AHL Hershey Bears

Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame Class of 2014 Announced

September 24, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


HERSHEY, Pa. - The Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame Committee today announced the five people selected for induction into its Class of 2014. The announcement was made by Bears President/General Manager Doug Yingst.

Honored by the Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame Committee as the third group of enshrinees are Nick Damore (player), Dunc Fisher (player), Jeannot "Gil" Gilbert (player), Brent Hancock (general) and Arthur Whiteman (builder).

"It gives us great pleasure to add these five individuals to the growing list of names to the Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame," Yingst said. "Each contributed to the legacy of the Hershey Bears in his own special way, and we are proud to give them the permanent recognition they deserve."

The Class of 2014 will be inducted on Saturday, December 20, prior to the puck drop between the Hershey Bears and Springfield Falcons at GIANT Center. The Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame is housed on the GIANT Center concourse.

Nick Damore

Nick Damore played for the Bears from 1939-46 and ranks first in club history in goalie shutouts (29), second in wins (190) and second in goalie games played (365). A native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, the late Damore led the AHL in goals-against average in 1943-44 (2.46), ranks No. 9 in all-time AHL wins (211) and is tied for No. 4 in all-time AHL shutouts (36) in a career that also included stints with the Providence Reds, Pittsburgh Hornets and Philadelphia Rockets. The magnitude of Damore's accomplishments in a Hershey uniform go beyond the AHL. He also played for Hershey's Eastern Amateur Hockey League team from 1934-38, but his individual statistics from those seasons are unavailable.

Dunc Fisher

Dunc Fisher played for the Bears from 1952-60 and ranks first in club history in goal-scoring (260), sixth in career points (561), seventh in career assists (301) and 11th in games played (511). A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Fisher ranks No. 38 in all-time AHL points (620) and No. 26 in all-time goals (285) in a career that also included a season with the New Haven Ramblers (1947-48). Fisher, the only Bear to reach the 40-goal mark in four straight seasons, played on Hershey Calder Cup teams in 1957-58 and 1958-59 and played 275 career NHL games with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings.

Jeannot "Gil" Gilbert

Jeannot "Gil" Gilbert played for the Bears from 1965-73 and ranks fourth in all-time scoring (595 points), third in all-time assists (389), sixth in all-time goals (206) and 15th in games played (481). A native of Grand-Baie, Quebec, Gilbert is tied for No. 25 in all-time AHL assists (419) and No. 32 in all-time points (650) in a career that also included a season with the Providence Reds (1964-65). Gilbert played on Hershey's 1968-69 Calder Cup team, when he led the AHL in scoring (100 points), and also played 133 career games in the WHA with the Quebec Nordiques.

Brent Hancock

Brent Hancock served as Publicity Director of the Bears from 1938-42 and from 1963-82 and is the person most responsible for compiling and preserving the franchise's history. A native of Clearfield, the late Hancock also worked as Editor of the Hershey News and served in the Third Marine Division during World War II, earning multiple decorations amid duty at Guadalcanal, Bougainville and Guam. Hancock was the 1980-81 recipient of the AHL's Ken McKenzie Award, which is presented annually to the individual who accomplished the most during a season in promoting their team.

Arthur Whiteman

Arthur Whiteman served as President of Hershey Estates, now Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, from 1962-68 and as the company's CEO from 1968-74. A 1927 graduate of the Hershey Industrial School, the late Whiteman served as Bears President from 1962-73 and was the 1973-74 recipient of the AHL's James C. Hendy Memorial Award, which is presented annually to the executive who has made the most outstanding contribution to the league. Whiteman also served as President of the Hershey National Bank and Hershey Trust Co., served on the board of directors of the Hershey Trust Co., the Milton Hershey School, Hershey Foods Corp. and the M.S. Hershey Foundation, and also helped found the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame Committee members: Bill Simpson, President-CEO of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company; Doug Yingst, President-General Manager of the Hershey Bears; J. Bruce McKinney, retired President, CEO and Chairman of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company; Ken Hatt, retired President and COO of HERCO; Dr. Bob Goodman, AHL linesman; Dave Parro, President of the Hershey Bears Alumni Association; Don Scott, Hershey Bears public address announcer; Randy Waybright, Hershey Bears supervisor of off-ice officials; Vikki Hultquist, Managing Director of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company; Maria Stouffer, Hershey Bears manager of business services; and Tim Leone, reporter-columnist of PennLive.com/The Patriot-News.

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