AHL Hershey Bears

Game Preview: New Additions Join Bears to Face Hartford

Published on February 10, 2018 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA-February 10, 2018)-The Hershey Bears return home to Giant Center to battle the Hartford Wolf Pack, the top minor league affiliate for the New York Rangers. Coming off a 5-1 defeat the night before against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Hershey is just 1-8-1-1 over the past 11 games while the Wolf Pack have collected points in nine straight and have won eight of those contests.

Hartford Wolf Pack (23-20-4-3) at Hershey Bears (18-24-3-4)

Saturday, February 10, 2018, 7 p.m.

Giant Center

RADIO: WQIC-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, WOYK 1350-AM

LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio 24/7

WATCH LIVE: AHLLive.com

LAST TIME OUT: Hershey opened a three in three last night with a 5-1 loss to the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The loss dropped the Bears to 0-5-0-0 at the PPL Center in Allentown this season and the club has lost four straight games overall in the season series. Nic Aube-Kubel opened the scoring for the Phantoms with just 5.5 seconds left in the opening period, and the Phantoms used that momentum to explode for four goals in the second period. Corban Knight struck twice in the middle frame for the Phantoms, and Travis Sanheim added the game-winning marker. Dustin Gazley had Hershey's lone goal in the road loss. The Wolf Pack also played on the road last night, earning a 4-3 shootout win at Syracuse. Wolf Pack goaltender Alex Georgiev stopped 43 shots in regulation, and two more in the shootout to earn the victory.

TRADING PLACES: Tonight's game features two Bears and two Wolf Pack who were members of the opposite club yesterday. The two teams pulled off a trade late yesterday afternoon, as the Washington Capitals organization obtained forwards Joe Whitney and Adam Chapie, while the Rangers organization nabbed forward John Albert and defender Hubert Labrie. The deal marked the third consecutive year that the Wolf Pack have traded their captain mid-season. All four players have joined their new teams and are eligible to play tonight.

WELCOME WHITNEY: The biggest name in yesterday's trade is veteran forward Joe Whitney. Whitney, 30, is a three-time AHL All-Star who had collected 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 40 games with the Wolf Pack this season. The veteran left winger brings leadership and scoring punch to the Chocolate and White. Whitney served as Hartford's captain prior to the trade, and also was the captain of San Antonio prior to a late season trade to Tucson last year. The 5-foot-6, 171-pound Whitney has scored 20 or more goals and posted 50 or more points three times in his AHL career. The native of Reading, Mass. has scored 297 points (123 goals, 174 assists) in 428 career AHL games with Portland, Albany, Bridgeport, San Antonio, Tucson, and Hartford. A two-time national champion at Boston College, Whitney has also played five NHL games for New Jersey, scoring one goal.

THE NEW CHAP: New forward Adam Chapie will look to make his Hershey debut tonight after being dealt to the Capitals organization yesterday. Chapie, 26, is in his second professional season after a strong four-year NCAA career at UMass-Lowell. With the Wolf Pack this season, Chapie has seven points (two goals, five assists) in 31 games. He has also appeared in 11 games with Greenville (ECHL), scoring 17 points (eight goals, nine assists). The 6-foot-1, 186-pound forward led UMass-Lowell to a Hockey East title in 2012-13, and scored 95 points (46 goals, 49 assists) in 148 NCAA games. He is in the final year of his two-year, entry-level contract.

JEREMY JUMPS BACK IN: Hershey is expected to have forward Jeremy Langlois return to the lineup tonight. The speedy versatile forward suffered an upper body injury on Dec. 13 and has missed 21 games. A key penalty killer and one of the fastest skaters on the ice, Langlois provides Troy Mann the option of using him either at center or wing. The forward has six points (two goals, four assists) in 27 games on the season for the Chocolate and White. He has posted 84 career points (40 goals, 44 assists) in 215 career AHL games with Bridgeport, Springfield, Worcester, San Jose, Rockford, and Hershey.

DEFENSIVE STRUGGLES: Hershey has allowed five goals in three straight contests, being outscored 15-8 in that span. The Bears penalty kill has also hit a rough patch, allowing a goal in six straight games. Additionally, Troy Mann has had to give his netminders the hook in two consecutive games.

BEARS-WOLF PACK FAST FACTS: Tonight is Hershey's first game versus the Wolf Pack since Nov. 25 at the XL Center. The Bears earned a 4-1 victory as Riley Barber scored the game-winning goal...Tonight marks Hartford's first visit to the Giant Center since Oct. 29, a game in which Connor Hobbs scored his first AHL goal to lead the Bears to a 3-2 win...The Wolf Pack got a goal and an assist from rookie Filip Chytil last night in the win at Syracuse...Hartford added defenseman Brendan Smith this week. The veteran of 353 NHL games did not play last night for Hartford after being waived by the New York Rangers on his 29th birthday Thursday.

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