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AHL Hershey Bears

Game Preview: Bears vs. Checkers, 7 PM

November 15, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - Tonight, the Hershey Bears play host to the defending Calder Cup Champion Charlotte Checkers in the first of back-to-back meetings. Both teams previously met in the 2019 Atlantic Division Finals, where Charlotte completed a four-game series sweep before capturing the 2019 Calder Cup.

Hershey Bears (7-5-2-2) vs. Charlotte Checkers (5-5-2-0)

November 15, 2019 | 7 PM | Game #17 | Giant Center

Referees: Olivier Gouin (54), Terry Koharski (10)

Linesmen: Bob Goodman (90), Colin Gates (3)

ATLANTIC DIVISION STANDINGS

Ticket Information: http://www.hersheybears.com/tickets/single-game.php

Tonight's Promotion: ZooAmerica Night, BOGO Kids Dippin' Dots

Broadcast Information (Pre-game 6:30 p.m.)

RADIO: WQIC-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, Voice of the Bears Zack Fisch, Mitch Lamoureux, and Jim Jones on the call.

LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream

WATCH LIVE: AHLTV

LAST TIME OUT:

The Bears last skated on Wednesday evening, dropping a 1-0 decision in a shootout at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Hershey's Pheonix Copley earned a shutout with 29 saves through regulation and overtime, but the league's leading scorer, Stefan Noesen, beat him in the shootout for the lone goal of the skills competition. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender Casey DeSmith stopped all 28 of Hershey's shots through regulation and overtime and also went 3-for-3 in the shootout. The Checkers previous game came last Saturday in a 4-3 overtime loss to Springfield. Charlotte's Julien Gauthier had a goal and an assist in the loss.

BENCH BATTLE:

Tonight's game features a head-to-head battle between the two youngest coaches in the American Hockey League. Only first-year Charlotte coach Ryan Warsofsky, 32, is younger than Hershey's Spencer Carbery, 38. The two bench bosses have a history together with the Bears ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays. Warsofsky was Carbery's assistant in South Carolina from 2013-16, and took over the reigns as head coach of the Stingrays when Carbery took a head coaching position with the Ontario Hockey League's Saginaw Spirit. Warsofsky is the older brother of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman David Warsofsky.

REMATCH WITH THE CHAMPS:

Tonight's contest is the first time that Hershey has faced Charlotte since the Checkers bounced the Bears from the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Checkers swept Hershey in the second round matchup, closing the series at Giant Center on May 8 with a 5-2 victory. Charlotte would go on to defeat Toronto in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, and take down the Chicago Wolves in five games to claim the Calder Cup title. Charlotte's current team is vastly different from the championship team. Head coach Mike Vellucci, playoff MVP Andrew Poturalski, and key players Tomas Jurco, Aleksi Saarela, and Nicolas Roy are no longer in the organization.

IT'S FRIDAY:

Tonight is one of just two games at Giant Center on a Friday night for the Bears this season. In comparison, Hershey has 16 road games on Friday nights during the 2019-20 campaign. The Bears next Friday home game does not come until Mar. 13, 2020 versus Toronto. The Bears played three Friday home games last year, going 2-0-1-0.

CURRENT TRENDS AND ODDS AND ENDS:

Hershey enters tonight's game on a six-game point streak, going 4-0-1-1 in that span. The Chocolate and White have also won three straight games at Giant Center. Approaching milestones are Bears forwards Steve Whitney, who is one assist away from 100 in his professional career, and Philippe Maillet, who is two points away from 100 in his AHL and professional career. On Charlotte's side of things, the Checkers invade Chocolatetown with two straight losses on the road and having dropped three of their past four games overall. The Checkers added former Penn State standout Casey Bailey on a professional tryout this week. Bailey skated in training camp with Hershey and had 11 points (eight goals, three assists) in nine games with Hershey's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays while on an ECHL deal.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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