August 8, 2024
Allentown, PA – The player who scored an incredible and iconic playoff-series clinching overtime goal is returning to The Valley. Center Jacob Gaucher has re-signed with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a one-year AHL contract.
Gaucher, 23, ultimately became a key piece of the Phantoms’ success last year thriving in his role as a faceoff specialist and valued penalty killer.
His overtime goal to advance to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs rates as one of the top moments and plays in Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ history. On April 26, 2024 in Game 2 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Gaucher carried up the right-wing boards and connected with the onrushing Brendan Furry who was denied on the doorstep. But Gaucher stayed with the play and was right there to bury the rebound at 2:11 into overtime to set off a crazy celebration at PPL Center in an incredible 5-4 win. The Phantoms had been trailing 3-1 with just 9:00 remaining in the third period before producing yet another exciting comeback.
The sequence that led to the winning goal appropriately began with a clean faceoff win in the defensive zone by Gaucher. Something at which he had been excelling all year.
“It was amazing,” Gaucher said of one of the biggest moments in his career. “I just saw the puck right there and it was staying on the line almost and I just put it in. I almost blacked out there. It was an amazing reaction from my teammates and the fans and it was such a great moment.”
GAUCHER PUTS US THROUGH!#LVvsWBS | #RallyTheValley pic.twitter.com/HD5q1HuGiz
— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) April 27, 2024
Gaucher scored eight goals with eight assists for 16 points in 59 games played during his AHL rookie season and his second year as a pro.
He went from beginning the season sometimes watching games in the pressbox to eventually producing one of the greatest moments in Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ history. Through the season, he continued to gain head coach Ian Laperriere’s confidence and trust as he became one of the team’s most relied-upon players. And Laperriere is thrilled that it was a somewhat unheralded player like Gaucher who came through to score that classic goal.
“When we beat Wilkes-Barre in overtime, that was one of the best feelings I’ve had here,” Laperriere said. “I’m talking about it now and I have goose bumps. It was just a great feeling to see “Gauch,” who, nobody saw it there. I didn’t even see it. At the beginning of the year, I didn’t even know what he was doing here because we had so many guys in front of him. I even felt he should have gone to Reading but thank God he didn’t because he was a big part of what we did towards the end of the year. And then that overtime goal was the loudest I’ve heard that crowd for us.”
Gaucher began his pro career with the Reading Royals in 2022-23 where he scored 22 goals with 39 assists for 61 points. In total, he has played 133 games at the professional level in the ECHL and AHL combined scoring 30-47-77. The 6-3, right-handed center from Longueui, Quebec played parts of five seasons in the QMJHL with Val-d’Or Foreurs and Baie-Comeau Drakkar amassing 242 games and scoring 65-76-141. He was captain for the Drakkar in his final season of Major Juniors after serving as Alternate captain with Val-D’Or.
Jacob Gaucher’s younger brother, Nathan Gaucher, is a prospect in the Anaheim Ducks’ system who was an AHL rookie last season with the San Diego Gulls. His father, Yannick Gaucher, is a former scout and is currently General Manager of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL.
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms officially begin the 2024-25 season with Opening Night at PPL Center on October 12 against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Phantoms Premier Memberships for the upcoming 2024-25 season are available now. Your year-long membership includes tickets to all Phantoms home games inside PPL Center as well as year-round benefits and experiences exclusive to Premier Members.
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