Game Preview: Bears vs. Phantoms, 7 p.m.

April 19, 2025

The Hershey Bears conclude the club's 2024-25 regular season tonight as they host the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at GIANT Center.

Hershey Bears (44-19-7-1) vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms (35-28-6-2)
April 19, 2025 | 7 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Casey Terreri (75), Chad Ingalls (39)
Linespersons: Devon Gale (97), Richard Jondo (55)

Tonight's Promotions:

Fan Appreciation Night - All fans will receive a scratch off card upon entrance for a chance to win a variety of prizes.

Jersey Off Our Backs Night - All fans will have a chance to win a game-worn jersey right off the back of a Hershey Bears player.

Player Awards Night - The Player Awards Ceremony will take place pre-game to celebrate player accomplishments throughout the 2024-2025 season.

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Broadcast Information 
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43 Sports Director Todd Sadowski 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, In-Arena on 88.9 FM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports 1460-AM 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 claimed a 4-2 victory last night over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at GIANT Center. Hershey outshot the Penguins 12-3 in the first period, and Hendrix Lapierre opened the scoring, and finished with his second consecutive multi-point game. Ivan Miroshnichenko, Bogdan Trineyev, and Matt Strome also scored for Hershey in the victory, and the Bears outshot the Penguins 37-21. The Phantoms beat Cleveland 7-3 last night at PPL Center. Lehigh Valley captain Garrett Wilson scored a pair of goals to lead the Phantoms as he skated in his 700th career AHL game. 

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPS:
With Hershey's win last night, the club clinched the Atlantic Division title for the second straight season. The Bears have previously claimed regular-season division championships in 1938-39, 1943-44, 1946-47, 1951-52, 1966-67, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1975-76, 1980-81, 1985-86, 1987-88, 1993-94, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2020-21, and 2023-24. Hershey also earned two first-place finishes in the 1942-43 and 1957-58 campaigns, when the AHL was not separated by divisional alignment.

FINISHING WITH THE PHANTOMS:
Tonight's regular-season finale is the 10th and final meeting between Hershey and Lehigh Valley this season. The Bears own a 5-3-1-0 record versus the Phantoms, with Lehigh Valley winning the previous meeting last Saturday at PPL Center by a 5-1 score. Hershey is 2-2-0-0 versus the Phantoms at GIANT Center this season, including a 4-0 win in the latest meeting in Chocolatetown on March 2. The Phantoms will finish fifth in the Atlantic Division and either will play Wilkes-Barre/Scranton or Providence in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs starting next week in a best-of-three series. 

SPOTLIGHT ON SETH:
Hershey goaltender Seth Eisele is likely to make his American Hockey League debut tonight. The 26-year-old is in his first professional season, and he went 19-10-1 with three shutouts in 31 appearances with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays this season, posting a 2.30 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. He recorded a shutout in each of his first two ECHL games, and he signed an AHL contract with the Bears on Nov. 11. Eisele hails from Lake Elmo, Minnesota and played college hockey at Lake Superior State and the University of Nebraska Omaha. 

SCORING CHAMP CHASE:
Forward Alex Limoges enters tonight's game at 44 points, two behind Ethan Bear for the team lead. Bear was recalled by the NHL's Washington Capitals this morning and will not play in the regular-season finale tonight for Hershey. Unless Limoges scores three points tonight, Bear will become only the second defenseman in the club's 87 seasons of AHL competition to pace Hershey in scoring, joining Rollie McLenahan (60 points, 1949-50).

BEARS BITES:
Hershey's annual Player Awards ceremony is set to take place pregame. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 6:40 tonight...Matt Strome has recorded 10 points (5g, 5a) over his past 14 games...If they dress, tonight will mark the 200th professional game for defenseman Vincent Iorio and the 100th game as a Bear for Ivan Miroshnichenko...Last night's win gave Hershey five straight seasons of posting 20 or more victories at GIANT Center (excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign)...Hershey has points in its last four home games (3-0-1-0)...Hershey's average attendance of 9,726 at GIANT Center is the team's highest total since they welcomed 9,790 fans per game in 2015-16.

ON THIS DATE:
April 19, 2002 - Kelly Fairchild scored the game-winning goal in double overtime as the Bears at the Norfolk Admirals 2-1 at Hersheypark Arena. The win clinched the series for Hershey, who finished off Norfolk three games to one in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.