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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Open Second Half of 2023-24 Season

January 8, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The first-place Hershey Bears (29-7-0-0) hit the road to begin the second half of the 2023-24 season, coming off a record-setting GIANT Teddy Bear Toss this past weekend. Hershey enters the week with a 15-point lead for first place in the American Hockey League's overall standings, and a 16-point edge for first place in the Atlantic Division. Hershey has one game on the slate this week - a Saturday road match at Lehigh Valley - before opening next week with a Monday afternoon clash at Bridgeport.

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Pierrick Dubé (19)

Assists: Mike Sgarbossa (26)

Points: Mike Sgarbossa (33)

Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank (7)

Shorthanded Goals: Henrik Rybinski, Bogdan Trineyev (1)

Plus/Minus: Vincent Iorio (+14)

Wins: Clay Stevenson (13)

GAA: Clay Stevenson (1.79)

SV%: Clay Stevenson (.934)

Only includes qualified players on active roster

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:

- Wednesday, Jan. 3 - Hershey 4 vs. Charlotte 1

- Saturday, Jan. 6 - Hershey 3 vs. Hartford 5

- Sunday, Jan. 7 - Hershey 3 vs. Lehigh Valley 2 (OT)

LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF JAN. 8:

Monday, Jan. 8

DAY OFF

Tuesday, Jan. 9

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

Wednesday, Jan. 10

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

Thursday, Jan. 11

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

Friday, Jan. 12

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

Saturday, Jan. 13

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:

Saturday, Jan. 13 - Hershey at Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 15 - Hershey at Bridgeport Islanders, 3 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 19 - Hershey at Hartford Wolf Pack, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 20 - Hershey vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS

PSECU Knit Cap Night - The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a Calder Cup Champions knit cap, courtesy of PSECU.

TV Coverage: FOX43 (Monday game only); Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Capitals Radio Network; Tickets: HersheyBears.com

All times Eastern

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

SWEET CUDDLY MAYHEM:

The Bears celebrated a new club and hockey world-record in the GIANT Teddy Bear Toss held on Jan. 7, when Bogdan Trineyev's goal at 4:15 of the second period ignited the plush pandemonium, as the season-high crowd of 10,765 sent 74,599 teddy bears and stuffed animals onto the ice at GIANT Center, breaking the previous mark of 67,309 collected by Hershey during the 2023 event. Since Hershey began hosting the GIANT Teddy Bear Toss in 2001, the Bears have collected and distributed 464,107 teddy bears to children throughout Central Pennsylvania as part of the Hershey Bears Cares initiative. Additionally, the Sweigart Family Foundation has donated $55,000 to Children's Miracle Network Hershey in recognition of the staggering generosity shown by Bears fans. The Sweigart family has made a contribution to Children's Miracle Network Hershey in celebration of the GIANT Teddy Bear Toss since 2016.

PUSHING THE PACE:

Through the halfway point of the 72-game 2023-24 campaign, the Bears are off to a blistering start, both amongst their fellow AHL teams and when measured against every prior season in club history. The Bears have recorded two separate nine-game win streaks, which stand as the largest win streak by any AHL club this season. With 29 wins and 58 points already accrued through 36 contests, the Bears had already shattered the club's previous mark for most wins through 36 games (2009-10; 26-8-0-2) and have surpassed the previous franchise record for most points by the 36th game (2006-07; 25-4-3-4, 57 points). Next up is Hershey's record for fastest 30 wins, which was set by the 2009-10 team in the 41st game (30-9-0-2) of an 80-game schedule.

LIM-OT WINNER:

Forward Alex Limoges netted Hershey's game-winner in Sunday's 3-2 overtime victory against Lehigh Valley, giving him his second goal scored in the sudden-death frame this season. Since the American Hockey League first adopted the use of sudden-death overtime to decide tied regular-season games in the 1950-51 season, the Bears' record for most overtime goals in a single season by an individual player is held by Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Famer and franchise goal king Dunc Fisher, who netted three overtime goals for Hershey in the 1953-54 season. Limoges has four game-winning goals in total this season, matching his output from each of the past two seasons with both the Manitoba Moose and San Diego Gulls. The Penn State alumnus is tied with Ethen Frank for second in team scoring with 28 points (10g, 18a) and has a three-game point streak (1g, 3a); he has 10 points (4g, 6a) in his last 10 games.

ADDITIONAL ALL-STAR SELECTIONS EXPECTED THIS WEEK:

The AHL has already announced that two members of the Bears will be attending next month's All-Star Classic at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, with head coach Todd Nelson coaching the Atlantic Division and Dylan McIlrath receiving a selection by the league as one of two playing captains. The AHL is expected to announce the remainder of players for the All-Star Classic later this week. Last season, in addition to Nelson, the Chocolate and White were represented by forwards Ethen Frank and Mike Vecchione at the 2023 event in Laval.

SUBLIME SGARBOSSA:

Mike Sgarbossa enters the week tied with Providence's Georgii Merkulov for third in league scoring with 33 points (7g, 26a). His 26 helpers are tied with Texas' Mavrik Bourque for second in the AHL, while his 13 assists on the power play are also tied for second with Hartford's Mac Hollowell. The veteran forward scored a clutch game-tying goal for Hershey late in the third period of Sunday's eventual 3-2 overtime victory against Lehigh Valley. The Bears are 22-1-0-0 this season when Sgarbossa records at least a point, and he is tied with Ethen Frank for the team lead with nine multi-point outings.

YOU AGAIN?:

The Bears will face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the third time in as many weeks this Saturday when they travel along I-78 to PPL Center. Hershey is 5-1-0-0 against their Atlantic Division rival this season, and has outscored Lehigh Valley 18-9 in the series, with six games remaining in head-to-head competition. Several players are tied for the team lead in scoring against Lehigh Valley with four points; Pierrick Dubé leads the Bears against the Phantoms with four goals. Goalie Clay Stevenson sports a 3-1-0 record against the Phantoms, along with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .964 save percentage; all three of his victories have come via shutout.

RARE MONDAY AFTERNOON GAME NEXT WEEK:

The Bears will visit the Bridgeport Islanders next Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Total Mortgage Arena, one of two Monday games Hershey is slated to play this season, with the other being on Feb. 19 at Belleville. Hershey is 4-0-0-0 this season against the Islanders, winning twice at Bridgeport. Mike Sgarbossa leads the Bears with six points (1g, 5a) in four games. All three of Hershey's goaltenders this season have earned victories against Bridgeport, with Mitch Gibson winning his AHL debut on the road on Oct. 22 in a 3-2 overtime victory.

BEARS BITES:

Pierrick Dubé's next game will be the 100th of his pro career. The forward is tied for second in the AHL with 19 goals and five game-winners...Defender Lucas Johansen has recorded six points (2g, 4a) in eight games since joining the Bears on loan from the NHL's Washington Capitals...Clay Stevenson is fifth in goalie wins, and is tops among rookie netminders with 13. He also leads all qualified goalies in goals-against average (1.79), save percentage (.934), and shutouts...Hershey is the least-penalized team in the AHL, averaging 9.31 PIMs per game...The Bears are one of two teams with an unblemished record beyond regulation, with five wins in overtime and two shootout victories; Manitoba has won three times in sudden-death and once in the penalty shot contest...Hershey has scored first a league-leading 23 times; the Bears are 22-1-0-0 when scoring first...The Bears lead the AHL with 39 goals in the opening frame, and are also 19-1-0-0 when not surrendering a goal in the first period...The Chocolate and White lead the league with the fewest goals against per game (2.11), along with the fewest shots against per game (26.06).

THEY SAID IT:

"That'll be the challenge. I think against Hartford, just to see how they came in here [Saturday] - they outworked us. It was a good wake-up call for our hockey team. I talk about inviting adversity, so you can go through those tough times and we haven't had a whole lot yet, but there will be a part of the season where it does happen. It'll be a challenge - [we've] got to keep things fresh for the guys and as a coaching staff just challenge them to increase on our technical package to get them thinking, so it's not just an everyday thing. We're excited and we're happy with where we're at, but it's only halfway during the season. A lot of things can happen; we just want to put ourselves in a good spot for playoffs." - Bears head coach Todd Nelson on maintaining Hershey's first-half pace heading into the second half of the 2023-24 season.

"Well, first you're celebrating the goal and then you start getting pelted with bears, so you're trying to take cover a little bit. But [it's] just a phenomenal atmosphere of seeing tens of thousands of bears just start raining down. You've got to start watching your step so you don't step on any of them and it's always talked about, but until you really seize that moment from the ice view, it's just an absolutely incredible feat by our fans, first and foremost. And then, the we get to celebrate this win, and the win for the kids as well with those bears." - Bears defenseman Chase Priskie on recounting the experience of being on ice for Hershey's Teddy Bear Toss goal by Bogdan Trineyev.

"That was a lot of fun. I think more of a relief than anything. I don't think I celebrated, really. It was just like, 'All right, good. We won - finally.' But that was a lot of fun. Definitely jealous of Bogey, but being able to help out the team is definitely big in my book." - Bears forward Alex Limoges on scoring the overtime-winner in Sunday's GIANT Teddy Bear Toss game.

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