AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Host Bruins, Rocket, and T-Birds

December 12, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The first-place Hershey Bears (19-6-0-0) are home this week for the middle of their five-game homestand. Hershey hosts Providence on Wednesday, Laval on Saturday, and Springfield on Sunday, as all three opponents make their first visits of the 2023-24 campaign to GIANT Center.

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Pierrick Dubé, Ethen Frank (12)

Assists: Mike Sgarbossa (19)

Points: Mike Sgarbossa (24)

Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank (7)

Shorthanded Goals: Hendrix Lapierre, Bogdan Trineyev (1)

Plus/Minus: Ivan Miroshnichenko (+12)

Wins: Clay Stevenson, Hunter Shepard (9)

GAA: Clay Stevenson (1.70)

SV%: Clay Stevenson (.934)

Only includes qualified players

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:

- Friday, Dec. 8 - Hershey 1 at Syracuse 4

- Saturday, Dec. 9 - Hershey 6 vs. Cleveland 0

- Sunday, Dec. 10 - Hershey 1 vs. Charlotte 3

LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF DEC. 11:

Monday, Dec. 11

DAY OFF

Tuesday, Dec. 12

PRACTICE CLOSED TO PUBLIC

Wednesday, Dec. 13

Morning Skate, 10:15 a.m. at GIANT Center

Thursday, Dec. 14

Practice at 10:30 a.m. at Hersheypark Arena

Friday, Dec. 15

Practice at 10:30 a.m. at Hersheypark Arena

Saturday, Dec. 16

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, Dec. 13 - Hershey vs. Providence Bruins, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS

Berks Dollar Dog Night - Fans can purchase $1 Berks hot dogs on the concourse at select locations.

Wacky Wednesday Beer Special - Fans 21-and-over can enjoy a $5 16 oz. Labatt beer special, available from doors to puck drop.

Saturday, Dec. 16 - Hershey vs. Laval Rocket, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS

Pepsi Hunter Shepard Bobblehead Night - The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a Hunter Shepard Bobblehead, courtesy of Pepsi.

CPIHL Jerseys - Bears players will wear the jerseys of local high school hockey teams from the Central Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (CPIHL) during warm-ups prior to the game.

Sunday, Dec. 17 - Hershey vs. Springfield Thunderbirds, 5 p.m. - BUY TICKETS

Dreamer's Hollow Children's Night - A variety of characters from Dreamer's Hollow will be on-site for photo opportunities, interact with fans, and take part in game day activities.

Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Capitals Radio Network; Tickets: HersheyBears.com

All times Eastern

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

KINGS OF THE HILL:

Hershey entered the week atop the league standings, with a four-point edge on second-place Calgary in the overall standings, and a five-point lead on Hartford for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. The Bears are bolstered by several players who are among the league leaders, with Mike Sgarbossa tied for sixth in scoring with 24 points (5g, 19a), Ethen Frank and Pierrick Dubé tied for fourth in goals with 12 (with Frank also tied for the league lead in power-play goals with seven), and Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson are tied for third in goaltending wins with nine apiece (with Stevenson also leading all goalies in shutouts with four).

BEARS CAN JOIN SOME ELITE COMPANY:

At 19-6-0-0 through 25 games, the Bears can match a franchise record with a win on Wednesday against Providence. Should Hershey achieve victory, this season's team will tie the 2008-09 Bears for the fastest 20 wins earned in club history. The 2008-09 Bears team reached the 20-win plateau in their 26th game, a 3-0 victory over Norfolk on Dec. 7, 2008, to cap an 11-game winning streak.

SOMETHING BRUIN:

The Bears started their road schedule this season against the Bruins with a pair of games in the Renaissance City during the weekend of Oct. 20, winning by scores of 3-2 and 5-4 via a shootout on back-to-back nights, giving their first pair of consecutive victories at Providence since Feb. 18, 2017 (4-0 W) and Nov. 17, 2017 (4-1 W). Now, the Bears will look to prevent Providence from coming into their den and spoiling the party this Wednesday, when Hershey hosts the first of its three home games against the Bruins during the 2023-24 campaign this Wednesday. Over the last seven seasons, the Bears have owned a record of 8-8-1-1 on home ice against Providence. This season, Providence has posted a record of 8-5-0-0 on the road, and has won seven consecutive games overall, which includes a five-game road win streak.

GIANT CENTER PREPARES TO CELEBRATE BEARS MILESTONE:

Saturday's game against Laval will mark the 800th regular-season home game for the Bears at GIANT Center. Since moving into the 10,500-seat venue at the start of the 2002-03 season, the Bears have played all but two of their home games at GIANT Center in that time, enjoying a 487-212-10-41-48 (.672) record on home ice during the regular season in front of over 6.9 million fans.

ROCKET STRUGGLING TO LAUNCH:

Laval makes its way to Hershey this week near the basement of the league standings, and currently occupies the cellar of the North Division with a 6-12-3-2 record. The Rocket have only one victory in their last 10 contests and are 2-6-2-1 on the road this season. The Bears own a lifetime 3-1-0-0 record at home against the Rocket, and last hosted Laval on Nov. 13 last year, when Hendrix Lapierre scored the opening goal for Hershey and assisted on Bobby Nardella's game-winner in an eventual 4-1 victory. Brandon Gignac paces the Rocket this season with 22 points (7g, 15a) in 23 games, while Joshua Roy is third in the AHL's rookie scoring race with 20 points (8g, 12a). The Rocket are averaging the second-most penalty minutes per game this season at 16.87, but despite that time in the box, they lead the AHL with seven shorthanded goals, with Nathan Légaré entering the week tied with Springfield's Nathan Walker for the league lead with three shorthanded markers.

T-BIRDS TAKING OFF:

Springfield has picked up points in its last four games with a 3-0-1-0 streak, and the St. Louis Blues affiliate currently occupies fourth place in the Atlantic Division. Former Bear Nathan Walker (11g, 14a) and Adam Gaudette (13g, 10a) have been leading Springfield in scoring for much of the early part of the season, while the club is anchored on defense by goaltender Malcom Subban, who came to the St. Louis/Springfield pipeline this past summer on a one-year, two-way NHL contract.

BEARS BITES:

Hershey leads the AHL with 15 regulation wins, and 18 regulation + overtime wins...Hershey is 15-3-0-0 when scoring in the first period this season...The Bears are 15-0-0-0 this season when leading after the second period...Hershey is 9-1-0-0 this season in games decided by one goal...The Chocolate and White have gone 5-for-16 (31.25%) on the power play and 18-for-20 (90%) on the penalty kill in their last five games...Pierrick Dubé has five goals in his last six games...Hershey is 16-1-0-0 this season when Mike Sgarbossa records a point, and 8-0-0-0 when Ethen Frank records a multi-point game...Joe Snively skated in his 200th professional contest in Sunday's loss to Charlotte...Jimmy Huntington has four assists in his last five games.

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from December 12, 2023


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