BRETT HEXTALL SIGNS WITH PHANTOMS

 

August 24, 2014


 

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms, proud AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, have signed RW Brett Hextall to an AHL contract for the 2014-15 season. Hextall is the son of Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Famer and current general manager Ron Hextall. Brett Hextall represents the fourth generation of professional hockey players in his family going all the way back to the very first season of the American Hockey League when his great grandfather, Bryan Hextall, Sr. played for the Philadelphia Ramblers in 1936-37.
Brett Hextall

Brett Hextall, 26 (4/2/1988), is a 5'10", 190 lb. skater with a right-handed shot. He was born in Philadelphia while his father was in his second-to-last season as goaltender for the Flyers.

Hextall has played the past three seasons for the Portland (Maine) Pirates, the AHL affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes. He was a sixth-round selection of the Coyotes in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. 

He set personal bests last season with 11 goals, 12 assists and 23 points while accumulating 83 penalty minutes in 59 games played. On his AHL career, all with the Pirates, he has played in 197 games scoring 27 goals, 26 assists for 53 points with 221 total penalty minutes.

Hextall played collegiately at the University of North Dakota where he was teammates with current Phantom/Flyer Chris VandeVelde. In three seasons at North Dakota from 2008-2011, Hextall played in 115 games scoring 39 goals and 42 assists for 81 points.

Brett Hextall will be playing for the same head coach that his father had played for two decades earlier. Terry Murray is entering his third season at the Phantoms' bench. He was the head coach for the Philadelphia Flyers for three seasons from 1994-97 while Ron Hextall was one of the team's goalies.

Brett's father, Ron Hextall, is beginning his first season as general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers following one season as assistant general manager for the Flyers and seven seasons as an assistant general manager for the Los Angeles Kings. 

Ron Hextall was inducted into the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame in 2008. He appeared in 608 career NHL games boasting a record of 296-214-69 with 23 shutouts. Ron Hextall led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final in his rookie season, 1986-87, and again in the twilight of his career in 1996-97. He played 11 of his 13 NHL seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the franchise's all-time leader in among goaltenders in games (489), wins (240) and postseason wins (45) and places third all-time in shutouts (18) for the team.

Ron Hextall also played in the American Hockey League for the Hershey Bears in 1985-86 who were Philadelphia's affiliate at the time. He won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award in 1986 as the league's outstanding rookie while also earning AHL First All-Star Team honors. One season later, Ron Hextall won the NHL's Vezina Trophy for the Flyers.

Brett's great-grandfather, Bryan Hextall, Sr. is a Hall of Famer who played for the New York Rangers from 1936-1948.  Bryan Hextall, Sr. began his career in the league's first ever season in 1936-37 with the Philadelphia Ramblers. Hextall led the Ramblers that season with 29 goals as the team advanced to the first ever Calder Cup Finals which they lost to the Syracuse Stars. 

Brett's grandather, Bryan Hextall, Jr. had a standout NHL career as well playing a majority of his 549 career games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early 70s. Bryan Hextall, Jr. also played in the American Hockey League with the Baltimore Clippers for three seasons from 1962-65 and with the Rochester Americans in 1967-68. Brett's great-uncle, Dennis Hextall, also had a lengthy NHL career in the 1970s and also had a couple big seasons in the AHL with the Buffalo Bisons in the late 1960s.

Nine players are under AHL contract with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the 2014-15 season including Steven Delisle (D), Brett Flemming (D), Austin Fyten (F), Kevin Goumas (F), Matt Hatch (F), Brett Hextall (RW), Connor Knapp (G), Martin Ouellette (G) and Darroll Powe (F). The majority of players assigned to the roster of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the 2014-15 season will be on NHL contracts to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Tickets for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms preseason home games are on sale now by calling (610) 347-TIXX (8499) or at pplcenter.com. The Phantoms will take on the Hershey Bears on Wednesday, October 1 and will tangle with the Albany Devils on Saturday, October 4.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms Opening Night for the regular season will be Friday, October 17. The full regular-season schedule is expected to be announced by the American Hockey League soon.

Don't miss the action and the fun in the inaugural season of Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey at the PPL Center in downtown Allentown. Contact the Phantoms for information on season tickets and affordable partial-season plans by calling 610-24-GOAL (610-224-4625).