The Hershey Bears (18-7-3-0) continue the 2024-25 season, presented by Penn State Health, with two games this week on home ice at GIANT Center before heading into the holiday break. Hershey hosts the Toronto Marlies on Saturday, Dec. 21 and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday, Dec. 22. The Bears enter the week atop the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings.
2024-25 TEAM LEADERS:
Goals: Ethen Frank (19)
Assists: Mike Sgarbossa (20)
Points: Ethen Frank (26)
Power-Play Goals: Chase Priskie (5)
Shorthanded Goals: Bogdan Trineyev (1)
Plus/Minus: Ethan Bear (+13)
Wins: Hunter Shepard (13)
GAA: Hunter Shepard (2.63)
SV%: Hunter Shepard (.900)
Only includes qualified players
LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Monday, Dec. 16
Day Off
Tuesday, Dec. 17
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center
Wednesday, Dec. 18
Day Off
Thursday, Dec. 19
Practice closed for company event
Friday, Dec. 20
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at Hersheypark Arena
Saturday, Dec. 21
Morning Skate, 10:15 a.m. at Hersheypark Arena
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:
- Wednesday, Dec. 11 - Hershey 0 at Hartford 3
- Friday, Dec. 13 - Hershey 2 at Syracuse 1 (OT)
- Saturday, Dec. 14 - Hershey 1 vs. Charlotte 2
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE & PROMOTIONS:
Saturday, Dec. 21 - Toronto Marlies, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS
Sunday, Dec. 22 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 5 p.m. - BUY TICKETS
Television Coverage: Antenna TV (Sunday); Video Coverage: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Capitals Radio Network
All times Eastern
TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:
HOLIDAY HOME COOKING:
Saturday's loss to Charlotte marked the start of an eight-game homestand for the Bears, matching a franchise record. The Bears previously played eight consecutive home games from Oct. 19-Nov. 9, 1985, collecting a 7-0-1 record in that stretch of games at Hersheypark Arena; the previous mark for consecutive home games at GIANT Center since the venue opened for the 2002-03 season was seven, which had occurred during the 2004-05, 2015-16, and 2022-23 campaigns. Through 14 games on home ice this season, Hershey has gone 7-6-1-0.
FREAKY FRIDAY (THE 13TH):
Last Friday's win at Syracuse marked a rare Friday the 13th victory for the Bears. Starting with a Jan. 13, 1956 road game against the original Cleveland Barons, the Bears have played 36 total games on the supposedly unlucky date with a lifetime 12-22-1-1-0 record. Prior to Hershey's 2-1 overtime victory against the Crunch, Hershey's last Friday the 13th win came on Jan. 13, 2023, a 5-3 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds, one of only two home games on played on a Friday the 13th, both of which resulted in a victory for the Chocolate and White.
NELSON CLIMBING LEAGUE, CLUB WINS LEADERBOARD:
Bears head coach Todd Nelson's next victory will mark his 425th as an AHL head coach, moving him past John Anderson for sole possession of sixth in league history for wins by a head coach. Nelson worked as an assistant coach on Anderson's staff with the Chicago Wolves, winning the Calder Cup in 2008, and continued as an assistant coach under Anderson in the NHL with the Atlanta Thrashers from 2008-10. Nelson is also two victories away from his 117th with Hershey, which would pass Murray Henderson (1952-56) for sole possession of ninth in club history for wins by a head coach.
SHEPARD MOVING UP FRANCHISE LIST FOR GAMES PLAYED AND WINS:
Hunter Shepard leads all Eastern Conference goaltenders with 13 wins and 452 saves this season. The netminder has made 98 career appearances for Hershey, tying him with David Aebischer for 21st in club history; he is two appearances away from passing Marc Denis and Dominic Roussel and for sole possession of 19th in club history. Shepard's next win for the Bears will also be his 69th career victory with the team, passing Claude Dufour for sole possession of 11th on the franchise list.
TORONTO IN TOWN:
The Bears will welcome the Toronto Marlies on Saturday for their lone visit of the regular season. Hershey dropped a 4-3 overtime loss at Toronto on November 20 and will conclude the season series this weekend on home ice. Hershey has enjoyed a four-game home point streak (2-0-2-0) against the Marlies dating back to the 2018-19 campaign.
MARCHING AGAINST THE PENGUINS:
The I-81 rivalry renews this week as Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton clash for the third of 12 total meetings this season. In the two prior games between the in-state foes, the road team came away victorious, with the Bears getting the win in the most recent encounter, a 6-1 triumph at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Dec. 4. Ethen Frank (2g, 1a), Henrik Rybinski (1g, 2a), and Mike Sgarbossa (0g, 3a) share the team scoring lead against the Penguins with three points apiece, while Filip Kral's four points (2g, 2a) paces Wilkes-Barre/Scranton against Hershey.
DOWN ON THE FARM:
The South Carolina Stingrays had a six-game winning streak snapped last Wednesday in a 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Gladiators. The Stingrays will now go nine days between games before resuming play with a three-in-three set starting Friday, when they visit the Florida Everblades for a pair of games before visiting the Orlando Solar Bears on Sunday. Forward Micah Miller - signed to an AHL contract by the Bears this summer - leads the ECHL with five game-winning goals.
BEARS BITES:
Ethen Frank leads the AHL with 19 goals, and his next goal will make him the first Bear to record at least 20 goals in three consecutive seasons since Andrew Gordon accomplished the feat between the 2008-09 campaign through the 2010-11 season...Brennan Saulnier leads the Eastern Conference with five fighting majors...Chase Priskie is tied for the league lead among defensemen with five power-play goals. His next assist will mark the 100th of his professional career...Garrett Roe suited up in his 600th professional game on Saturday against Charlotte...Hershey and Toronto are tied for the league lead with seven wins when trailing after the first period...The Bears lead the league in wins decided by one goal with 12.
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