AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Look To Make History Friday

Published on April 13, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


With a chance to clinch an East Division championship, the BEARS travel Friday to Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre where arguably the two best teams in the AHL will collide for the 10th and final time in 2006-07.

As play gets underway Friday night in northeast PA, the BEARS have the AHL's best point total at 110, while the Penguins enter action Friday with 108 points. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has just one game remaining after Friday's head-to-head with HERSHEY, while the BEARS will have two games left. Should HERSHEY win Friday night in regulation, overtime or the shootout, the BEARS would win the 2006-07 East Division Championship and clinch home-ice advantage throughout the 2007 Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Penguins, after dropping a 3-1 decision to HERSHEY to put their collective backs to the wall this past Sunday at GIANT Center, responded Wednesday with a 6-0 drubbing of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at Wachovia Arena to again draw within two points of the front-running BEARS. Wilkes-Barre can forge a tie at the top of the East Division standings Friday with only a regulation win over HERSHEY.

The BEARS with a win Friday can also win the MacGregor Kilpatrick Trophy, awarded by the American Hockey League to the regular season points champion. The BEARS have only seven times previously claimed the honor, with the last time occuring back in 1987-88. HERSHEY also with a win can tie the franchise record for victories in a season Friday. Entering play with 49 wins in Wilkes-Barre, the 2006-07 edition look to tie the 1987-88 club as the only teams in franchise history to win 50 games in a single season.

Elsewhere around the East Division Friday, the Albany River Rats can potentially clinch the fourth and final playoff spot with a victory in Binghamton against the Senators and a Bridgeport regulation loss in Hartford. The Rats defeated Binghamton Wednesday while the Sound Tigers lost in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to open up a three-point Albany advantage heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Friday's game can be heard via the BEARS Radio Network (100.1 FM, 1490-AM and 960-AM), as well as through Pennlive.com and WHYLRadio.com. B2 Networks provides a video feed of the game through HersheyBears.com. John Walton has the call of the game from Wachovia Arena beginning at 6:45 p.m.

Tickets are currently on sale for the first two games of the 2007 Calder Cup Playoffs at GIANT Center, with dates and times to be released as they become available. For tickets, call (717) 534-3911 or visit the GIANT Center box office.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 13, 2007


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