The Hershey Bears (31-7-0-2) enter the week atop the American Hockey League with 13-point leads for the top spots in the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference, and overall league standings. The Bears host the Springfield Thunderbirds on Wednesday, visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday, and return home to face the Toronto Marlies on Sunday. Hershey has earned points in its last five games, going 3-0-0-2.
TEAM LEADERS:
Goals: Pierrick Dube (20)
Assists: Mike Sgarbossa (31)
Points: Mike Sgarbossa (38)
Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank (9)
Shorthanded Goals: Henrik Rybinski, Bogdan Trineyev (1)
Plus/Minus: Vincent Iorio, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Chase Priskie (+14)
Wins: Hunter Shepard (15)
GAA: Clay Stevenson (1.65)
SV%: Clay Stevenson (.939)
Only includes qualified players on active roster
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:
- Monday, Jan. 15 - Hershey 1 at Bridgeport 2 (SO)
- Friday, Jan. 19 - Hershey 4 at Hartford 2
- Saturday, Jan. 20 - Hershey 1 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 0
LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF JAN. 22:
Monday, Jan. 22
Practice, 10 a.m. at GIANT Center
Tuesday, Jan. 23
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center
Wednesday, Jan. 24
Morning Skate, 10:15 a.m. at GIANT Center
Thursday, Jan. 25
DAY OFF
Friday, Jan. 26
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at Hersheypark Arena
Saturday, January 27
Morning Skate, 10:15 a.m. at Hersheypark Arena
All practices are open to the public. Practice dates and times are subject to change.
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, Jan. 24 - Hershey vs. Springfield Thunderbirds, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS
Saturday, Jan. 27 - Hershey at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 6:05 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 28 - Hershey vs. Toronto Marlies, 5 p.m. - BUY TICKETS
TV Coverage: Antenna TV (Saturday game only); Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Capitals Radio Network; Tickets: HersheyBears.com
All times Eastern
TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:
ON TO 40:
Last Friday's win at Hartford gave the Bears their 30th win of the season in their 39th game, breaking Hershey's previous record for fastest 30 wins from the start of the season, which was set by the 2009-10 team in the 41st game (30-9-0-2) of an 80-game schedule. The next major plateau for Hershey to pass will be its fastest 40 wins; that record is also held by the 2009-10 team, at 51 games (40-9-0-2).
POWERED UP:
Hershey's roster possesses the American Hockey League's leaders in both power-play goals (Ethen Frank - T-1st, 9) and power-play assists (Mike Sgarbossa - 17). The Bears enter the week with a power play that is ranked second on home ice (19-for-77, 24.7%), and fourth overall (31-for-132, 23.5%) overall. Hershey is 19-2-0-1 when scoring with the man advantage this season.
NELSON MOVIN' ON UP:
Hershey's 1-0 win on Saturday over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton gave Bears head coach Todd Nelson his 384th career regular-season victory as an AHL head coach, moving him into a tie with former Rochester Americans (2000-08; 2015-16) and Hamilton Bulldogs (2010-11) head coach Randy Cunneyworth for ninth on the AHL's head coaching wins list. Nelson and Cunneyworth worked together as assistant coaches in the NHL as part of John Anderson's staff with the Atlanta Thrashers from 2008-10. Nelson can pass Cunneyworth for sole possession of ninth place as early as Wednesday, when Hershey hosts Springfield.
IN FOR THE KILL:
The Bears enter the week with the league's top-ranked penalty kill, both on home ice (64-for-71, 90.1%) and overall (117-for-135, 86.7%). Hershey has posted a 22-2-0-1 record when not allowing a power-play goal.
STEVENSON MAKES HISTORY:
Clay Stevenson's 28-save shutout performance on Saturday gave the netminder his sixth shutout of the season in Hershey's 1-0 victory. Stevenson's six clean sheets leads all AHL goaltenders and moves him past Ron Hextall (1985-86) and Vitek Vanecek (2016-17) for sole possession for the most by a Bears rookie goaltender in club history. Hershey's overall single-season shutout record is shared between Nick Damore (1944-45) and Alfie Moore (1938-39), while Matt Murray holds the AHL's rookie shutout record, with 12 (2014-15). Stevenson was the AHL's Goaltender of the Month for December and will represent the Bears on the Atlantic Division roster at next month's AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose.
DON'T WAKE SHEP DADDY:
Goaltender Hunter Shepard's numbers have also been impressive as of late. Since Dec. 13, Shepard is unbeaten in regulation with a 6-0-1 record in seven appearances, along with a 1.66 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. During this stretch, he also earned his first shutout of the season on Dec. 17 vs. Springfield, then followed that up with a personal season-high 34 saves on Dec. 22 against the Thunderbirds at MassMutual Center. The reigning Jack A. Butterfield Trophy winner as Calder Cup Playoffs MVP leads all Eastern Conference goaltenders with 15 wins.
THUNDER-DOME:
The Bears have claimed the two previous meetings with Springfield, with Hunter Shepard earning both victories against the Thunderbirds, sporting a 1.45 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage through the pair of games. Pierrick Dube (2g, 0a) and Jimmy Huntington (1g, 1a) are tied for the team scoring lead against Springfield with two points apiece, while former Bear Jakub Vrana is one of only three Thunderbirds skaters to light the lamp against Hershey.
BABY BUDS:
The Toronto Marlies make their lone visit of the season to GIANT Center on Sunday. Hershey won both of its games against Toronto during the 2022-23 campaign. Former Washington Capitals forward John Gruden was hired as Toronto's new head coach this past summer; he and Bears head coach Todd Nelson played together in Grand Rapids during the 1999-00 and 2001-02 seasons. Marlies assistant coach Eric Wellwood was teammates with Bears forward Garrett Roe for parts of two seasons between 2011-13 with the Adirondack Phantoms. The Bears will visit the Marlies on Feb. 17. Hershey is 4-2-0-0 against North Division clubs this season.
FLIGHTLESS BIRDS:
Hershey's win against the Penguins last Saturday improved its record to 6-2-0-0 in head-to-head play this season. Joe Snively paces the Bears with 12 points (7g, 5a) in eight games against the Penguins in the current campaign. Hershey is making its first visit to Mohegan Sun Arena since Nov. 29; the Bears have won their last two road games at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
BEARS BITES:
Alex Limoges has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury; Hershey has lost a combined 53 man-games due to injury or illness this season...Jimmy Huntington needs three points for 100 in his AHL career...The Bears are 14-0-0-0 at home this season when scoring first...Hershey is 13-0-0-0 at home when not allowing a goal in the first period...Hershey is 15-1-0-0 this season in games decided by one goal...Pierrick Dube is one of three Bears skaters to have dressed in every game so far this season; Hershey is 20-0-0-0 when he records at least a point.
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