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AHL Hershey Bears

Hershey Prepares for Banner Week as Bourque's #17 Heads to Rafters

January 10, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2022-23 season, presented by Penn State Health, this week at GIANT Center, as the Chocolate and White close out a season-high seven-game homestand with matches against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday, before welcoming the Springfield Thunderbirds to town for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday. The Bears will honor one of their greatest players in team history on Saturday, as Chris Bourque's #17 will head to the rafters on Chris Bourque Jersey Retirement Night, presented by Highmark Blue Shield.

TEAM INFO:

Record: 23-8-2-1

Standings Position: 1st in Atlantic

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Ethen Frank, Mike Vecchione (13)

Assists: Mike Sgarbossa, Mike Vecchione (16)

Points: Mike Vecchione (29)

Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank (5)

Shorthanded Goals: Riley Sutter (1)

Plus/Minus: Mike Vecchione (+16)

Wins: Zach Fucale (11)

GAA: Hunter Shepard (1.98)

SV%: Hunter Shepard (.925)

Only includes qualified players on active roster

RECENT RESULTS:

Saturday, Jan. 7: Hershey 1 vs. Charlotte 3

Hendrix Lapierre scored the lone goal for the Bears at 17:30 of the first period to tie the score at 1-1 after Aleksi Heponiemi had scored midway through the frame for the Checkers. Cameron Morrison netted a power-play goal at 14:16 of the third period to put Charlotte ahead 2-1, and Riley Nash added an empty-net tally at 18:05. The Bears put up 25 shots on goal, but Alex Lyon turned aside 24, while Zach Fucale made 19 saves in the loss for Hershey.

Sunday, Jan. 8: Hershey 4 vs. Syracuse 3

The Bears opened the scoring on their second shot of the game when Beck Malenstyn beat Max Lagace at 4:19 of the first period. Connor McMichael put Hershey ahead by two goals at 2:49 of the second period before Jack Finley got Syracuse on the board at 8:22. Mike Sgarbossa found the net at 10:36 to restore the two-goal edge, and Mike Vecchione added a power-play goal at 14:32. The Crunch mounted a comeback attempt in the third period with goals from Gabriel Dumont (8:37) and Shawn Element (13:03), but the Bears protected their net in the final minutes to hold off Syracuse. Hunter Shepard went 25-for-28 for Hershey to earn his ninth win of the season.

LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF JAN. 9:

Monday, Jan. 9

Day Off

Tuesday, Jan. 10

10:30 a.m. practice at GIANT Center

Wednesday, Jan. 11

10:30 a.m. morning skate at GIANT Center

Thursday, Jan. 12

10:30 a.m. practice at GIANT Center

Friday, Jan. 13

10:30 a.m. morning skate at GIANT Center

All practices are open to the public. Practice dates and times are subject to change.

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:

- Wednesday, Jan. 11 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 7 p.m.

Berks Dollar Dog Night - Fans can enjoy Berks Dollar Dogs and $6 draft beers available at the Boulevard, Hot Shots, and Hat Trick concession stands.

- Friday, Jan. 13 vs. Springfield Thunderbirds, 7 p.m.

Hometown Heroes Night, presented by SERVPRO - First responders-themed activities and recognition throughout the evening. First responders, military members, and healthcare workers and their families will receive a special discounted ticket offer to that evening's game, available. First responders will also receive a 15% discount off all retail purchases at Hershey Sports during the evening, excluding jerseys and sale items. The store will also feature special merchandise for Hometown Heroes Night that is available for a limited time only. Fans are invited to bring their kids to a pre-game Touch-A-Truck event, held outside the front entrance of GIANT Center starting at 5:15 p.m. This family-friendly event allows children to explore, touch, and sit in emergency vehicles and meet first responders. In partnership with Courtyard of Honor, the Bears will welcome Miriam Horrocks-Isenberg to participate in the ceremonial puck drop prior to the game. Horrocks-Isenberg is the widow of Michael Horrocks, a Central Pennsylvania native and Hershey High School alum who perished on Sept. 11, 2001. The late Horrocks was a first officer on United Airlines Flight 175 that crashed into the World Trade Center.

AmeriChoice FCU Cowbell Night - The first 4,000 fans in attendance will receive a Bears cowbell, courtesy of AmeriChoice Federal Credit Union.

Flight Friday - Enjoy $6.50 12 oz. cans of Yuengling Flight.

Friday the 13th Food & Beverage Special - $10 spooky cupcakes and cocktails available at the Troeg's on the GIANT Center concourse.

- Saturday vs. Springfield Thunderbirds, 7 p.m. - CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Chris Bourque Jersey Retirement Night, presented by Highmark Blue Shield - Joining the ranks of Hershey Bears legends, Chris Bourque's #17 will be retired in a pregame ceremony. GIANT Center doors will open at 4:45 p.m., with the ceremony promptly starting at 5:45 p.m.

Chris Bourque Warm Up Jersey Auction - Players will wear "Swiper Bear" inspired jerseys from the 2009-10 season during warm ups that will be auctioned off postgame to benefit local charities. All players will honor Chris Bourque by wearing #17 for the last time, and the jerseys will feature a commemorative patch to mark the retirement of the number.

Highmark Blue Shield Mini Banner Night - The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Chris Bourque mini banner, courtesy of Highmark Blue Shield.

Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

NELLY CLOSING IN ON 500 PRO WINS, 13TH IN AHL WINS:

Following Sunday's win against the Syracuse Crunch, Bears head coach Todd Nelson is now only two victories away from his 500th career win as a head coach. With 332 victories in the American Hockey League under his belt, Nelson needs only nine more victories to pass former Bears bench boss Bruce Boudreau to move into 13th on the AHL's career wins list.

ANAS OUT INDEFINITELY FOLLOWING SURGERY:

The Bears announced earlier today that forward Sam Anas underwent a successful abdominal surgery on Jan. 6. Anas will be out indefinitely. The former AHL scoring champion signed a one-year contract with the Bears on Aug. 15, 2022, and had posted 15 points (7g, 8a) in 29 games prior to sustaining an injury in a game on Dec. 21 at Lehigh Valley.

BEARS BOLSTER FORWARD DEPTH:

Despite the aforementioned loss of Anas, the Bears continue to make inroads in enhancing their depth, particularly up front at forward. With recent loans from the NHL's Washington Capitals, the Bears now boast 11 NHL-contracted forwards on their roster following the additions of Aliaksei Protas and Joe Snively, and the return of Beck Malenstyn over the last two weeks. While Snively has yet to make his Bears debut this season, Malenstyn and Protas both made contributions to the scoresheet in their latest game, with Malenstyn providing the opening goal for Hershey in Sunday's win over Syracuse, and Protas matching a previous career-high with a pair of assists. Should Snively make his Bears season debut on Wednesday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he would be able to extend a current 14-game home point scoring streak, dating back to Nov. 14, 2021, which would set a new record for the longest home point streak in franchise history (Snively's mark of 14 consecutive games is currently tied with Alexandre Giroux).

BEARS AND THUNDERBIRDS AT-A-GLANCE:

Hershey will play its second and third games of the season against the Thunderbirds this weekend after picking up a 2-1 win at Springfield on Nov. 23, in which Connor McMichael and Mason Morelli scored for Hershey. In the previous five seasons, the Chocolate and White have posted a record of 14-6-3-1 against the current St. Louis Blues affiliate. Last season, the Bears went 3-0-0-0 on home ice against the Thunderbirds. Several former Thunderbirds are members of the Bears this season, as forward Sam Anas (currently injured) played for Springfield last season, forward Henrik Borgstrom suited up between 2018-20 during his time as a Florida Panthers prospect, where he was also a teammate with current Bears defender Jake Massie in 2019-20, and Mike Sgarbossa played 14 games for the T-Birds in their inaugural campaign in 2016-17. Meanwhile, Springfield general manager Kevin Maxwell played the final two seasons of his pro career with Hershey between 1986-88, helping the Bears claim the 1988 Calder Cup title.

I-81 RIVALRY WINDING DOWN:

Through nine games, the Bears and Penguins are tied in head-to-head points this season with 11, with Hershey owning a 5-3-1-0 record against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with only three games remaining in the regular season series. Mike Sgarbossa leads the Bears with six points (4g, 2a) in nine contests. Hunter Shepard and Zach Fucale have a share of the team lead in wins this season against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with two apiece, with Fucale picking up the most recent victory on Dec. 27 in a 2-1 shootout triumph.

BEARS BITES:

The Bears lead the AHL with 12 wins when tied after the second period...Zach Fucale's next win will be his 12th of the season and set a new personal high for the goaltender while in a Bears sweater...Gabriel Carlsson's plus-minus of +13 is tied for the second-best total among Eastern Conference defenders...Ethen Frank and Hendrix Lapierre are tied with several skaters for the second-most first goals with four...Forward Shane Gersich's next point will mark his 100th point in a Bears sweater...Forward Mike Vecchione is three points away from 200 in his professional and AHL career; his five game-winning goals lead the team and are tied with former Bears forward Riley Barber for second in the league...Defender Aaron Ness is four points away from 300 in his professional career.

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