CANONSBURG, Pa. — This year’s blue line for the Youngstown Phantoms is going to feature a few familiar faces, some to the fanbase and some to the coach.

In the first trade made after the hiring of coach Ryan Ward, the Phantoms brought in a defender Ward is familiar with in Andrew Strathmann.

“We are ecstatic to add someone of Andrew’s talent and character to our program,” Ward said in the initial press release. “Andrew is a natural leader that has an extremely bright future. He can play in any situation and plays the game exactly how we want it to be played. His competitiveness and IQ are off the charts. He is going to look great in a Phantoms uniform.”

Strathmann, a 5-foot-11 blueliner from the Chicago area, racked up 23 points (5 goals, 18 assists) with the Tri-City Storm last season. He got his first experience with the Phantoms this past week as a part of the team’s main camp.

“It’s going pretty well,” Strathmann said. “It’s fast paced and I’m having fun. It’s good.”

Strathmann was acquired the day camp began in a trade that sent four draft picks to the Storm. While news like that is a bit of a whirlwind, Strathmann has been level-headed about it all.

“It hasn’t been too bad,” Strathmann said. “I know with coach here and the guys have been very welcoming. It’s gone really well so far, so I’m excited.”

Ward coached Strathmann during the 2020-21 season as a part of the Chicago Young Americans 15U team, where the left-shot defender racked up 53 points (21 goals, 32 assists) in 57 games.

“He’s an unbelievable competitor,” Ward said at the team’s main camp. “He’s a puck-moving defenseman that can join the rush and defends really hard.”

When asked about the style of game he plays, “puck-moving” is definitely a good description. Strathmann mentioned multiple versatile defenders at the NHL level who he tries to model his game after.

“I like to watch Shea Theodore (Vegas),” Strathmann said. “Obviously Cale Makar (Colorado), a lot of guys like to watch him. (I like to play as) a fast-paced puck mover who creates a lot (on offense).”

Strathmann is eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft and will be spending the season in Youngstown before going on to college at the University of North Dakota.

The historic program is a great fit, and is close to home. Two things Strathmann considered before making his decision.

“When I went there, it was just mind-blowing. The facilities and campus (were amazing),” he said. “I didn’t want to go to a bigger campus out east. I wanted to stay in the midwest closer to home. It was just the perfect fit for me and the coaches are unbelievable. I went there on a visit and the guys there were welcoming. It just seemed like a good fit for me.”

Fans can get a taste of Strathmann as well as William Whitelaw quickly, as the two are going to represent the United States as a part of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. This is an international tournament set to begin July 31 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

Teams are composed of 18U players, many of whom go on to be drafted. The top selection in this year’s draft, Juraj Slafkovsky (Montreal), represented his home nation of Slovakia in last year’s tournament.

All games can be watched on NHL Network.

The Phantoms season begins in late September, but there will be four preseason games at the Deep Freeze Ice Arena in early September for fans to get an early look at the team’s lineup this season.

byauger@tribtoday.com