First @MadCapsHockey/@YTownPhantoms Matchup Goes To The Caps

If hitting the post was what counted, the Youngstown Phantoms knocked of the expansion Capitols 2-0 on Friday night at the Covelli Centre.

Unfortunately, for the home team, the sound of iron was as close to a goal as the Eastern Conference's 4th place team would get against Madison's Garrett Metcalf. The 6'3" goaltender would turn away 35 Youngstown shots on goal en route to his first USHL shutout, a 4-0 victory.

Former @YTownPhantoms Jiri Sekac to Participate in NHL All-Star Event

Allan Walsh of OctagonHockey is reporting that former Youngstown Phantom Jiri Sekac will be making an official appearance at the NHL's All Star Weekend in Columbus, OH.

Montreal's Jiri Sekac has been selected as 1 of 6 rookies to participate in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition in Columbus. #OctagonHockey
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) January 13, 2015

Sekac, a member of the Montreal Canadiens, was chosen to replace Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Pearson in the League's annual showcase of it's brightest stars. Pearson underwent surgery on his broken left fibula Wednesday morning and will miss several months of hockey as a result, freeing up the spot for Sekac.

Sekac spent time with the Youngstown Phantoms in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, amassing 20 goals and 36 assists in his 96 games donning the purple and orange.

This is his rookie season with the Canadiens and has been recognized league-wide for his play even before the announced All-Star Skills selection. With the Habs, Sekac has 7 goals and 8 assists in 38 games.

Two More @YTownPhantoms Affiliate List Players Commit

Per the Youngstown Phantoms, two more of the team's Affiliate List players have committed to Division I schools.

Rumored ECHL/CHL Merger Talks Too Late For Youngstown

Apparently, the East Coast Hockey League and the 7-member Central Hockey League were in talks to merge the latter into the former's ranks. According to ProHockeyTalk, NBCSports.com's hockey news commentary section, the two organizations have been in discussions that would end up increasing the ECHL's membership to 29 teams, one less than the American Hockey League.

Watch Colin DeAugustine Do What He Does

If you were at The Covelli Centre on Saturday afternoon, as I was, you would have witnessed a seven-round shootout, which included this 3rd round stop by Phantoms goaltender Colin DeAugustine.

If you weren't one of the fans in attendance, your next opportunity to witness Phantoms Hockey at Covelli will be Friday, Oct 24th at 7:00 PM. The good guys take on Bloomington once again that night and the next afternoon - a 3:05 PM start for the Star Wars/Halloween Night/Phantom Phest - as the Thunder try to exact revenge for the 3-2 shootout loss.

Tickets are available at YoungstownPhantoms.com and by calling 330-747-PUCK

Sekac Leads @YTownPhantoms Alums PLUS Walker's Big Impact

Sekac: Opening Day Canadien

In case you were wondering where some of the alumni of the Youngstown Phantoms were ending up, here is what we've learned from the Phantoms:

After Successful Weekend, @YTownPhantoms Bring Hockey Home

Last weekend, the Youngstown Phantoms did exactly as they expected themselves to do. After traveling to Ann Arbor and defeating Team USA U-17 by a score of 5-2, the team made the trip to Bloomington, Illinois to knock of the Thunder 3-1.