Bears Open 74th Regular Season this Weekend
October 5, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
HERSHEY, Pa. - The curtain will rise on the 2011-12 American Hockey League regular season on Friday, October 7, and the HERSHEY BEARS are on the schedule to begin their quest for a 12th club championship with a visit to the defending Calder Cup champion Binghamton Senators.
"With training camp and pre-season completed, we are excited to see this year's edition of the HERSHEY BEARS hit the ice," said BEARS President/GM Doug Yingst. "A combination of new talent and the return of old faces should make for an exciting season for our fans."
The BEARS' goaltending tandem will be back for a second consecutive season as third-year pro Braden Holtby brings 67 career victories into this year, while also posting 10 wins in 14 appearances in 2010-11 with the Washington Capitals. Veteran Dany Sabourin also returns and despite an injury-shortened campaign in 2010-11, still managed to post a 14-9-0 record with two shutouts and a 2.45 goals-against average.
Veteran winger Graham Mink is back in HERSHEY after a successful season with the AHL's Peoria Rivermen. The Stowe, VT native posted his fourth career 50-point season and sixth consecutive season with 20 or more goals. Mink will look to add another championship to his BEARS resume, having won the title in 2006 and 2009.
After a one-year stint playing overseas, winger Chris Bourque will join the BEARS for his sixth season with the club. Bourque has amassed 300 points (104 goals, 196 assists) in 319 games in a HERSHEY uniform, and ranks 21st on the BEARS' all-time scoring list.
Last season, veteran center Keith Aucoin became the 21st player in AHL history to record 700 career points. In his fourth season with the BEARS, the Waltham, MA native now will aim to surpass 700 career AHL games.
Re-signing with HERSHEY in the offseason, veteran winger Boyd Kane will attempt to earn his fourth Calder Cup. Kane captained the BEARS' 2006 championship team and served as assistant captain on the 2010 squad. The 33-year-old also claimed a title with the Philadelphia Phantoms in 2005.
New faces to wear the Chocolate and White include center Ryan Potulny, last year's Calder Cup playoff points leader (26) and eventual member of Binghamton's championship squad. He is the younger brother of former BEARS winger Grant Potulny, and is famous for scoring the game-winning goal in the longest contest in AHL history on April 24, 2008 - a five-overtime tilt in Game Five of the East Division Semifinals.
Forward Jacob Micflikier also joins the BEARS after a career season with Charlotte, where he led the Checkers with a plus-15 rating, finished second on the team with 29 goals, and was one of three players to surpass 60 points.
Forward Matt Ford and defenseman Julien Brouillette come to Chocolatetown as teammates last season in Lake Erie. Ford led the Monsters with 26 goals, while Brouillette chipped in 17 points from the blue line. Both helped the Monsters earn their first-ever Calder Cup playoff berth.
6-4, 228-lb. center Christian Hanson brings 42 games of NHL experience with the Toronto Maple Leafs in parts of just three seasons, while adding 65 points in 96 AHL games with the Toronto Marlies.
Washington's third-round draft selection in 2009, center Cody Eakin is the top rookie to watch in 2011-12. Eakin notched 44 points in just 26 games in Kootenay last season, and went on to help the Ice to the WHL championship.
The highlight of the BEARS' 2011-12 schedule is the Outdoor Classic on Friday, January 6, when the team faces off against the Adirondack Phantoms at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia at 7:00 PM. The game is a part of the 2012 NHL Winter Classic's week-long celebration of events.
The St. John's IceCaps will make their first-ever visits to Giant Center on Wednesday, March 21 and Saturday, March 31, while the BEARS travel to Newfoundland for the first time since 2004-05 on Friday and Saturday, March 8 and 9.
The regular season wraps up with a three-game road weekend in Portland, Manchester, and Worcester from April 13-15.
Following this Friday's season opener, the BEARS will visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday, October 8 at 7:05 PM and the Norfolk Admirals on Friday, October 14 at 7:30 PM.
The BEARS will face off against the Admirals in the team's home opener at Giant Center on Saturday, October 15 at 7:00 PM. Individual tickets for this and all regular-season home games are on sale now by calling (717) 508-BEAR, or by visiting ticketmaster.com.
HERSHEY BEARS season ticket plans are on sale now by calling (717) 508-BEAR, with many different flexible plans still available. Season ticket plans start as low as $160.
American Hockey League Stories from October 5, 2011
- Flames Assign Jordan Henry to Abbotsford - Abbotsford Heat
- Kings Announce Player Transactions - Manchester Monarchs
- Rangers Recall Tim Erixon from Whale, Assign Sean Avery - Connecticut Whale
- Pirates to Offer Exclusive Ticket Lottery - Portland Pirates
- Wolves, IceHogs and Rivermen Announce Illinois Lottery Cup - Chicago Wolves
- Rivermen to Battle for Illinois Lottery Cup - Peoria Rivermen
- IceHogs to Battle for Illinois Lottery Cup in 2011-12 - Rockford IceHogs
- Panthers Assign Steven Reinprecht and Mike Kostka to San Antonio - San Antonio Rampage
- Bartulis Assigned to Adirondack - Adirondack Phantoms
- Five Depart for Toledo - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Giroux Assigned to Falcons - Springfield Falcons
- Islanders Assign Reese, Frischmon to Sound Tigers - Bridgeport Islanders
- Oreskovich and Parent Sent to Chicago - Chicago Wolves
- Devils, ESPN Radio Announce Broadcast Schedule - Albany Devils
- Canadiens Assign Three Players to Bulldogs - Hamilton Bulldogs
- San Jose Sharks Reduce Training Camp Roster by Two Players - Worcester Sharks
- Bears Name Captains for 2011-12 Season - Hershey Bears
- Wolves Release Two - Chicago Wolves
- Rampage Open 10th Anniversary Season this Saturday - San Antonio Rampage
- Texas Stars Unveil Alternate Jersey - Texas Stars
- Wolves Weekly Press Notes - Chicago Wolves
- Columbus Blue Jackets Assign Forward Alexandre Giroux to AHL's Springfield Falcons - Springfield Falcons
- Sunday's Whale Game to Air on Tape Delay on WCCC-FM - Connecticut Whale
- Jets Sign Aebischer to AHL Contract - St. John's IceCaps
- Bears Open 74th Regular Season this Weekend - Hershey Bears
- Canadiens Assign Ian Schultz to Bulldogs - Hamilton Bulldogs
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