AHL preseason opens this afternoon

The American Hockey League’s 41-game preseason schedule for 2008 gets underway this afternoon at the Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J., when the Philadelphia Phantoms take on the Lowell Devils.

New head coach John Paddock is expected to make his Phantoms debut when the puck drops at 1:30 p.m. (ET).

Philadelphia and Lowell will battle again on Tuesday afternoon at the AmeriHealth Pavilion at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. Game time Tuesday is 4:00 p.m. (ET).

Tickets for Monday’s game in Voorhees are $10 and are available at the rink. Admission for Tuesday’s game is free, and limited seating will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Get the complete AHL preseason schedule here.