The Hershey Bears continue the 2024-25 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they host the Chicago Wolves for the first time since Feb. 19, 2006.
Hershey Bears (2-1-0-0) vs. Chicago Wolves (0-1-0-0)
Oct. 19, 2024 | 7 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Sam Heidemann (60), Damian Figueira (32)
Linespersons: Tommy George (61), Jud Ritter (34)
Tonight's Promotions:
Penn State Health Pink the Rink Night - Join the Hershey Bears and Penn State Health in the fight against breast cancer. All fans in attendance will receive a Pink the Rink light-up wristband, courtesy of Penn State Health.
BUY TICKETS NOW VIA TICKETMASTER
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, In-Arena on 88.9 FM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
Hershey rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the third period on Wednesday at Bridgeport, as Mike Sgarbossa tied the game with a power-play strike at 8:56, and Ivan Miroshnichenko netted the eventual game-winner to make it 3-2 at 10:01. Bogdan Trineyev scored Hershey's opening goal in the second period and assisted on Miroshnichenko's game-winner to lead the Bears with two points, and Hunter Shepard made 29 saves in the win. Chicago has played only one game this season, a 4-1 loss to Milwaukee last Saturday that saw Ryan Suzuki score the lone goal for the Wolves on the power play, while Spencer Martin allowed three goals on 20 shots against.
BIG, BAD WOLVES:
Hershey gets set to welcome the Chicago Wolves to town this weekend for the first time since Feb. 19, 2006. Chicago joined the American Hockey League as an affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2001 when the International Hockey League ceased operations and promptly won the Calder Cup in its first year in the new league, defeating fellow AHL expansion member Bridgeport, and again in 2008. After the Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg in 2011, Chicago has dealt with a revolving door when it comes to its primary NHL affiliations, starting with Vancouver (2011-13), St. Louis (2013-17), Vegas (2017-20), and Carolina (2020-23, 2024-present) - adding a third Calder Cup to its mantle in 2021-22 - along with spending last season as an independently-affiliated club. Hershey has only met the Wolves four times in regular-season play, winning three and tying once; the Wolves defeated the Bears three games to two in their only postseason encounter during the 2003 Western Conference quarterfinals.
LOCAL TIES:
While the Wolves roster does not possess any direct ties to the Bears, forward Nikita Pavlychev was a four-year letterman at Penn State University from 2016-20, where he was teammates with current Bears forward Alex Limoges. Former Wolves general manager Wendell Young, now the team's vice chairman and governor, led Hershey to the 1988 Calder Cup championship, winning the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding goaltender in the regular season, then going 12-0 in the postseason while capturing the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Wolves assistant coach Spiros Anastas is also an alumnus of nearby Lebanon Valley College, where he played for its NCAA Division III program from 2006-10.
FORMER WOLVES NOW IN THE DEN:
Bears head coach Todd Nelson was an assistant coach on John Anderson's staff in 2008 when Chicago defeated Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to claim its second Calder Cup championship. Hershey's roster also includes several former Wolves as well: Spencer Smallman skated in 71 combined games for Chicago from 2020-22, and helped the Wolves capture the 2022 Calder Cup over Springfield; Dmitry Osipov signed his first pro contract out of major junior with the Wolves in the 2017-18 season and appeared in 11 games for Chicago; Brad Hunt put up 29 points in 23 games with Chicago in the 2016-17 campaign while within the St. Louis Blues organization.
NELSON CLOSING IN ON CENTURY MARK:
Bears head coach Todd Nelson enters tonight's game with 408 career victories in the AHL, most recently passing Scott Gordon for sole possession of seventh in league history with Wednesday's victory. With 99 wins in 147 regular-season games since stepping behind the bench for Hershey before the 2022-23 season, is one win away from his 100th victory with the Bears. Nelson's record of 99-34-5-9 represents the best point percentage (.721) by a head coach in franchise history.
BEARS BITES:
Hershey is fourth in goals scored per game at 4.33...Alex Limoges is tied for second in the league in assists (5), power-play assists (3), and is tied for second in scoring with five points (0g, 5a)...Brad Hunt's two power-play assists are tied for the league lead among defensemen...Ivan Miroshnichenko is tied for third with 14 shots on goal...Hunter Shepard is tied for the league lead with two wins.
ON THIS DATE:
Oct. 19, 2002 - The Bears ushered in a new era with the opening of GIANT Center. The new 10,500-seat facility saw Hershey defeat the Rochester Americans 4-1 in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 10,789. Cail MacLean forever etched his name in club history by scoring the first goal in GIANT Center history on the power play at 6:54 of the second period, Phil Sauve earned the first win in the new building over Rochester's Tom Askey with 32 stops, and referee Guy Pellerin whistled 35 penalties in total.
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