Scott Gordon, the head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, has enjoyed a lot of success with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms over the last three season. He’s been rewarded with a contract extension, the Phantoms announced earlier today.
Hired by the Phantoms in the 2015-16 season, he has been vital in the growth of the Philadelphia Flyers’ young prospects, leading the Phantoms to 34 and 48 wins in 2015-16 and 2016-17, respectively. In 2016-17, the Phantoms reached the playoffs for the first time since 2009, when they were in Philadelphia.
This season, the Phantoms lead the Atlantic Division with 87 points and a .690 point percentage. At 40-16-7 with 13 games remaining, the team has a chance to better their record from last season (48-23-5). They can clinch a spot in the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs by Sunday if all things go right for the team.
The Phantoms hold a record of 122-74-19 in Gordon’s three seasons in Lehigh Valley. Before he coached the Phantoms, he was the head coach of the Providence Bruins for parts of seven seasons in the early 2000s before moving to the NHL as the New York Islanders’ head coach and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ assistant coach. He has international experience, too, as he coached Team USA in multiple World Championships and the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
A very underrated part of a young player’s development lies in their minor league coach. Scott Gordon has proven to have a good reputation with his players and is a good evaluator of talent. He has coached Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim, Jordan Weal, Scott Laughton, and more players who are currently in the NHL with the Flyers.
The Phantoms’ next game is on Friday away against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
(Photo via Lehigh Valley Phantoms)
Originally published on SonsOfPenn.com