philadelphia Flyers management announced some time ago that the Wachovia Spectrum was going to be closed and ultimately, demolished. That left fans wondering where would the Phantoms play? Could they end up across the street at the Wachovia Center, or in Trenton, Allentown? All of those destinations seem like reasonable ideas. The one idea that no one wanted to acknowledge was the sale of the Phantoms. That is exactly what would occur. The Philadelphia Phantoms will cease to exist at the conclusion of the 2009 season. With it will be a team that has turned out two NHL coaches, countless NHL stars, some larger than life folk heroes, and two Calder Cups. We decided it was time to look at some of our personal choices for the best Phantoms team ever. So, without further ado, let’s start with the goaltenders. 1) Brian Boucher. Boosh was in the nests for the first Calder Cup. Boucher has gone on to have a record setting NHL career. Boucher holds the NHL record for longest continuos shutout minutes that occurred over the course of five straight games. Boucher was also in the net for the historic five overtime game that the Philadelphia Flyers eventually defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1999-00 playoffs. (2) Antero Niitymaki – Niitty was the goaltender for the Phantoms second Calder Cup winning team. Niitymaki has graduated to the NHL and has been playing at a high standard with the Flyers ever since he was drafted in the sixth round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. (3) Neil Little – This one is an emotional pick. Despite only seeing action in one NHL game, Neil Little, more than any other player, signified Philadelphia. He was gritty and not afraid to drop his gloves. Ask any Phantoms fan to pick their all-time favorite Phantom, and the answer will almost always be, “Neil Little” On to the blue line (1) John Stevens – Stevens, a long time AHL player, was recruited as the franchises first ever Captain. Stevens, a quiet type, was a catalyst for the team. He was not the biggest hitter, and did not have the best shot, but Stevens had the intangibles that the young team needed at it’s inception. (2) John Slaney – A veteran who was far and away the leader of the team. After Stevens suffered the career ending injury, a void was left for a veteran defenseman, and more importantly, a leader. Slaney filled the bill perfectly. (3) Jamie Heward – The ultimate package for an AHL defenseman: He was smart, had good wheels, and had one of the hardest shot in the league. Despite all the ability, Heward had a marginal NHL career. Forwards – This category is hard to put players in any particular order. Each player was different kin many ways but here are our picks. 1) Bruce Coles – Coles was a flashy skater with great hands and a fan favorite. Coles never quite made it to the NHL, but he thrilled Philadelphia crowds while he was there. 2) Jim Montgomery – A true “character”. Montgomery was another one of those small, chippy, in your face guys that just found a way to make positive things happen on the ice. Montgomery was a true locker room leader as well. 3) Peter White – A prototypical AHL centerman, White was a prolific AHL scorer who later would become the captain of the Phantoms. 4) Vinny Prospal – Vinny took the league by storm, and impressed Flyers management so much that he was quickly brought up to the Flyers and never returned to the AHL. 5) Mike Maneluk – Very few players had the kind of season and playoff run that Maneluk had. Maneluk again, had it all in terms of speed and skill. Size was his only major obstacle. Of course, no team can be a success without those fourth line muckers or enforcers. The Phantoms had their fair share of them. Here are our picks. (1) How can anyone put together an All Phantoms team and not include the man known as “The Animal.” Frank Bialowas terrorized AHL rinks and was accepted as the toughest man in the AHL for a few seasons. Bialowas had some legendary battles and seemed to have fought every member of the Hershey Bears. (2) Garrett Burnett – He was only in Philadelphia for a short time, but “Burnie” was one of the fans favorites and remains so to this day. Burnett, always had balance problems and actually lost more fights than he won, but that never stopped him. Always the last player off the ice at practice and always the last player to leave autograph sessions, Burneet had the boyish charm and movie idol good looks that fans loved. Burnett, eventually made it to the NHL. Tragically, Burnett was savagely attacked and beaten in Vancouver. Burnett died twice and had to be revived. He is now slowly recovering fro his injuries. (3) Riley Cote – Cote was never afraid to drop the gloves with anyone. Cote graduated to the NHL and is currently with the Flyers, so he must be doing something right. OK, someone has to coach these guys, right? Who better than Bill Barber? Barber was a fiery, emotional coach who would have come off the bench to get in a scuffle if he felt it was justified. The Phantoms were clearly Barber’s team. So there you have it. Those are our picks, and of course, are open for debate. Contact the author at Kevin.Neibauer@prohockeynews.com
