Game Preview: Bears at Islanders, 7 p.m.

March 26, 2025

The Hershey Bears make their final visit of the regular season to the Constitution State as they face the Bridgeport Islanders.

Hershey Bears (38-16-6-1) at Bridgeport Islanders (14-41-4-3)
March 26, 2025 | 7 p.m. | Total Mortgage Arena
Referees: Liam Maaskant (45), Austin O'Rourke (19)
Linespersons: Trevor Disbennett (54), Dylan Lewis (18)

Broadcast Information 
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, and Bears media specialist Jesse Liebman 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)
RADIO: WFVY 100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM, Capitals Radio
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
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 made a return to the Keystone State on Saturday as they faced the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza. Mike Vecchione scored the opening goal, then added the tying score with 1:31 remaining in regulation to force overtime after the Penguins took a 2-1 lead. Avery Hayes scored the game-winner 2:09 into the extra frame to give Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 3-2 overtime decision. The Islanders faced the Penguins the following day, and Bridgeport trailed 4-0 by the end of the first period on its way to an eventual 5-2 loss.

PLAYOFF PICTURE:
Hershey is the lone Atlantic Division team to have clinched a playoff berth; the club's Magic Number to lock up a second consecutive division title sits at 18 points. The Islanders, meanwhile, have been eliminated from playoff contention.

ROAD WARRIORS:
This season the Bears have been the best road team in the league, owning a .774 road points percentage on the strength of a 21-4-5-1 record away from GIANT Center. Hershey needs to win all five of its remaining road contests to match the franchise mark for road victories in a season (26, 2009-10) and earn five out of an available 10 points to guarantee the club will finish the season by matching the club record for road points percentage (.736, 2023-24).

BJORKLUND JOINS BEARS:
The Bears announced on Tuesday that goaltender Garin Bjorklund has been re-assigned to Hershey from the South Carolina Stingrays by the Washington Capitals. The 22-year-old netminder has posted a 21-4-3 record with one shutout in 29 games this season for South Carolina. He ranks third in the ECHL in goals-against average (2.02) and is tied for second in save percentage (.927) and has won his past five games. Bjorklund also earned Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors for the week of Feb. 17-23 after going 2-0-0 with one shutout, a 0.50 goals-against average, and a .980 save percentage in two appearances. Should Bjorklund get into game action at any point while on Hershey's roster, it will mark his AHL debut.

BACK TO THE ISLAND:
Hershey has largely dominated the series against Bridgeport this season, posting a 4-1-0-0 record against the last-place team in the Atlantic Division. Ivan Miroshnichenko leads Hershey with eight points (6g, 2a) against Bridgeport, while Chris Terry's seven points (2g, 5a) paces the Islanders against the Bears. Terry's 59 points this season places the veteran forward fourth in the race for the John B. Sollenberger Trophy for the league's scoring title. Hershey has posted a lifetime record of 75-34-3-5-10 against Bridgeport.

BEARS BITES:
Hunter Shepard's 22 wins are tied for second among goaltenders...Ethan Bear is seventh in defensive scoring with 41 points and is second among all skaters in plus/minus at +31...Matt Strome's next point will mark the 100th of his pro career...Spencer Smallman is two assists away from his 100th pro assist...Bears head coach Todd Nelson is two wins away from passing Don Penniston (136 wins) for seventh on the franchise list for wins by a head coach...The Bears have the second-fewest penalty minutes per game and the fewest in the Eastern Conference (10.48)...Hershey is tied with Texas for the league lead with 12 wins when trailing after the first period.

ON THIS DATE:
March 26, 1942 - On this date in 1942, 18-year-old Gaye Stewart scored 45 seconds into the 10-minute overtime, and added an additional goal at the 7:22 mark of the extra frame to lift Hershey to a series-clinching 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Barons in Game 3 of the second round to send the Bears to the 1942 Calder Cup Finals, winning the series two games to one.