Youngstown Phantoms Hockey

What Youngstown Phantoms Hockey does

The Youngstown Phantoms are a privately held Tier I junior ice hockey franchise operating as Youngstown Phantoms LLC, co-owned by Bruce Zoldan (CEO of Phantom Fireworks) and Murry Gunty (founder and CEO of Black Bear Sports Group). The team competes in the United States Hockey League's Eastern Conference and plays home games at the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown, Ohio. Founded in 2003 as an NAHL franchise, the team elevated to USHL Tier I status in 2009 and has since produced 29 NHL draft picks (including Kyle Connor, Scott Mayfield, Andrej Sustr, Brett Murray, Jiri Sekac, and Nathan Walker) and more than 150 NCAA Division I commitments, anchoring its identity as an elite player development program.

The franchise operates as a single integrated sports entertainment business built around home game attendance. Core revenue-generating products include single-game tickets sold through Ticketmaster or a direct phone line (330-747-PUCK), full and partial season ticket packages, group ticket packages for corporate outings and birthday events, and luxury suite rentals for corporate entertainment. Secondary revenue streams include game-day raffles (50/50, jersey raffles, Queen of Hearts), in-game entertainment featuring mascot Sparky, and corporate sponsorships through the Partner Advantage Program. Community programs include the Youth Phantoms youth hockey initiative operated with Deep Freeze Ice Arena and school-engagement activities where players read in local schools. Supporting partners include UPMC Sports Medicine (athletic training), Northeast Sports Training and Rehabilitation (strength and conditioning), and FloHockey/FloSports (live streaming distribution).

The franchise is led by President Andrew Goldman, with head coach Ryan Ward (appointed May 2022 as the sixth head coach in team history) overseeing a hockey operations department that includes two co-General Managers, multiple assistant GMs, a goaltending development director, and regional scouts spanning North America and Europe. Marketing and sales functions are handled by a small in-house team using organic social media, a Vozzi text-messaging program, press releases, and in-game entertainment as primary channels.

Name

Youngstown Phantoms Hockey

Legal name

Youngstown Phantoms LLC

Website

https://youngstownphantoms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Youngstown Phantoms are a Tier I USHL junior hockey franchise based in Youngstown, Ohio, operating home games at Covelli Centre. The team serves elite junior hockey players, local families, and corporate sponsors through ticket sales, premium suites, sponsorships, and community youth hockey programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Junior Hockey Operations

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Hockey Leagues (MPAKAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ice Rinks & Winter Sports Facilities (MPAKAEAG)

Keywords

• Junior hockey team
• Ticket sales
• Player development
• Corporate sponsorships
• Youth hockey programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Youngstown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single game tickets, season tickets, and group tickets sold directly and via Ticketmaster. Home games played at Covelli Centre.
2. Luxury Suites: Premium suite rentals for corporate events and private viewing experiences during home games.
3. Raffles and Contests: 50/50 raffle drawings, jersey raffles, and Queen of Hearts drawings after each game.
4. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Partner Advantage Program for corporate sponsors seeking visibility with hockey audiences.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Youngstown Phantoms operate a Tier I junior ice hockey franchise in the USHL Eastern Conference, fielding home games at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio. The organization sells ticketed access to regular-season and playoff home games through single-game, season, group, and luxury-suite products, supported by sponsor partnerships under the Partner Advantage Program, in-game entertainment, raffles, youth hockey development programs, and community outreach.

Product overview

The Youngstown Phantoms are a Tier I junior hockey team in the United States Hockey League (USHL) playing home games at Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio. The organization operates as a single unified product—junior hockey team—offering game attendance experiences and associated fan engagement products including single-game tickets, season tickets, group tickets, luxury suites, youth hockey programs, sponsorship partnerships, and in-game entertainment. The portfolio consists of the core hockey game product supported by ticket sales (via Ticketmaster), premium seating, community programs, and fan engagement activities such as raffles and intermission entertainment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Game Tickets Individual game admission tickets to Youngstown Phantoms USHL home games at the Covelli Centre, sold online via Ticketmaster or by phone through the box office line (330-747-PUCK) to bypass service fees.
• Season Tickets Full-season ticket packages providing priority seating and exclusive benefits for fans committed to attending the entire home schedule at the Covelli Centre.
• Group Tickets Group seating packages for parties, corporate events, and organizational outings to Phantoms games, purchased as a coordinated block.
• Luxury Suites Premium suite rentals at the Covelli Centre offering VIP seating and exclusive amenities for corporate entertaining or private events during Phantoms home games.
• Youth Phantoms Program Youth hockey development program delivering learn-to-play and ongoing youth hockey instruction under the Phantoms brand, operated in association with Deep Freeze Ice Arena.
• Partner Advantage Program Corporate sponsorship and partnership program enabling businesses to align with the Youngstown Phantoms brand for visibility, hospitality, and community association.
• In-Game Entertainment Intermission activities, mascot appearances (Sparky), entertainment, and promotional events run during home games to enhance the live fan experience.
• Raffle Programs 50/50 raffle drawings, jersey raffles, and Queen of Hearts drawings held after each home game, with winners posted publicly.

Quantifiable outcome

• 29 players drafted to NHL
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UPMC Sports MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides athletic trainer Amber Martinelli to the Phantoms organization. Martinelli is a licensed athletic trainer in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
• Northeast Sports Training and RehabilitationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Tommy Malloy as Strength and Conditioning Coach. Malloy coordinates year-round performance program design and implementation for the organization.
• USHL (United States Hockey League)coreOthersThe Youngstown Phantoms are a Tier I franchise of the USHL, the country's top junior hockey league. Phantoms compete in the Eastern Conference.
• NHLminorOthersOfficial partner of the Youngstown Phantoms. NHL logo displayed as 'Proud Partners With' on website.
• USA HockeyminorOthersOfficial partner of the Youngstown Phantoms. USA Hockey logo displayed as 'Proud Partners With' on website.
• FloSports / FloHockeycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStreaming partner for Youngstown Phantoms games. Provides live and on-demand video coverage of USHL games through FloHockey platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dubuque Fighting Saints: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I junior hockey team with comparable player development mission and similar community-driven ticketing, sponsorship, and youth hockey programs to Youngstown.
• Des Moines Buccaneers: USHL Western Conference Tier I junior hockey franchise with a directly parallel business model—tickets, suites, sponsorships, and youth hockey programs targeting NCAA and NHL-bound players.
• Chicago Steel: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I junior hockey team competing against the Phantoms for NCAA/NHL-bound talent. Operates a similar franchise model with season tickets, group sales, and corporate partnerships in a larger Midwestern market.
• Fargo Force: USHL Western Conference Tier I junior hockey team offering comparable ticketing, sponsorship, and youth hockey development products in another mid-sized Midwestern market.
• Muskegon Lumberjacks: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I junior hockey team; comparable franchise size and operations, including community engagement, in-game entertainment, and player development as core deliverables.
• Green Bay Gamblers: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I junior hockey franchise with parallel business model—single-game, season, and group tickets, plus corporate sponsorships in a mid-sized Midwestern market.
• Lincoln Stars: USHL Western Conference Tier I junior hockey team operating a similar franchise with comparable community engagement, in-game entertainment, and player development infrastructure.
• Cedar Rapids RoughRiders: USHL Eastern Conference rival that fields a Tier I junior ice hockey team at a comparable youth-development stage. Directly competes in the same league for talent, fans, and standings, with similar ticket/sponsorship economics.
• Madison Capitols: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I junior hockey team with similar mix of ticketed games, youth hockey programming, and sponsorship sales targeting families and corporate partners in the Midwest.
• USA Hockey NTDP: USHL Eastern Conference Tier I team consisting of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. Operates in the same league structure with a similar player-development mandate and pipeline to NCAA/NHL.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youngstown-phantoms-hockey

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youngstown Phantoms Hockey