Game Preview: Bears vs. Penguins, 7 p.m.
Published on November 26, 2025 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they open up a franchise-record nine-game homestand by hosting the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in their traditional Thanksgiving Eve game as part of Canteen Vending Turkey Shoot Night.
Hershey Bears (10-5-1-0) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (13-4-1-0)
Nov. 26, 2025 | 7 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Mike Campbell (36), Andrew Bell (6)
Linespersons: John Rey (16), J.P. Waleski (14)
Tonight's Promotions:
Canteen Vending Turkey Shoot Night - All fans in attendance are welcome postgame to take place in the Canteen Vending Turkey Shoot on the ice.
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43 sports director Todd Sadowski on the call
TELEVISION: WPMT FOX43
RADIO: WFVY-100.1-FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM, In-arena on 88.9-FM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Froggy Valley 100.1-FM Stream, Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears wrapped up a two-game road trip to Cleveland last Saturday with a 5-3 loss. Hershey fell behind 2-0 after the first period after only managing two shots on goal, but the line of Ilya Protas, Ivan Miroshnichenko, and Bogdan Trineyev gave the Bears hope by connecting for three goals in the middle frame. The Monsters, however, managed to hang on for the win by adding a pair of goals in the second and striking once more in the third. The Penguins are coming off a 1-0 victory at Providence on Saturday, as Rutger McGroarty scored shorthanded for the lone tally and Joel Blomqvist stopped all 27 shots he faced.
ALL THE THANKSGIVING STUFFING:
Hershey gets set to host its 58th Thanksgiving Eve game tonight when it takes on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the first time this season as part of a 10-game season series. The popular tradition for the club started back in the 1961-62 season, when Hershey defeated the Quebec Aces by a 2-1 score. Since then, the Bears have gone 30-20-4-2-1 at home on the night before Thanksgiving, most recently defeating Laval 5-3 on Nov. 27 last season. Hershey has faced Wilkes-Barre/Scranton four times in Thanksgiving Eve games, winning its last three, including a 2-1 victory over the Penguins on Nov. 22, 2023.
YOU CAN CALL HIM AL:
Tonight could mark the return of former Bear Alex Alexeyev in a visiting uniform for the first time. The former 2018 first-round selection of the Washington Capitals played in 145 games with the Chocolate and White over parts of five seasons, including a three-game conditioning stint last season, before signing a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 2 this past summer, and was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Oct. 5.
HOME COOKING:
Tonight's game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton kicks off a franchise-record stretch of nine consecutive games on home ice. The Bears matched their previous record of eight consecutive home contests during the 2024-25 campaign, posting a 3-5-0-0 record at GIANT Center from Dec. 14 vs. Charlotte - Jan. 7 vs. Lehigh Valley after previously hosting eight straight home games at Hersheypark Arena during the 1985-86 season, going 7-0-1 during a period that lasted from Oct. 19 vs. St. Catharines - Nov. 9 vs. New Haven. Hershey has posted a 4-3-1-0 record at home through eight home games this season, and is averaging 9,342 fans in attendance, good for third in the AHL this season.
PUSHY PENGUINS:
Hershey will play its first two of 10 games this season against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this week, and the Penguins will be Hershey's opponent in three of its next four contests; last season, the Bears went 7-3-1-1 against the Penguins, with a 4-2-0-0 record on home ice. The Penguins are tied with Colorado as the top team in the AHL and have already reached the quarter-pole mark in their schedule after racing out to a 7-0-0-0 start. Hershey's leading scorer last season against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton among returning players is Nicky Leivermann, who had six points (0g, 6a) in nine games, but the defenseman has been out since the start of the campaign with a lower-body injury; Rutger McGroarty's 10 points (3g, 7a) in 10 games versus Hershey represents the highest total of any returning Wilkes-Barre/Scranton player. Netminding has been a source of strength for the Penguins this season, as the club has used four different goalies, all of whom have recorded at least two wins, and the Penguins are the only team in the AHL to have three different goalies record a shutout. Hershey enters the season series against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with a lifetime record of 150-99-4-25-10.
BEARS BITES:
Corey Schueneman is one assist away from his 100th professional assist (ECHL, 1; AHL, 93; NHL, 5)...Hershey released defenseman D.J. King from his professional tryout agreement on Tuesday; King collected one assist in his lone appearance with the Bears on Nov. 16 vs. Lehigh Valley.
ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Nov. 26, 2008 - Alexandre Giroux scored a power-play goal in the second period to give Hershey a 3-1 lead in an eventual 4-1 triumph over the Binghamton Senators at GIANT Center to begin his league-record goal-scoring streak, as Giroux tickled the twine 22 times over his next 15 games through Jan. 18, 2009 vs. Worcester to break the American Hockey League's previous record of 14 games set by Brett Hull en route to a 50-goal season with the Moncton Golden Flames during the 1986-87 season. For his part, Giroux finished the 2008-09 campaign by capturing the Willie Marshall Award as the league's top goal-scorer with 60 tallies, and his 97 points earned him the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the AHL's points leader. Giroux completed the trifecta by also claiming the Les Cunningham Memorial Award as the AHL's MVP, then during the postseason helped the Bears capture their 10th Calder Cup championship.
American Hockey League Stories from November 26, 2025
- Bears Recall Goaltender Seth Eisele - Hershey Bears
- Bay of Quinte Students Shake CAA Arena During Belleville Sens Inaugural School Day Game - Belleville Senators
- Griffins to Host Winning Wednesday - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Game Preview: Bears vs. Penguins, 7 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Onyebuchi Scores in 200th AHL Game, But Tucson Falls 5-2 - Tucson Roadrunners
- Tralmaks and Shine Record Hat Tricks in Griffins' Victory over Texas - Grand Rapids Griffins
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.
