Before even signing with Philadelphia, Mike Vecchione had at least a loose connection to the team. His college roommate was Shayne Gostisbehere, who teamed with Vecchione as part of Union College’s roster that won the National Championship in 2014.

In his first season with the Phantoms, it hasn’t taken Vecchione long to settle in with the team. Through his first 17 games with Lehigh Valley, the 24-year old has produced 18 points – six goals and 12 assists – on the season. In the last two games, Vecchione has converted on four of his nine shots and added a save for good measure. Overall, he’s picked up at least one point in 10 of his last 13 games and hasn’t gone more than one game without either an assist or a goal all season.

The Flyers signed Vecchione to a one-year entry level contract late last March, and four days later, he made his NHL debut with the Flyers against the New Jersey Devils. After the season, Vecchione and the Flyers agreed on a two-year, two-way contract and he opened this season with Lehigh Valley.

Vecchione has been part of the most productive line for the Phantoms this season, teaming with Nic Aube-Kubel and Danick Martel. While Vecchione has been good, Martel has been the story of the season for Lehigh Valley in the early going, leading the AHL in goals scored. One of the reasons why Vecchione has been able to hold his own with more experienced players is due to an improved offseason regimen that he learned while spending this past summer with several AHL and NHL players in his hometown of Boston. What Vecchione learned from those players and his two-game stint with the Flyers late last seasonwas that there was a definite need for him to improve his speed on the ice.

Now, skating with more experienced players in the AHL is continuing to be an educational experience for Vecchione.

“Just being down here with these guys, they’ve helped me a huge amount. All the vets have taken me under their wing, just being patient with me while I learn the systems. It’s been kind of an easy transition,” said Vecchione after a recent practice.

Some fans believe that Vecchione should be back in the NHL, but the Flyers see some benefit to letting him play with Lehigh Valley and continue the learning experience. Phantoms coach Scott Gordon believes that there’s something to be said for keeping players at the AHL level longer than some fans believe they should be there, so they’re not fine-tuning their game while jockeying back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL.

“It’s better to learn down here what you can and can’t do than go up there and fail,” said Gordon. “A lot of first-year players, they come in and think ‘I made this play in college, I made this play in juniors. I can still make it.’ Sometimes you just can’t, because you’re playing against men that have experience. They’re stronger, they skate better, better stick.”

THANKSGIVING ON THE ROAD ... Lehigh Valley still has two games left on their six-game road trip, and they won’t return home until Saturday when they host Bridgeport. In the first four games, the Phantoms are 2-2-0-0. They have games at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday and then at Springfield on Friday. The Phantoms are 6-3-0-1 on the road this season, but have been outscored 36-32 when away from the PPL Center.

THREES ARE WILD ... Apparently part of the success for the Phantoms can be summed up by the number ‘3’. When they score three or more goals, they’re 10-1-0-1 this season. When they allow three goals or less, they’re 9-0-0-1 through their first 17 games of the season.

THE POWER IS ON ... The Phantoms power play has produced 13 goals in their last 10 games. Since Oct. 25, the Phantoms have scored on 26 percent (13-of-48) of their power play opportunities.