Phantoms Assistant Coaches Return From COVID Protocol

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms got some good news with the return of assistant coach Jason Smith behind the bench Sunday afternoon in the team's 4-3 overtime loss to Toronto.

And according to head coach Ian Laperriere, the four who remain in enhanced protocols - assistant coach Riley Armstrong, goaltender Pat Nagle, defenseman Logan Day and forward Hayden Hodgson - are all trending in the right direction.

Armstrong is expected to be removed from the enhanced protocols Monday, while the three players are expected to be off the COVID list by the time Wednesday's game in Wilkes-Barre arrives - though Laperriere didn't confirm one way or the other whether any would jump right back into game action.

"With the world we live in right now, not only hockey, just the fact that this virus doesn't want to go away," Laperriere said, adding, "We have to go day by day. And that's how my team is going about their business."

The Phantoms (10-12-8) weren't able to practice Wednesday or Thursday leading into this past weekend's 3-in-3, making an already difficult stretch even more physically and mentally tough.

"Criminal. It's criminal what they did to us," a tired and frustrated Wade Allison told Inside AHL Hockey after Sunday's game. "It's messed up. Nothing we can do about it. Just show up, and do your job. That's all you can do."

The Phantoms have a well-earned day off the ice Monday, and are set to resume practice on Tuesday before traveling Wednesday to play the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.