Staff file photo / Brian Yauger Phantoms forward Michael Munroe jostles with Team USA forward Will Horcoff during a faceoff last season.

Year three in the Ryan Ward era has the potential of being one to remember for the Youngstown Phantoms.

With solid depth and high-end talent at each position, excitement is high as the season fast approaches.

“During the preseason, we learned a lot about our team,” Ward said. “Obviously, we’re super excited we’re going (into the year). I think, you know, the depth that we have this year and the quality of players, I think it’s awesome. We’re excited. We’re ready to go. We covered a ton and our guys handled it well. I saw the five exhibition games that we played were against real good competition. I think it’ll get us ready for the Fall Classic. This is probably the most prepared I think I’ve felt in (my) three years (here) going into Pittsburgh, and hopefully we’ll have some success.”

Back during the team’s main camp in July, Ward mentioned that they had two teams worth of talent in attendance. While a great problem to have, the Phantoms still had to take that long list of talent and whittle it down to the group they have now.

“Honestly, every kid that we had in camp, with the exception of maybe one or two who just weren’t ready yet, every kid we had in camp, were USHL players, and for us, it came down to the smallest details of things. It’s a good problem to have, it’s a tough problem to have. But for us, the guys who ended up being here and making our team, are guys that maybe were a little bit more detailed, or had an ability that just separated them a little bit. I think it was a very, very difficult preseason as far as making decisions, but we feel really comfortable with the group.”

‘C’ IS FOR COLESON

From the moment he arrived in Youngstown, Coleson Hanrahan showed the makings of a captain.

It’s been a whirlwind 2024 for Hanrahan.

The blueliner was called up to the USHL back in February and has cemented himself as a fixture in the Phantoms’ lineup and leadership core.

On Monday, it was announced that he’d be wearing the ‘C’ on his jersey this year.

“The way he treats people, the way he treats our staff, the way he leads the players, seeing the work that he’s put in, how much he’s grown and the fact that he puts the team first every single night, is something that some guys have very naturally, and Coleson has that,” Ward said. “I texted him last week, when we put the ‘C’ on his jersey in Green Bay, I told him, and I’m really sincere, I’m not sure I’ve been this excited to work with a captain in my career. Just everything he embodies is exactly what we want to be about.”

Hanrahan had his captain’s patch on during the team’s preseason games against Green Bay. Seeing the letter on his jersey for the first time was a surreal feeling.

“This whole thing’s real, and you can’t really take anything for granted. Just gotta enjoy every moment with it,” he said.

While there’s added pressure wearing that letter, especially following in the footsteps of the team’s prior leadership groups, this isn’t something a kid known as “Hammerhands” is going to shy away from.

“That’s definitely, the biggest pressure is having those guys (who led) before me,” Hanrahan said. “But (Ward) has reassured me plenty of times that as long as I’m myself, that everything will go as planned.”

FORWARDS

While the Phantoms’ first line of Adam Benák, Jack Hextall and Michael Mesic is a force to be reckoned with in itself, the Phantoms don’t view themselves as a one-line team.

“This year, we really don’t have (our lines structured as one-through-four). I think we have a clear cut top line in Benák, Hextall and Mesic, they had a wonderful preseason. I think they complement each other very well,” Ward said.

“Throughout the rest of the lineup, we have guys that are capable of playing many different roles, and quite honestly, I really don’t look down our lineup and say, okay, (lines) one through four. It’s a situation where we can match anyone against anyone in the league and feel confident with it. I think we have a group that will do it by committee and I’m excited about that, because even when you put up the lines or write your game card, I feel comfortable with having any group of our forwards play against anyone in the league.”

Part of that comes from all the returning talent from last year.

Mikey Burchill, Zach Morin, Sam Ranallo, Ryan Rucinski, Brecken Smith, Kuzma Voronin and Grant Young all played significant time with the Phantoms last season. Evan Jardine and Michael Munroe also played last season in spurts.

Other players new to the team this year are Jakub Hes, Rian Chudzinski, Michael Coleman, Justin Kerr, Kade Stengrim and Louie Wehmann.

Mesic has a loose connection to Youngstown, as his brother Jack played in seven games with the Phantoms during the 2020-21 season.

DEFENSEMEN

If there’s one word to describe the Phantoms’ defensive core this season, it’s “depth.” It’s becoming a trend for the Phantoms to have a large stable of names on the back end, and this year is no different.

Like the forward core, the Phantoms have a healthy blend of youth and experience.

Hanrahan leads the group on the back end alongside Buffalo Sabres draft selection Luke Osburn and Conner de Haro as returners to the program.

Hanrahan has taken a step forward offensively this offseason

“I think (Hanrahan), from an offensive standpoint, when you think of Hannah, you think of the gritty Coleson Hanrahan, but he’s been outstanding offensively too,” Ward said. “I’m excited about those guys. The steps that they’re going to take this year, we’re really excited about.”

New faces to watch for this season are William Fleet, Eric Frossard, Victor Mannebratt and Luke Santilli, who are all going to make their debuts this season. Carter Murphy also will be on the roster, who played in a handful of games last season.

One defender to keep an eye on is Huston. Huston, a Youngstown native and the first local player to suit up as a Phantom, played in one game last season, but is expected to be a major contributor this season.

“Huston has been one of the biggest surprises on the back end,” Ward said. “Obviously, great to see local kids come in. And honestly, he’s been one of our best D for the preseason. He worked his butt off this summer, you know, here with Tommy Malloy and just working out here in Youngstown.”

GOALIES

Entering last season, the netminder position was a pretty sizable question mark for the Phantoms.

This year, not so much.

Melvin Strahl, a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, and Owen Lepak will share duties in net this season, both of whom the team would be comfortable handing the reins to as a starter. But why have one starting-caliber goaltender, when you could have two?

“This is as much goaltending depth as we’ve had since I’ve been here. Melvin Strahl is outstanding in his game. Owen Lepak has played three very good games for us during the preseason. He’s held his ground, and done a really good job. Melvin and Owen are conformable goalies back there. Anthony Sciere has done a good job in camp. Melvin’s a stud, Owen is an unbelievable young goaltender that has really kind of exceeded my expectations, so I’m really excited about the guys in the cage. I think that they’ll be the backbone of the team, as far as keeping us in and every night.

Sciere could potentially see some games in net as well.

THE CLIMB BEGINS ANEW

The Phantoms haven’t exactly been shy about having lofty goals this season.

They’re going hard after the Clark Cup. The Phantoms are confident in the pieces they’ve got, but they’ve got a tall mountain to climb.

“We probably had a couple holes here and there that we were looking to fill, and I think this year we feel pretty confident about the group we have in Youngstown right now as a group that has been assembled. We love our team. We love our depth. We love the mix of skill and grit, toughness and speed. We like the mix that we have, and we like the leadership, we like the group and we are excited to start playing here.”

The start of the climb is tonight as the Phantoms take on Tri-City in the first game of the USHL Fall Classic. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. in Cranberry, Pa. The game can also be streamed for free on FloHockey.tv.

The Phantoms don’t play in Youngstown until Oct. 18 when they host the Lincoln Stars.

Start time is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Covelli Centre.