The Hershey Bears (11-4-1-0) continue the 2024-25 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they head north of the border for a meeting with the Toronto Marlies, then conclude a four-game road trip by swinging through the Empire State for games against the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch. The Bears enter the week atop the Atlantic Division standings and sit one point behind the Laval Rocket for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
2024-25 TEAM LEADERS:
Goals: Ethen Frank (11)
Assists: Alex Limoges (9)
Points: Ethen Frank (15)
Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank, Ivan Miroshnichenko (3)
Shorthanded Goals: N/A
Plus/Minus: Ethan Bear (+14)
Wins: Hunter Shepard (9)
GAA: Hunter Shepard (2.18)
SV%: Hunter Shepard (.921)
Only includes qualified players
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:
- Tuesday, Nov. 12 - Hershey 5 at Bridgeport 4
- Friday, Nov. 15 - Hershey 1 vs. Bridgeport 6
- Saturday, Nov. 16 - Hershey 6 at Lehigh Valley 3
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE & PROMOTIONS:
Wednesday, Nov. 20 - Hershey at Toronto Marlies, 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22 - Hershey at Rochester Americans, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23 - Hershey at Syracuse Crunch, 7 p.m.
Video Coverage: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Capitals Radio Network
All times Eastern
TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:
NELSON TO COACH 1,000TH GAME:
Head coach Todd Nelson is slated to work his 1,000th regular-season game as a head coach on Wednesday in Toronto. Through 999 games as a head coach, Nelson has spent 721 games in the American Hockey League (160 with Hershey), 232 in the now-defunct United Hockey League, and 46 in the National Hockey League with the Edmonton Oilers. His all-time coaching record is 583-306-110 (.639).
GRIZZLY BEAR:
Ethan Bear enters the week with a plus-minus of +14 to lead all AHL skaters and is tied for sixth in scoring among defensemen with 10 points (3g, 7a). Hershey is 9-0-0-0 when Bear records a point; the defender has nine points (2g, 7a) in his last 10 contests, and he's recorded an assist in each of his last five road games. Bear's two game-winning goals are tied for the league lead among defenseman
COLD-BLOODED ROAD KILLERS:
Hershey has gone 6-0-0-0 on the road to begin the season, and a contributing factor has been the team's penalty kill. The PK unit has only allowed one goal on 20 chances for a league-leading road penalty kill of 95%. While Toronto possesses the third-best power play on home ice (28.6%), Syracuse and Rochester are an identical 2-for-23 (8.7%) with the man advantage at home this season, providing an opportunity for the Bears penalty kill to once again shine.
HITTING UP HOGTOWN:
The Bears make their lone visit of the season to Toronto on Wednesday, as Hershey digs into a slate of three straight games against North Division opponents. Last season, the Bears went 2-0-0-0 against the Marlies, with both games decided in overtime, as Joe Snively netted the winner in a 4-3 victory at home on Jan. 28, and Garrett Roe lifted Hershey to a 3-2 victory on Feb. 17 at Coca-Cola Coliseum. The Bears are a lifetime 16-9-2-2 against the Marlies since the franchise relocated to Toronto in the 2005-06 season and have won six of their last eight at Toronto. Marlies forward Alex Nylander previously terrorized the Bears as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, including scoring the series-clinching overtime winner to eliminate Hershey in the opening round of the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs.
SMITH STANDING BY:
Outside of the injured Logan Day, forward Dalton Smith is the only Hershey skater on the club's active roster awaiting their season debut for the Chocolate and White. Smith has appeared in three games with ECHL South Carolina this season, and previously played two seasons with the Syracuse Crunch as a prospect of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and later skated over four seasons with the Rochester Americans while in the Buffalo Sabres system.
ROCHESTER RIVALRY RENEWED:
Friday's game in Rochester will mark the 467th meeting in the regular season between Hershey and Rochester, the most of any opponent the Bears have faced in their history. The Bears own a lifetime record of 219-189-53-3-2 against the Americans, with Hershey going 2-0-0-0 last season against the Amerks. The 2024-25 season marks the first year for Michael Leone as head coach of Rochester after being named to the post on June 6, succeeding Seth Appert, who was promoted to an assistant role with the parent Buffalo Sabres. Former Bears forward Vaclav Prospal is back for his second season as an assistant coach for Rochester. Hershey defender Chase Priskie skated with the Americans during the 2022-23 campaign.
KESSY CONNECTION:
Former Bear Kale Kessy signed with Syracuse on July 6, and this weekend's game could mark the first chance the forward plays against his former club. Since his 2023 trade by Hershey to the Colorado Eagles, Kessy didn't face Hershey last season as a member of the Iowa Wild due to a suspension and Iowa's deep prospect pool.
BEARS BITES:
Ethen Frank is second in the AHL with 11 goals and is tied for 15th in overall scoring with 15 points...Brennan Saulnier leads the Eastern Conference with four major penalties for fighting...Pierrick Dube is second in the league with 53 shots on goal...Hunter Shepard is tied for the league lead with nine wins and ranks fourth with 280 saves...Matt Strome is three games away from his 100th as a Bear...Alex Limoges is three assists away from his 100th AHL helper...The Bears lead the Eastern Conference with a record of 8-0-0-0 when leading after two periods.
Photo credit: Lehigh Valley Phantoms/JustSports Photography
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