Bears Record Best Regular Season in AHL History
April 5, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
The HERSHEY BEARS Hockey Club has now posted the best regular season of any team in AHL history, winning a record 59 games heading into the final week of the regular season. The BEARS set a new AHL standard Saturday with a win over the Syracuse Crunch, besting the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers, who won 57 regular season games.
HERSHEY needs one win in its last three games to become the first AHL team to win 60 games in a single season. The BEARS take on Syracuse Tuesday night in central New York, and wrap up the most successful regular season in AHL history Friday and Saturday with a pair of games in Norfolk against the Admirals. The team will open the 2010 Calder Cup playoffs on Wednesday, April 14 with Game 1 of the East Division Semi-Finals at 7:00 p.m. HERSHEY'S opponent in the first round has yet to be determined.
Tickets for both home games this weekend are on sale now at the Giant Center box office or by calling (717) 534-3911.
Handing out the hardware: The BEARS held its annual end of season awards night on the ice at Giant Center Sunday, with center Keith Aucoin earning team MVP honors. Defenseman John Carlson, currently on recall to Washington, was named HERSHEY'S rookie of the year and also the team's best defenseman. Center Andrew Joudrey took home the team's unsung hero award for 2009-10. Aucoin, Alexandre Giroux and Andrew Gordon all received their AHL first and second team All-Star awards on the ice Sunday as well.
Closing in on more history: Left wing Alexandre Giroux has 99 points this season with three regular season games remaining. Should he reach 100, it would mark the first time in team history that two different players (Aucoin with 102) have reached the 100-point plateau in the same season while wearing a HERSHEY sweater.
Practice schedule: The BEARS will practice Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 a.m., with media availability after each skate.. This will be the only local media availability for players and coaches this week, with road games Tuesday, Friday and Saturday to close the regular season.
Never better at home: The BEARS concluded the 2009-10 home schedule Sunday with a staggering 34-4-0-2 record. The 34 home wins is a new franchise record for most home wins in one season.
Still chasing the Rangers: Even though the BEARS eclipsed the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers and that team's win record, HERSHEY still needs four standings points this week to establish a new AHL points record. Binghamton had 124 back in 1992-93, the BEARS enter play Tuesday in Syracuse with 121 and three games left on the schedule.
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