GIANT Teddy Bear Toss Game Preview: Bears vs. IceHogs, 3 p.m.
Published on January 4, 2026 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 host the Rockford IceHogs this afternoon for the world-famous GIANT Teddy Bear Toss.
Hershey Bears (15-14-1-0) vs. Rockford IceHogs (13-17-2-1)
Jan. 4, 2026 | 3 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Alex Lepkowski (44), Taylor Burzminski (13)
Linespersons: Jud Ritter (34), Davids Rozitis (62)
Tonight's Promotions:
GIANT Teddy Bear Toss - During the GIANT Teddy Bear Toss, all fans are encouraged to bring new, stuffed items to the game to toss onto the ice as the Bears score their first goal. All items collected will be donated to local charities.
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, 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 2:30 p.m., Television coverage starts at 3 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears opened 2026 with a 5-4 victory in a back-and-forth game with the Rockford IceHogs last night at GIANT Center. The win snapped Hershey's four-game losing streak, and in the victory, the Bears battled back from two different two-goal deficits. Henrik Rybinski scored shorthanded, Ilya Protas and Cam Allen logged power-play goals, and Brett Leason and Aaron Ness also tallied for Hershey. Goaltender Mitch Gibson made 23 saves for the Bears, including 11 in the third period, to improve his record to 4-1-0 on the season.
BRING ON THE SWEET CUDDLY MAYHEM:
The Bears will host their world-famous GIANT Teddy Bear Toss today as Hershey looks to supplant its own ice hockey world record. Last season's Jan. 5 game against Providence saw Mike Sgarbossa score Hershey's Teddy Bear Toss goal at 14:45 of the first period, prompting fans to throw a club-record 102,343 teddy bears and stuffed animals to the ice that were ultimately collected and donated to children in need across Central Pennsylvania. The event has grown in scale each year since it was first held by the Bears in 2001, and the club has collected in total 566,640 stuffed animals since then. Over 60 local organizations will benefit from this year's event, and The GIANT Company has pledged a $100,000 donation to the Children's Miracle Network at Golisano Children's Hospital if fans can surpass last year's total number of collected bears.
FURRY FACTS:
Since 2001, Hershey has posted a record of 16-3-0-2 along with two ties in Teddy Bear Toss games hosted by the club. The organization also hosted a drive-thru event in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bears forward Bogdan Trineyev scored the Teddy Bear Toss goal for Hershey against Lehigh Valley in 2024, and he looks to become just the second Bear to score the Teddy Bear Toss goal twice, joining Maxime Lacroix who accomplished the feat in 2008 and 2010. The fastest Teddy Bear Toss goal scored by Hershey came from defenseman Steve Oleksy just 39 seconds into the event in 2014, and Hershey has scored the goal that sends the fur flying in the first period 16 times in the history of the event.
SWEATER FOR STROME?:
Forward Matt Strome could make his return to the lineup this afternoon after missing Hershey's past 14 games due to a lower-body injury suffered on Nov. 22 at Cleveland. The Bears went 5-9-0-0 while Strome was on the mend, and Hershey will benefit from his return as the 2024 Calder Cup hero was off to a hot start prior to his injury, logging 10 points (5g, 5a) over his first 15 games of the campaign. Strome returns just in time for Hershey's marquee promotional event, and he has scored a Teddy Bear Toss goal in the past, striking as a member of the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League in 2015.
AWESOME-NESS:
Hershey defender Aaron Ness scored his first goal of the season in last night's victory. It marked his first goal since Jan. 17, 2025 versus Belleville, a span of 44 games. For Ness, the marker was his first game-winning goal since he potted the deciding marker on Jan. 19, 2024 at Hartford. It marked his 11th game-winning goal as a Bear, tying him with Joe Schertzl and Mike Mahoney for the most among all defensemen in franchise history. Ness also had an assist last night, giving him his first multi-point game since Nov. 29, 2023 when he posted three assists at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
BEARS BITES:
Hershey forward Andrew Cristall scored a Teddy Bear Toss goal for the Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets in 2021...Last night, Cristall tallied the first three-point game (3a) of his professional career and now leads Hershey in points with 25 (5g, 20a)...With a goal and an assist yesterday, Henrik Rybinski recorded his fourth multi-point game of the season...Dalton Smith enters tonight's game just four penalty minutes away from 1,000 in his AHL career...All three of Hershey's home games versus Rockford in franchise history have been decided by one goal.
ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Jan. 4, 1998 - Mitch Lamoureux returned to the lineup for the Bears in a 4-3 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack at Hersheypark Arena. Lamoureux had spent the previous two seasons with the Providence Bruins before retiring, but former Bears player Al Hill lured Lamoureux out of retirement during the 1997-98 with the B.C. Icemen of the United Hockey League. Lamoureux tallied 13 points in 22 games with Hershey that season, and would play one final season with the Bears before hanging up his skates for good in 1998-99.
American Hockey League Stories from January 4, 2026
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- Portillo Backstops Reign to Shutout Win over Iowa - Ontario Reign
- Admirals Fall to Stars - Milwaukee Admirals
- Stars Extend Home Winning Streak to Four - Texas Stars
- Portillo blanks Iowa, Wild Fall 3-0 to Reign - Iowa Wild
- Belpedio and Clarke Pace Bears to 5-2 Teddy Bear Toss Win over IceHogs - Hershey Bears
- Toronto Takedown: Phantoms Romp 6-1 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Roadrunners Blank Wranglers 4-0 to Complete Series Sweep - Tucson Roadrunners
- Hershey Bears 2026 Teddy Bear Toss Collects 81,796 Stuffed Animals - Hershey Bears
- Brunet's Late Goal Lifts P-Bruins Past Thunderbirds - Providence Bruins
- Bruins Snap T-Birds' Win Streak on Late Tally - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Detroit Recalls John Leonard from Griffins - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Preview: Phantoms at Toronto, Game 33 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Panthers Recall Bjornfot from Checkers - Charlotte Checkers
- GIANT Teddy Bear Toss Game Preview: Bears vs. IceHogs, 3 p.m. - Hershey Bears
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