Bears Open Road Trip against Crunch, Phantoms
Published on March 25, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears (27-26-6-3, fourth in Atlantic Division) continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they begin a stretch of eight consecutive road games this weekend with visits to Syracuse and Lehigh Valley.
2025-26 SEASON LEADERS:
Goals: Ilya Protas (26)
Assists: Andrew Cristall (35)
Points: Ilya Protas (53)
PIMs: Dalton Smith (85)
Power-Play Goals: Ilya Protas (9)
Shorthanded Goals: Grant Cruikshank (4)
Game-Winning Goals: Andrew Cristall (4)
Plus/Minus: Ilya Protas (+10)
Shots: Ilya Protas (126)
Wins: Clay Stevenson (15)
Shutouts: Garin Bjorklund, Mitch Gibson (1)
GAA: Clay Stevenson (2.70)
SV%: Clay Stevenson (.909)
Only includes players on active roster
LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Monday, March 23
Practice, 11 a.m., Hersheypark Arena
Tuesday, March 24
Practice, 11 a.m., Hersheypark Arena
Wednesday, March 25
Practice, 11 a.m., Hersheypark Arena
Thursday, March 26
Travel to Syracuse
Practice schedule is subject to change. Please check HersheyBears.com daily for updates.
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:
Saturday, March 21 - Hershey 3 at Bridgeport 4 (SO)
Sunday, March 22 - Hershey 3 vs. Bridgeport 6
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:
Friday, March 27 at Syracuse, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 28 at Lehigh Valley, 7:05 p.m.
All times Eastern.
Video Coverage: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network
TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:
PLAYOFF PRIMER:
Each morning for the remainder of the regular season the AHL will publish an update to its Playoff Primer. With 10 games remaining and currently at 63 points in the standings, the Bears will require a combination of 17 points either earned by their performance or lost by the team with the highest possible total outside of the playoff picture in order to qualify for the 2026 postseason. Although Springfield and Lehigh Valley both currently have a maximum points of 80, those two teams will face each other on April 15 at Springfield, meaning one of those teams' maximum points will automatically be reduced by at least one point.
HITTING THE ROAD:
The Bears enter their longest stretch of consecutive road games for the 2025-26 season when their road trip gets underway this weekend. Starting with Friday's contest at Syracuse, Hershey will play eight straight road contests through April 15 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to conclude the road portion of their schedule for their 88th AHL campaign, before returning home to GIANT Center for the final two games of the season. Hershey has gone 14-11-1-2 in away contests this season, and is 6-6-1-2 in road games against the opponents it will face during this upcoming road trip.
PROTAS IN NECK-AND-NECK HEAT FOR SCORING RACE:
Ilya Protas enters the weekend riding a five-game point streak (4g, 4a). The 19-year-old has played in all but one game this season, and his team-leading 53 points (26g, 27a) are tied for the league rookie scoring lead with Bakersfield's Quinn Hutson (27g, 26a). His 20.6% shooting percentage is also tops among rookies with at least 36 games played. While 26 of Hutson's points have come with his team on the man advantage compared to Protas' 15, Protas' has generated 37 points at even strength and has added a shorthanded goal, both of which are superior to Hutson. When Protas has recorded at least a point this year, the Bears have posted a 20-7-2-3 record, with Hershey's 20 wins representing the most earned when an individual player on the team's roster makes their way onto the scoresheet. The club is also 13-5-4-2 when Protas finds the back of the net.
CRUISING INTO 'CUSE:
The Bears have won their last three meetings with the Syracuse Crunch at Upstate Medical University arena, including a 2-1 victory over Syracuse on Nov. 14 that saw Ilya Protas and Andrew Cristall both find the back of the net against the Crunch. Cristall's three points (1g, 2a) in three games leads Hershey in scoring in the season series, while the AHL's leading scorer Jakob Pelletier has managed four points (2g, 2a) in two games to lead the Crunch, and carries a 13-game point streak (6g, 13a) into Friday's meeting. Bears goaltender Mitch Gibson has yet to face Syracuse in his AHL career.
FINISHING WITH THE PHANTOMS:
Hershey closes out its season series against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday at PPL Center. Through nine games, Hershey has posted a 4-4-1-0 record against its I-78 rival, with Brett Leason and Ilya Protas leading the Bears in scoring against Lehigh Valley with identical offensive statistics of three goals and five assists for eight points. The Bears are seeking their first road win against Lehigh Valley since Nov. 15, when former Phantom Matt Strome potted his second of the contest for Hershey with 13 seconds remaining in regulation to break a 3-3 tie and lift the Chocolate and White to a 4-3 victory.
STINGRAYS REPORT:
The South Carolina Stingrays clinched a berth to the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs after taking two wins out of three contests with the Allen Americans this past weekend. Hershey's ECHL affiliate currently sits in second place in the South Division, trailing the first place Florida Everblades by seven points. The Stingrays are in Boise this week for three games, beginning tonight at Idaho Central Arena. The Bears recalled forward Kyler Kupka from the Stingrays on Tuesday; Kupka is third in scoring for South Carolina this season with 42 points (19g, 23a) in 43 games and has suited up for two games with Hershey.
BEARS BITES:
Grant Cruikshank is in a four-way tie (including with Syracuse's Jakob Pelletier) for second in the league in shorthanded goals with four...Ilya Protas and Andrew Cristall are just the third Bears rookie duo to reach at least 50 points in a season since Hershey restarted its affiliation with the Washington Capitals in 2005-06, joining Riley Barber and Travis Boyd in 2015-16, and Eric Fehr and Joey Tenute in 2005-06...Hershey's 14.32 penalty minutes per game ranks eighth in the league, while Syracuse is in ninth at 14.31.
American Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2026
- Phantoms Weekly - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Tampa Bay Lightning Reassign Goaltender Harrison Meneghin from Syracuse Crunch to Orlando Solar Bears - Syracuse Crunch
- Barracuda Sign Forward Erik Bargholtz to ATO - San Jose Barracuda
- Texas Stars Loan Forward Kaleb Pearson to Idaho Steelheads - Texas Stars
- Gulls' Colangelo Suspended Two Games for Cross Checking - San Diego Gulls
- Bojangles Game Preview: March 25 at Bridgeport - Charlotte Checkers
- Gulls' Colangelo, Wild's Petersen Suspended - AHL
- Mammoth Sign Michael Hrabal to Entry-Level Deal, Joins Tucson on PTO - Tucson Roadrunners
- Bears Open Road Trip against Crunch, Phantoms - Hershey Bears
- Wrestling Day Returns Sunday against Syracuse - Rochester Americans
- Griffins Gain Point, Fall in Overtime to Admirals - Grand Rapids Griffins
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