The Hershey Bears have a chance to secure their 13th American Hockey League title when they take on the Coachella Valley Firebirds for Game 6 of the 2024 Calder Cup Finals tonight at GIANT Center. Trailing 1-0 and 2-1 at various points in the best-of-seven series, Hershey won two of three games in Palm Desert last week to take a 3-2 series lead and has put itself in position to claim the trophy emblematic of American Hockey League postseason supremacy with a victory tonight.
Hershey Bears (13-6) vs. Coachella Valley Firebirds (12-5)
June 24, 2024 | 7 p.m. | GIANT Center | Hershey leads series, 3-2
Referees: Cody Beach (45), Justin Kea (44)
Linespersons: Ryan Jackson (84), Joseph Mahon (89)
Ticket Information
Tonight's game is SOLD OUT.
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43's Todd Sadowski and Ryan Ye on the call
TELEVISION: Antenna TV (WPMT FOX 43.2, Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, and Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88), Monumental Sports Network (Washington, D.C. market)
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM, Capitals Radio, In-Arena on 88.9-FM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio 24/7
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m., Television coverage starts at 7 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears and Firebirds wrapped up three games at Acrisure Arena on Saturday in Game 5, which saw Coachella Valley take the initial 1-0 lead on a goal from Kole Lind at 10:05 of the first period. With time ticking down near the end of the opening frame, Jimmy Huntington flicked his own rebound past Chris Driedger with 1.3 seconds left on the clock to tie the score at 1-1. Ryan Winterton put the Firebirds ahead 2-1 at 4:43 of the third period, but Hardy Haman Aktell's fifth of the playoffs at 8:26 leveled the score once again. Huntington buried the game-winner at 16:45 when he snapped his second of the night over the shoulder of Driedger to secure an eventual 3-2 victory for the Bears.
KEEP IT 100:
Tonight's game will mark the 100th home playoff game on GIANT Center ice since the building opened prior to the 2002-03 season. Beginning with a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Wolves in Game 3 of the 2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals, the Bears have posted a record of 65-34 through 99 home playoff contests, and have won 14 series-clinching games (six of which required overtime) at the venue, including a 4-0 win over Texas in Game 6 of the 2010 Calder Cup Finals, Hershey's sixth championship won on home ice, and most recently Hershey's 3-2 OT thriller in Game 7 against the Cleveland Monsters in this year's Eastern Conference Finals.
CLOSE IT OUT:
Hershey has posted a 3-4 record during the 2024 playoffs when trying to close out a series. The Bears own a lifetime playoff win-loss record of 80-70 in games when attempting to clinch a series victory. While Hershey is 9-2 when scoring first, the club is also 4-4 when allowing the first goal of the game; Coachella Valley is 8-1 when scoring first, and 4-4 when surrendering the first goal.
HEAD-TO-HEAD BREAKDOWN:
Through the first five games of the 2024 Calder Cup Finals, the sextet of Hardy Haman Aktell (4g,1a), Jimmy Huntington (3g, 2a), Hendrix Lapierre (2g, 3a), Joe Snively (2g, 3a), Ethen Frank (1g, 4a), and Alex Limoges lead Hershey in scoring against Coachella Valley with five points apiece, while Ryan Winterton (4g, 1a) and Shane Wright (2g, 3a) have paced the Firebirds with five points against the Bears. Hunter Shepard has posted an .895 save percentage, while Chris Driedger has logged a save percentage of .861. Hershey's power play has operated at a 3-for-19 (15.8%) clip against Coachella Valley, while the penalty kill has gone 15-for-16 (93.8%). The Bears have generated 16 goals on 109 shots on goal (14.7%), while the Firebirds have collected 16 goals on 149 shots on goal (10.7%). Hershey has spent a total of 78:56 in the lead, while Coachella Valley has been in front for 114:27.
FREE-WHEELING FRANK:
Ethen Frank enters tonight with 10 goals in the 2024 playoffs, tying him with Milwaukee's Zack L'Heureux for the postseason goal-scoring lead. Frank is Hershey's first double-digit goal-scorer in a playoff year since 2010 (Alexandre Giroux, 14; Andrew Gordon, 13) and is currently in a seven-way tie with Willie Marshall (1958), Robin Burns (1974), Harvie Pocza (1981), David Gans (1986), David Steckel (2006), and Scott Barney (2007) for the 10th-most goals by a Bear in a single playoff year. Over the past two seasons, only Coachella Valley captain Max McCormick (82) and Springfield Thunderbirds forward Adam Gaudette (72) have collected more combined regular season and playoff goals than Frank's 71. Hershey is 8-1 during the 2024 postseason in games when Frank has lit the lamp; his four game-winning goals are tied for the league lead, and have matched a franchise record for the most game-winners in a playoff year.
HUNTINGTON HOME FOR SOME COOKING:
Game 5 road hero Jimmy Huntington now gets to return to the creature comforts of GIANT Center, where he has recorded 10 points (2g, 8a) over his last eight home games dating back to Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Finals vs. Hartford. The Bears are 4-0 in the playoffs when Huntington scores and 8-2 when he records at least a point. Hershey will also look to counter the efforts of Coachella Valley forward Ryan Winterton: the rookie has six points (3g, 3a) over his last five road games for the Firebirds.
HOT LAP:
Hendrix Lapierre is currently in the lead of the AHL playoff scoring race with 20 points (6g, 14a) in 18 games. With one more point, Lapierre can climb into a seven-way tie with Tony Cassolato (1980), Doug Gibson (1980), Eric Veilleux (1997), Graham Mink (2006), Tomas Fleischmann (2007), and Chris Bourque (2009) for the most points by a Bear in a playoff year. The second-year pro leads Hershey with seven multi-point games (Hershey is 6-1 when he has a multi-point outing). Should Lapierre maintain or tie for the league scoring title at the conclusion of the postseason, he would be the 16th Bear in franchise history to do so, and the first since Alexandre Giroux (15g, 13a) and Chris Bourque (7g, 20a) did so in 2010.
DISHING THEM OUT:
Joe Snively enters tonight's game with 26 career playoff helpers for the Chocolate and White, tying him with Gordon Bruce and Larry Zeidel for 10th in franchise history. With 14 assists in the current playoff run, Snively requires one more to tie Tony Cassolato (1980) and Mike Green (2006) for the ninth-most assists by a Bear in a single playoff year; an additional assist will move him into a tie with Rich Brennan (1997), Josef Marha (1997), Tomas Fleischmann (2007), and Chris Bourque (2009) for the fifth-most assists by a Bear in a playoff year.
BEARS BITES:
The Bears are 8-5 lifetime in Game 6s of best-of-seven Calder Cup Finals...Both teams are an identical 11-0 when leading after two periods...Bears defender and alternate captain Aaron Ness has missed the last nine games due to injury, but has participated in warmups prior to both Games 4 and 5. Should Ness earn a sweater for at least one more game, it will mark his 63rd playoff appearance for the Chocolate and White, giving him sole possession of eighth in franchise history (currently tied with Roger De Jordy)...Pierrick Dube leads all players in shots on goal with 48...Hunter Shepard leads all goaltenders in minutes played (1,144:12) and saves (486)...Ivan Miroshnichenko is tied for second in rookie playoff scoring with 12 points (7g, 5a)...Hardy Haman Aktell leads all defensemen with five goals, while Chase Priskie leads all defenders with 11 assists.
ON THIS DATE:
June 24, 2003 - The Bears announced the signing of a secondary NHL affiliation agreement with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the 2003-04 season. The announcement was made in tandem by Bears president and general manager Doug Yingst and Lightning general manager Jay Feaster, himself a former general manager of the Bears. The affiliation paid immediate dividends for the Lightning, as Tampa Bay supplied Hershey with several players, including Martin Cibak, Shane Willis, and Eric Perrin, all of whom played at least one playoff game for the Bolts as they captured their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in the spring of 2004.
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