GM Ron Hextall: Jason LaBarbera Out for the Season

Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Jason LaBarbera has battled through several injuries this season. Photo: Nina Weiss/The Home News
Editor's Note: A special thanks to HockeyBuzz.com's Bill Meltzer for sharing the audio from Ron Hextall's phone interview with the Philadelphia media for the following quotes from the Flyers' general manager.
The Philadelphia Flyers have added goaltender Ray Emery to a tryout contract Tuesday to give what general manager Ron Hextall said is a third goaltender in the organization as an insurance policy for depth.

Emery will be with the Flyers for the remainder of the regular season as the injured Michal Neuvirth recovers from his lower body injury, but Neuvirth is not the only goaltender in the organization on the injured list.

"We lost Jason LaBarbera in Lehigh Valley for the season," Hextall told the Philadelphia media in a recent phone interview. "We truly don't have a third guy in the organization right now - two guys down with injuries."

LaBarbera has been battling through injuries off and on for much of the season, and has been shut down for the season. What this means for Lehigh Valley is that goaltenders Martin Ouellette and Connor Knapp will finish the regular season as the Phantoms' duo in net.


Anthony Stolarz is staying with the Flyers for the time being, per Hextall, and isn't returning to Lehigh Valley.

"Absolutely not," Hextall said on if this was any negative indication against Stolarz. "This is not a reflection at all of Stolie. It's just so we have a third guy."

Phantoms' Lamarche Loaned to Reading (ECHL)

Before the Lehigh Valley Phantoms travel Wednesday to St. John's, Newfoundland Canada for a two-game weekend set against the St. John's IceCaps, they've loaned defenseman Max Lamarche to their ECHL affiliate Reading Royals.

The move leaves the Phantoms with seven healthy defensemen, including newly added Reece Willcox, who signed an entry level deal with the Flyers last week and joined the Phantoms on an amateur tryout contract (ATO). It's possible both he and newly added ATO forward Oskar Lindblom make their AHL debuts this weekend.


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