Hershey Bears, Coachella Valley Firebirds to Meet in 2024 Calder Cup Finals
June 12, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... For the first time in 33 years, two teams will meet in the Calder Cup Finals for the second year in a row as the Hershey Bears square off against the Coachella Valley Firebirds beginning Friday night at Giant Center in Hershey, Pa.
Last year's championship series is widely considered one of the best Finals in league history, culminating with the Bears becoming the first AHL team ever to win the Calder Cup on a sudden-death overtime goal in Game 7.
Winners of the Richard F. Canning Trophy as Eastern Conference champions, the Bears are making their seventh trip to the Calder Cup Finals since becoming the top development affiliate of the Washington Capitals in 2005. Led by head coach Todd Nelson, the Bears followed up their 2023 Calder Cup championship by finishing with the best record in the AHL during the 2023-24 regular season (53-14-0-5, 111 points), then defeated the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-1) in the Atlantic Division semifinals and the Hartford Wolf Pack (3-0) in the division finals before outlasting the Cleveland Monsters, four games to three, with a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight.
Hershey is bidding to become the 10th repeat champion in league history (Buffalo 1943-44, Cleveland 1953-54, Hershey 1958-59, Springfield 1960-61-62, Rochester 1965-66, Nova Scotia 1976-77, Maine 1978-79, Springfield 1990-91, Hershey 2009-10).
Led by former Stanley Cup winning head coach Dan Bylsma, the Firebirds, top development team of the NHL's Seattle Kraken, captured the Robert W. Clarke Trophy as Western Conference champions with series wins over the Calgary Wranglers (3-1), Ontario Reign (3-0) and Milwaukee Admirals (4-1). During the regular season, Coachella Valley's record of 46-15-6-5 (103 points) was second only to Hershey in the overall league standings.
The Firebirds are the fourth club in league history to reach the Calder Cup Finals in each of its first two seasons (Syracuse 1937-38, Nova Scotia 1972-73, Maine 1978-79).
The last Finals rematch occurred in 1991, when the Springfield Indians defeated the Rochester Americans again for their second straight championship.
2024 Calder Cup Finals
Hershey Bears vs. Coachella Valley Firebirds
Game 1 - Fri., June 14 - Coachella Valley at Hershey, 7:00
Game 2 - Sun., June 16 - Coachella Valley at Hershey, 5:00
Game 3 - Tue., June 18 - Hershey at Coachella Valley, 10:00
Game 4 - Thu., June 20 - Hershey at Coachella Valley, 10:00
*Game 5 - Sat., June 22 - Hershey at Coachella Valley, 9:00
*Game 6 - Mon., June 24 - Coachella Valley at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 7 - Wed., June 26 - Coachella Valley at Hershey, 7:00
*if necessary... All times Eastern
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American Hockey League Stories from June 12, 2024
- Roe's OT Goal Puts Bears in Calder Cup Finals - Hershey Bears
- Bears Announce Schedule for 2024 Calder Cup Finals vs. Coachella Valley - Hershey Bears
- Monsters' Historic Series Comeback Ends in 3-2 Overtime Loss to Bears - Cleveland Monsters
- Hershey Bears, Coachella Valley Firebirds to Meet in 2024 Calder Cup Finals - AHL
- Morgan Klimchuk Joins Manitoba Moose Coaching Staff - Manitoba Moose
- Syracuse Crunch to Hold 2024-25 Home Opener October 12 - Syracuse Crunch
- Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 Preview: Bears vs. Monsters, 7 p.m. - Hershey Bears
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