Every AHL team has significant community outreach programs that they and their players support, not just during the season, but in many cases, year round. The league also salutes a player from each team by naming them their team's winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year Award.

Phantoms forward Danick Martel was chosen as this year's recipient for his remarkable work with kids in the Lehigh Valley. The Phantoms sponsor 20 youth teams that play at the Steel Ice Center in Bethlehem and Martel is a regular visitor to the team's practices. He's also attended a number of practices with Special Hockey of the Lehigh Valley, a program designed to give kids with special needs the opportunity to play hockey.Martel is also a regular on the list of Phantoms players who visit the children's wing at Lehigh Valley Hospital, and has helped to deliver floor hockey equipment donations made by Phantoms Charities, along with working with students to show them some skills and encouraging them to be active.Along with the other 29 team winners, Martel will now be under consideration for the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, which honors the individual that the league deems most deserving of recognition for his contribution to their community. The award is named after Yanick Dupre, a former AHL All-Star who passed away in 1997 after a battle with leukemia. The winner of that award will be announced at a later date.This season, Martel has 19 goals and 19 assists in 62 games.Meanwhile, on the ice this past weekend, the Phantoms avoided making the weekend a total loss with a 4-2 win at Hershey on Sunday. On Friday, the Phantoms lost to Bridgeport at home, and then lost on the road at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, pretty much ending their shot at a division title. The Phantoms remain in second place, but by just one point over Providence."For whatever reason, it wasn't a good effort by us, and I thought they pretty much outplayed us the whole night," admitted Colin McDonald after the loss to Bridgeport. "Our schedule to finish off the year is pretty difficult, so we're in playoff hockey right now, so it's a test."Lehigh Valley has six games remaining in the regular season, four of which are at home. The Phantoms are home Wednesday, Friday and Saturday against Hershey, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Springfield. They have another showdown with the Penguins on the road on April 12, and play Providence in their regular season home finale on April 14. They finish the season April 15 in Binghamton.WELCOME YOUNG MAN ... The Flyers signed their 2014 third-round pick, defenseman Mark Friedman, an entry-level deal beginning with next season. Friedman had eight goals and 18 assists in 40 games this season in the WCHA. The Bowling Green University product joined the Phantoms this weekend and will be with the club for the remainder of the season.M*A*S*H UPDATE ... The Phantoms hope to have defenseman Will O'Neill back on the ice for the postseason. O'Neill left a recent game and has been sporting a cast on his left wrist. Greg Carey was injured in the same game that O'Neill went down in and missed two games, but returned Saturday night against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Chris Conner also returned to the lineup this weekend after missing five games with an undisclosed injury.NOW YOU SEE HIM, NOW YOU DON'T ... There was an unusual occurrence Saturday night, when goalie Anthony Stolarz was reportedly with the team in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, preparing for that night's showdown with the Penguins. A little later that night, Flyers goalie Michael Neuvirth collapsed on the ice in the first period of their game against the New Jersey Devils. Into the game then came Stolarz, who had been recalled earlier in the day because of an illness that was plaguing Steve Mason, the other Flyers goalie. Stolarz went on to stop 26 shots and preserve the shutout in a 3-0 win.