Marcel Noebels led all ECHL rookies in scoring during the 2012 portion of the 2012-13 season, posting 30 points in 31 games with the Trenton Titans.

As a reward, he will start 2013 with the Adirondack Phantoms.

The Philadelphia Flyers reassigned the 20-year-old German forward to the Phantoms on New Year's Day, according to the ECHL daily transactions log.

The Phantoms, who had Tuesday off, later confirmed the move in a press release. It comes on the heels of Noebels' torrid performance in the month of December, during which he scored nine goals and 21 points in 14 games.

Mike Ashmore, who covers the Titans for The Trentonian, wrote the call-up was "inevitable."

Noebels has been lauded for his skating, said to be impressive for a prospect with his 6-foot-2 frame. The Flyers selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 NHL Draft, and he recorded 81 points in 84 games for WHL Seattle and Portland during his final season of junior hockey in 2011-12.

He began his pro rookie season in Adirondack's training camp, but was assigned to the ECHL for some seasoning. In October, he told Philadelphia Flyers' inside reporter Anthony San Filippo he wanted to return to the Phantoms before the National Hockey League's lockout came to an end.

He's now done just that, and the Phantoms can use some of the offense he's capable of bringing.

They are averaging 2.48 goals per game, which places them 25th in the 30-team American Hockey League. They have lost three games in a row and earned just one standings point, a shootout loss, since returning from their Christmas break. In two of those games, they scored two or fewer goals.

They were also down to having one healthy player in reserve now that Garrett Roe is day-to-day with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Tough guy Zack FitzGerald, a natural defenseman, had played the past few games at left wing, the position Noebels is listed at in the Phantoms' press release.

Hoping to catch up with Noebels after practice tomorrow. More then.

-- MC