Phantoms Coach has led the team to the Calder Cup Playoffs the last two seasons
Phantoms Coach has led the team to the Calder Cup Playoffs the last two seasons
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Philadelphia Flyers organization have announced that Phantoms Head Coach Ian Laperrière has signed a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2025-26 season.
Laperrière has been the head coach of Lehigh Valley for the previous three seasons, he has a record of 98-92-30 in 220 games coached.
The Phantoms made the playoffs this season for the second consecutive year, ultimately losing to the Hershey Bears in the second round.
The Phantoms have graduated numerous young players to the Flyers in previous seasons and they seem poised to continue their success with a strong prospect pipeline.
The 50-year-old joined the Philadelphia Flyers as Director of Player Development in 2012-13 before going behind the bench as an assistant coach for the 2013-14 season, he remained in that role until 2021-22 when he took over as Phantoms Head Coach.
Laperrière had an extensive NHL playing career, amassing 336 points and 1949 penalty minutes in 1083 career games with the St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Philadelphia Flyers.
Widely considered one of the toughest players in the game, while with the Flyers Laperrière suffered a significant injury after blocking a shot to his face that ultimately resulted in him not playing another game in his career.
He won the Bill Masterton Trophy for the 2010-11 season for perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey despite not appearing in a game.
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