The Hershey Bears return home to host the Belleville Senators for the first of two games this season at GIANT Center. Hershey enters the weekend with the most points in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, while Belleville is sixth in the seven-team North Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Hershey Bears (23-11-3-0) vs. Belleville Senators (15-12-1-4)
Jan. 17, 2025 | 7 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Rob Hennessey (87), John Lindner (92)
Linespersons: Richard Jondo (55), Tommy George (61)
Tonight's Promotions:
Pre-game Happy Hour - Fans 21-and-over can take advantage of a $5 16 oz. Yuengling Flight beer special, available from doors to puck drop.
BUY TICKETS NOW VIA TICKETMASTER
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, and Jim Jones on the call
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, Capitals Radio, In-arena on 88.9 FM
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.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears completed a weekend sweep of the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday with a 4-2 win at Bojangles Coliseum, as Mike Vecchione netted his first hat trick as a Bear. Vecchione opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period before Charlotte took a 2-1 lead, but Alex Limoges tied the score with another power-play strike, and Vecchione scored twice more in the third period to seal the win for Hershey. The Senators fell Wednesday night at Lehigh Valley by a 3-2 score. Jan Jenik and Wyatt Bongiovanni scored for Belleville, but Anthony Richard netted a power-play goal for Lehigh Valley midway through the third period to put the Phantoms on top.
STRETCH LIMO:
After returning from an eight-game absence due to an upper-body injury, Alex Limoges' offensive production has remained high. The forward carries a five-game point streak (2g, 3a) into tonight's game that includes the overtime-winning goal last Friday at Charlotte, the fourth of his tenure with the Bears. Last season, Limoges potted three overtime-winning goals in the regular season to tie for the club's single-season mark.
FEAT OF CLAY:
Clay Stevenson appeared in all three games for the Bears last week, making a relief appearance on Tuesday, then starting in back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday to help the Bears sweep the Charlotte Checkers. In 140 minutes of action, the third-year pro went 2-0-0 with a 2.14 goals-against average and a save percentage of .911, while also earning the first assist of his AHL career with the helper on Alex Limoges' overtime-winning goal on Friday. Stevenson is 3-0-0 in four appearances in the month of January with a 1.80 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
SENSE AND SENS-IBILITY:
After previously playing a pair of games against the Belleville Senators in six of the previous seven campaigns, the Bears and Senators will meet a total of four times during the 2024-25 regular season, starting with this Friday's home tilt at GIANT Center; following tonight's game, Belleville will be idle until it hosts the Bears next weekend at CAA Arena. Hershey leads the all-time series with a 7-4-1-0 record against Belleville, and split last season's series with a 1-1-0-0 record with the visiting team earning each win. Former Bear and 2023 Calder Cup champion Garret Pilon was named the sixth captain in Senators history earlier this season but is expected to miss tonight's game with an injury.
BEARS BITES:
Tonight's game marks the start of a five-game suspension for Pierrick Dube as a result of his actions in last Saturday's win at Charlotte...Mike Sgarbossa is one assist away from his 300th AHL helper...Ethan Bear leads Hershey's skaters for the month of January with six points (0g, 6a)...Matt Strome has four points (2g, 2a) over his last four games...Ryan Hofer was re-assigned to Hershey from South Carolina on Thursday after playing in 21 games for the Stingrays...The Bears have gone 4-for-25 (16%) with the power play for the month...Hershey's penalty kill ranks fifth in the league at 110-for-128 (85.9%)...The Bears lead the AHL with 15 wins in games decided by one goal...Bears head coach Todd Nelson needs four more victories to pass Kevin Dineen (432) for sole possession of fifth place on the AHL's head coaching wins list...Bears video coach Adam Purner is celebrating his 49th birthday today.
ON THIS DATE:
Jan. 17, 2009 - Bears forward Alexandre Giroux tied Brett Hull for the longest goal-scoring streak in AHL history, as he lit the lamp for the 14th consecutive game, scoring twice in a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia Phantoms. Giroux went on to claim sole possession of the record the following night against Worcester when he scored a power-play goal midway through the third period to break a 2-2 tie and lift the Bears to a 3-2 win over the Sharks. Giroux finished his 15-game goal streak by lighting the lamp an eye-popping 22 times and concluded the regular season with a franchise-record 60 goals.
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