Calder Cup Finals Game 1 Preview: Bears at Firebirds, 10 p.m.
Published on June 8, 2023 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Palm Desert, CA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2023 playoffs, presented by Penn State Health, as they take the ice tonight for Game 1 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals against the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Acrisure Arena.
#2 Hershey Bears (10-3) at #2 Coachella Valley Firebirds (12-7)
June 8, 2023 | 10 p.m. ET | Calder Cup Finals - Game 1 | Series tied, 0-0 | Acrisure Arena
Referees: Morgan MacPhee (#43), Carter Sandlak (#47)
Linespersons: Dan Kelly (#98), Joseph Mahon (#89)
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch and FOX43's Andrew Kalista on the call
TV: WPMT FOX43, NBC Sports Washington
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, Capitals Radio Network, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 9:30 p.m.
Watch Party Alert
Bears fans can view the game together as Hershey will host watch parties for both Games 1 and 2 of the Calder Cup Finals at Arooga's in Hummelstown at 637 E. Main Street. Reservations for the watch party are preferred. Festivities are set to start at 9 p.m., with puck drop to follow at Coachella Valley at 10 p.m. During intermissions, longtime in-arena emcee and Bears Radio Network contributor Jim Jones will host games with a chance to win Hershey Bears prizes.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears faced the Rochester Americans on June 2 as they closed out the Eastern Conference Finals with a 1-0 win in Game 6. Shane Gersich scored the lone goal of the contest at 12:40 of the second period when Beck Malenstyn's shot rebounded off the pads of Malcom Subban to Gersich, who put home his first of the playoffs. Hunter Shepard made 24 saves for his second shutout of the series and postseason as Hershey clinched the Richard F. Canning Trophy. The Firebirds locked up the Western Conference crown with a Game 6 win of their own against Milwaukee on Monday night, as Tye Kartye scored twice, including the game-winner, to help lead Coachella Valley past the Admirals.
HOW WE GOT HERE:
The Bears are making their league-record 24th appearance in the Calder Cup Finals, and their first since 2016. After finishing the regular season with a 44-19-5-4 record, good for second place in the Atlantic Division and fourth overall in the league, Hershey dispatched the Charlotte Checkers three games to one in the Atlantic Division Semifinals, swept the upstart Hartford Wolf Pack three games to none in the Atlantic Division Finals, and conquered the Rochester Americans four games to two in the Eastern Conference Finals. Coachella Valley, playing in its first season, finished second in both the Pacific Division and the league standings with a regular-season record of 48-17-5-2. The Firebirds took down the Tucson Roadrunners two games to one in the first round, knocked off the Colorado Eagles three games to two in the Pacific Division Semifinals, then edged the first-place Calgary Wranglers three games to two in the Pacific Division Finals, and took down the Milwaukee Admirals four games to two in the Western Conference Finals.
NELLY GOES FOR TWO:
In his first season at the helm of the Bears, Hershey head coach Todd Nelson looks to add to his legacy of success. A Calder Cup win for Nelson with the Bears would give him his second career Calder Cup title as a head coach, after previously winning the championship with Grand Rapids in 2017. In doing so, Nelson would become just the 12th head coach in league history to win multiple Calder Cups, joining former Bears bench bosses Frank Mathers (3) and John Paddock (3); Nelson would join Paddock and Fred "Bun" Cook as only the third head coach in league history to win Cups with different teams.
NELLY VS. DISCO DAN, PART 2:
Nelson also won the Calder Cup as a player with the 1994 Portland Pirates and as an assistant coach with the 2008 Chicago Wolves, who defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins four games to two. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's assistant coach that season was Dan Bylsma, now at the helm of the Firebirds. The following season, Bylsma was named head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins midway through the campaign, and later that spring hoisted the Stanley Cup after guiding Pittsburgh to a seven-game series win over the Detroit Red Wings. Nelson, meanwhile, later captured an additional Calder Cup in 2017 as the bench boss for Grand Rapids, and helped the Dallas Stars reach the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.
ADDITIONAL FINALS EXPERIENCE ON BOTH SIDES:
In addition to Todd Nelson and Dan Bylsma's history in the Calder Cup Finals, there are several members of both teams who have either captured a Calder Cup or have played for the AHL's championship trophy before in their careers. Bears vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer is a three-time champion as a player (Albany, 1995; Hershey, 2009 and 2010), and was an assistant coach for Hershey during its last Finals appearance in 2016. Assistant coach Patrick Wellar was a member of the 2010 Bears squad as a player. Current Bears captain Dylan McIlrath captured the 2017 Calder Cup with Grand Rapids. Defender Aaron Ness is back in the Calder Cup Finals for the second time in his career after helping Hershey to the championship round in 2016 against Lake Erie. Sam Anas was a member of the Springfield Thunderbirds squad last season that fell in five games to the Chicago Wolves. In addition to Dan Bylsma's experience as an assistant with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2008, Firebirds assistant coach Stu Bickel was also on the bench of Springfield last season with Anas as well. Firebirds head equipment manager Brian Garcia held the same role with the 2010 Texas Stars squad that fell to Hershey. Coachella Valley forward Andrew Poturalski is seeking his third Calder Cup as a player after capturing the championship with Charlotte in 2019 and captaining Chicago in 2022.
FIRST WIN WEIGHS HEAVY:
The team that takes Game 1 will have some favorable odds going forward in the rest of the series. In the 84 times that the Calder Cup has been contested, the winning team of Game 1 has gone on to win the Cup 63 times (75%). Last season, current Bears forward Sam Anas and the Springfield Thunderbirds took Game 1 against the Chicago Wolves, only to lose the series in five games. The Bears also famously dropped the first two games of the 2010 Calder Cup Finals at home before going on to win four straight against the first-year Texas Stars to claim their most recent championship. Hershey is a lifetime 11-12 in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals, and holds an 8-3 series record in years in which it has won the opening match.
ROAD WARRIORS:
Hershey will look to extend its road playoff win streak of six games tonight. The Bears are a perfect 6-0 away from GIANT Center entering the championship round, matching a franchise record shared with the 2006 Bears, which ultimately went 8-3 on the road, and the 1988 Bears, which finished the postseason with a 6-0 road win as part of an overall 12-0 record to win the title. The AHL playoff record for most consecutive road victories in a single postseason belongs to the 1998 Philadelphia Phantoms team, which won its first nine road games en route to a championship.
SPECIAL TEAMS GLANCE:
The Calder Cup Finals may very well be a battle of discipline, as both the Bears and Firebirds have averaged approximately eight penalty minutes per game, with Hershey averaging 8.15 compared to Coachella Valley's 8.32. The Bears have gone 8-for-37 with the man advantage through 13 playoff games, converting on 21.6% of their chances, while the Firebirds have gone 13-for-72 (18.1%) in 19 contests. Coachella's 72 power-play opportunities are the most by any team in the postseason, so staying out of the box will be critical; Hershey boasts a penalty kill that ranks fifth in the postseason at 30-for-35 (85.7%).
BEARS BITES:
Aliaksei Protas leads Hershey in playoff scoring with 12 points (5g, 7a) in 13 games, while the Firebirds are paced by Kole Lind's 23 points (7g, 16a) in 19 games...Coachella Valley netminder Joey Daccord leads all playoff goaltenders in wins (12), losses (7), minutes played (1,190:27), and saves (569)...Firebirds defenseman Ryker Evans leads all rookies and all blueliners in scoring with 16 points (3g, 13a) in 19 games...Hershey is 6-1 when scoring first, while Coachella Valley is 9-2 when lighting the lamp first...Coachella Valley leads the playoffs with three shorthanded goals, but has also given up two...The Bears lead the postseason with 1.92 goals against per game, while the Firebirds rank fifth at 2.53...Hershey is 6-0 when leading after two periods, while Coachella is 9-0; the Bears are 2-3 when trailing after two periods, while the Firebirds are 1-5...Hershey forward Mason Morelli has the best shooting percentage of any player in the Finals, with a 31.3% rate (5-for-16)...Bears captain Dylan McIlrath is tied for second in the postseason with 24 penalty minutes.
American Hockey League Stories from June 8, 2023
- Bears Open Calder Cup Finals with 5-0 Loss to Firebirds - Hershey Bears
- American Hockey League Announces Partnership with SponsorCX - AHL
- Pioneer Health Care Named "Official First Aid Partner" of the Belleville Senators - Belleville Senators
- Syracuse Crunch to Hold 30th Season Home Opener October 14 - Syracuse Crunch
- Calder Cup Finals Game 1 Preview: Bears at Firebirds, 10 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Rangers Ink Anton Blidh to Two-Year Contract Extension - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Bridgeport Islanders Hiring Gameday and Promotional Positions - Bridgeport Islanders
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