Game Preview: Bears at Rocket, 7 p.m.
January 22, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Laval, QC) - The Hershey Bears open a three-game swing through Canada tonight as they make their lone visit of the regular season to Place Bell to face the Laval Rocket.
Hershey Bears (25-11-3-0) at Laval Rocket (23-11-2-1)
Jan. 22, 2025 | 7 p.m. | Place Bell
Referees: Beau Halkidis (48), Jarrett Burton (78)
Linespersons: Anthony Lapointe (58), Benjamin Fortin (5)
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, and Bears media specialist Jesse Liebman 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, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM (joined in-progress), Capitals Radio
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio 24/7
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears picked up a 5-4 win on Sunday over Rochester, as Jon McDonald broke a 3-3 tie with his first career AHL goal at 5:58 of the third period to put Hershey ahead, and Grant Cruikshank scored an on an unassisted breakaway at 10:53 to provide Hershey some necessary insurance that ultimately stood up as the game-winner as Hershey held on for the victory. Clay Stevenson made 29 saves to earn his fifth consecutive win. The Rocket saw a six-game point streak snapped on Saturday in a 3-1 home loss to Utica, as the Comets built a 3-0 lead, but Laval spoiled the shutout bid with an Alex Barré-Boulet power-play goal that came with Connor Hughes pulled for a 6-on-4 man advantage with 15 seconds left in regulation.
BEAR SET TO PLAY IN 400TH PRO GAME:
Ethan Bear is slated to earn a sweater tonight, marking his 400th professional game. The defender has logged 275 games in the National Hockey League with Edmonton, Carolina, Vancouver, and Washington, and has also appeared in 124 career AHL games with Bakersfield and Hershey. Bear's 22 points (5g, 17a) leads Hershey's blue line and is tied for 10th in league scoring among defensemen, and he is slated to represent the club next month at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic in Coachella Valley.
TWO-HEADED GOALTENDING MONSTER:
Hunter Shepard was loaned back to Hershey from the Washington Capitals on Saturday, reuniting him with Clay Stevenson to form one of the top tandems in the AHL. Shepard leads all Eastern Conference goaltenders with 15 wins this season, while Stevenson leads all goaltenders in the month of January with a 5-0-0 record, and has posted a 2.06 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. Shepard's next victory will give him his 71st as a Bear, tying him with Vitek Vanecek and Philippe Sauve for ninth in franchise history.
NELSON CLOSING IN ON DINEEN:
At 431 career wins in the AHL with Oklahoma City, Grand Rapids, and Hershey, Bears head coach Todd Nelson needs only two more victories to pass Kevin Dineen for sole possession of fifth place on the league's coaching wins list.
THE PLACE TO BE:
Hershey has already faced the Rocket once this season, earning a 5-3 win on home ice on Nov. 27. The series concludes tonight at Place Bell, where Hershey has gone winless in its last three contests (0-1-1-1) since the 2021-22 season. Hershey's last win in Quebec came on Oct. 19, 2019, a 4-2 victory that saw the Bears put three against current Washington Capitals netminder Charlie Lindgren; Mike Sgarbossa is the only member of Hershey's current roster who suited up in that game. The Rocket are averaging the most penalty minutes per game (15.92) this season, while the Bears are averaging the second-fewest (10.10).
BEARS BITES:
Bears forward Dalton Smith and Rocket goaltender Cayden Primeau are cousins...Ethan Bear (0g, 7a) and Alex Limoges (3g, 4a) lead Hershey's skaters for the month of January with seven points apiece...Hershey will be without the services of Pierrick Dubé for this week's matches as the forward serves the final three contests of a five-game suspension...The Bears have gone 4-for-12 (33.3%) with the power play over their last three games...Hershey has gone 7-2-1-0 this season against North Division clubs...Hershey owns the league's top road penalty kill at 47-for-53 (88.7%)...The Bears lead the AHL with 16 wins in games decided by one goal...Last Sunday's win against Rochester marked the first time an opposing team had not had a power play since Nov. 19, 2022 vs. Hartford (6-1 W).
ON THIS DATE:
Jan. 22, 1997 - Defensive-minded forward Doug Friedman staked Hershey to a 3-0 lead, and goaltender Petr Franek made 29 saves in his first start in over a month as the Bears rolled to a 7-0 whitewash of the Portland Pirates at Hersheypark Arena.
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