Goaltenders Petruzzelli and Perets, Defenseman Meehan, and Forward Golder Join Lehigh Valley
July 23, 2025
Lehigh Valley, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have announced the signings of goaltender Yaniv Perets, defenseman Ben Meehan, forward Carson Golder, as well as the return of goaltender Keith Petruzzelli on AHL contracts for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Petruzzelli, 26, returns to Lehigh Valley on a two-way AHL contract for a second season after splitting time between the Phantoms and the Reading Royals in 2024-25.
The 6-foot-5 netminder from Wilbraham, Massachusetts appeared in six games for Lehigh Valley last season, posting a 3-3-0 record with a 3.21 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage. In 34 games with Reading, he went 14-16-4 with a 3.12 GAA and a .901 save percentage while backing the Royals to a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Selected in the third round (#88 overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Petruzzelli previously played three seasons in the Toronto Maple Leafs system between the Toronto Marlies and ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers—where he was accompanied by newly named Phantoms head coach John Snowden during his time as an assistant with the AHL club.
Before transitioning into the professional game, he played four seasons of college hockey at Quinnipiac University (2017–2021), where he helped the Bobcats reach the NCAA Tournament in two seasons and was a Hobey Baker Top Ten finalist as ECAC Goaltender of the Year during his senior campaign.
Perets, 25, comes to Lehigh Valley on a one-way AHL deal after spending the last two seasons in the Carolina Hurricanes organization.
The Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec native spent the majority of last season with the Bloomington Bison of the ECHL, where he compiled a 12-12-1 record, a 2.59 goals-against average, and a .921 save percentage across 27 appearances. He also appeared in two career games in relief with the Hurricanes.
During his three-year college career at Quinnipiac, he finished with a remarkable 56-9-5 record in 74 games with 21 shutouts while helping the Bobcats to their first-ever NCAA National Championship in 2023. As a sophomore, he was named ECAC Player and Goaltender of the Year and starred in net during Quinnipiac’s trip to PPL Center for the 2022 NCAA Allentown Regional. Additionally, he served as a backup to Petruzzelli during his freshman campaign in 2020–21.
Following his college career and prior to signing with Carolina, he…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Lehigh Valley Phantoms…