Game Preview: Bears at Checkers, 4 p.m.
Published on January 17, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Charlotte, NC) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they visit the Charlotte Checkers for the first of two games this weekend at Bojangles Coliseum.
Hershey Bears (17-14-3-0) at Charlotte Checkers (21-12-2-0)
Jan. 17, 2026 | 4 p.m. | Bojangles Coliseum
Referees: Morgan MacPhee (43), Kyle Bauman (59)
Linespersons: Shane Gustafson (18), Brian Pincus (25)
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43 sports director Todd Sadowski on the call
TELEVISION: Antenna TV (WPMT FOX 43.2, Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, and Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88)
RADIO: WFVY-100.1-FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Froggy Valley 100.1-FM Stream, Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 3:30 p.m.; television coverage starts at 4 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears built a 2-0 lead against the Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday with goals from David Gucciardi and Andrew Cristall, but Hartford's Brett Berard scored the tying goal late in the second period and added the overtime winner to deal Hershey a 3-2 loss. The Checkers are coming off of back-to-back 8-2 wins over the Springfield Thunderbirds, as Robert Mastrosimone led the way Wednesday with a hat trick performance and Charlotte outshot Springfield 31-18.
ALL-STAR PRO-TOTYPE:
Forward Ilya Protas enters today's game after being named to the 2026 American Hockey League All-Star Classic roster on Thursday. The rookie leads the Bears with 14 goals and is second on the team in points with 27, while ranking second in goal scoring among all AHL rookies. Protas is still seeking his first career points against Charlotte, the only Atlantic Division opponent that has held the center off the scoresheet.
RAMPING UP ON THE ROAD:
Today's game marks a busy stretch of nine games (3 home, 6 road) in 15 days for the Bears to close out the month of January. The contest also marks Hershey's first game outside of the state of Pennsylvania since Nov. 22 at Cleveland, as the Bears played their last 18 games (7-9-2-0) within the borders of the Keystone State. Hershey's 11 road games (6-5-0-0) represents the fewest away matches played by any AHL club this season; the Bears enjoyed six consecutive road wins from Oct. 29-Nov. 20 before dropping their last four contests.
QUEEN CITY QUEST:
The Bears split a pair of games with Charlotte at GIANT Center in December. Ivan Miroshnichenko (1g, 2a) and Brett Leason (3a) lead Hershey in scoring against Charlotte with three points, and both have been recalled to the NHL by Washington. Nate Smith's two points (1g, 1a) lead the Checkers in scoring against the Bears.
BEARS BITES:
Bogdan Trineyev enters today's game with a three-game point streak (1g, 2a)...The Bears are 12-0-2-0 when leading after two periods...Hershey has scored a goal in the first period in each of its last five games, a season high...Hershey is 9-3-3-0 in games decided by one goal.
ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Jan. 17, 1987 - After going nearly a month without a goal, Mitch Lamoureux found the back of the net twice and added an assist to help the Bears thump the Rochester Americans 6-2. Lamoureux's two goals snapped an 11-game drought as Hershey earned the win in front of 7,269 at Hersheypark Arena.
American Hockey League Stories from January 17, 2026
- Ostman's 28-Save Shutout, Nyman's Multi-Goal Effort Leads Firebirds over Gulls - Coachella Valley Firebirds
- Ostman's Shutout, Nyman's Multi-Goal Effort Leads Firebirds to 4-0 Win over Gulls - Coachella Valley Firebirds
- Postava Notches First AHL Shutout in Griffins' Victory over Milwaukee - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Stars Lose Late Heartbreaker to Reign - Texas Stars
- Wolves Hammer IceHogs, 5-2, for Third Win in Row - Chicago Wolves
- Crunch Hold off Phantoms - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Miner Earns 33-Save Shutout in Eagles' 3-0 Blanking of Henderson - Colorado Eagles
- Iowa Falls 5-4 to Texas in Country Night Thriller - Iowa Wild
- Penguins Exact Revenge on Hartford, Win 4-1 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Syracuse Crunch Defeat Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 4-1 - Syracuse Crunch
- Cleveland Defeated 5-0 in Providence - Cleveland Monsters
- Amerks Come up Empty-Handed in Utica - Rochester Americans
- Blumel, DiPietro Help P-Bruins Blank Monsters - Providence Bruins
- Ads Stifled by Grand Rapids - Milwaukee Admirals
- T-Birds Offense Dries up in Bridgeport - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Early Hole Too Much to Overcome as Wolf Pack Fall 4-1 to Penguins - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Islanders Edge Thunderbirds 4-1, Extend Win Streak to Four Wins - Bridgeport Islanders
- Comets Back in the Win Column, Blank Amerks 3-0 - Utica Comets
- Cristall Caps 4-3 OT Comeback Win for Bears over Checkers - Hershey Bears
- DiVincentiis Shutout Lifts Moose at Laval - Manitoba Moose
- Checkers Snag Point, Fall in OT to Bears - Charlotte Checkers
- Wranglers Fall 5-1 to Bakersfield - Calgary Wranglers
- McDonald Recalled to Flyers - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- New York Rangers Assign D Connor Mackey to Hartford Wolf Pack - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Providence Bruins Recall Luke Cavallin from Mariners - Providence Bruins
- Preview: Phantoms vs. Syracuse, Game 37 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Game Preview: Bears at Checkers, 4 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Gulls Blank Canucks, 1-0 - San Diego Gulls
- The Canucks Fall, 1-0, to the San Diego Gulls - Abbotsford Canucks
- Roadrunners Extend Win Streak to Five with 4-2 Victory over Barracuda - Tucson Roadrunners
- Barracuda Topped by Tucson, 4-2 - San Jose Barracuda
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