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AHL Hershey Bears

With Playoffs Clinched, Bears Prepare for Three-In-Three

March 11, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears (42-11-0-4) enter the week atop the American Hockey League standings as the first club to secure a berth in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Chocolate and White close out a four-game road trip by visiting the Utica Comets on Friday, before returning home to GIANT Center where they will host the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday and the Hartford Wolf Pack on Sunday.

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Pierrick Dubé (24)

Assists: Joe Snively (34)

Points: Joe Snively (44)

Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank (10)

Shorthanded Goals: Bogdan Trineyev (2)

Plus/Minus: Vincent Iorio (+22)

Wins: Hunter Shepard (21)

GAA: Clay Stevenson (1.90)

SV%: Clay Stevenson (.930)

Only includes qualified players on active roster

RECENT RESULTS:

- Friday, March 8 - Hershey 3 at Charlotte 5

- Saturday, March 9 - Hershey 3 at Charlotte 2

LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF MARCH 11:

Monday, March 11

Day off

Tuesday, March 12

Practice, 10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center

Wednesday, March 13

Practice, 10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center

Thursday, March 14

Travel to Utica

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

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:

Friday, March 15 - Hershey at Utica Comets, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 16 - Hershey vs. Syracuse Crunch, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS (limited seating available)

GIANT Pennant Night - The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a Bears pennant, courtesy of GIANT.

Sunday, March 17 - Hershey vs. Hartford Wolf Pack, 5 p.m. - BUY TICKETS (limited seating available)

Hersheypark Pass Night - All fans in attendance will receive a 2024 Hersheypark ticket, valid for one-day admission through June 30, 2024.

Television Coverage: Antenna TV (Sunday only); Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network

All times Eastern

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

FIRST STEP OUT OF THE WAY:

Following Sunday's win by the Providence Bruins over the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Bears saw their Magic Number reduced to zero, officially clinching a berth in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs for a league-leading 71st time in franchise history. Hershey will now be afforded its remaining 15 games in the regular season to prepare for a postseason run to defend its 2023 Calder Cup, add to its league-leading 12 Calder Cup titles, and give the team its third overall set of back-to-back championships (1958, 1959; 2009, 2010). Hershey can now shift its focus in the regular season towards locking up the Atlantic Division title (Magic Number of 18 points) and Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for the regular season championship (Magic Number of 26 points). The Bears need to earn seven points out of their remaining seven road games to ensure they surpass the franchise mark for best road points percentage (.675, 2006-07), 23 points out of their remaining 15 games to best the franchise mark for overall points percentage (.769, 2009-10), and 24 points out of their remaining 15 games to best the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers' league record for points percentage (.775).

PHILLY SPECIAL:

Forward Matthew Phillips made his Bears debut last Saturday in Hershey's 3-2 victory over Charlotte, scoring on his first shot of the contest to give Hershey a 1-0 lead at 4:36 of the first period, then setting up Jimmy Huntington at 15:55. Phillips began the season with Washington before being claimed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins, then being re-claimed by the Capitals on March 5 and being loaned to Hershey. The 2022-23 AHL First All-Star Team selection had previously spent his entire AHL tenure with the Stockton/Calgary franchise (265 games) and enters the week two games away from his 300th professional game.

JIMMY EAT WORLD:

Jimmy Huntington's three-point game (2g, 1a) on Saturday was his second three-point outing of the season and the sixth overall in his career. His pair of goals gives him 13 on the season, matching his previous AHL single-season high, split between the Syracuse Crunch and Milwaukee Admirals during the 2021-22 campaign. Hershey is 8-1-0-0 when Huntington lights the lamp this season, and 14-3-0-0 when he gets onto the scoresheet.

DEADLINE MOVES:

Last Friday's NHL Trade Deadline came and went with the Washington Capitals sending Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Carolina Hurricanes before the veteran forward had a chance to suit up in a game for the Chocolate and White after being loaned to Hershey. Also of note is that Mike Sgarbossa was not placed on waivers the day prior, meaning the longtime Bear will not be eligible to be assigned to Hershey for the remainder of the season and playoffs. The Bears now face the looming AHL Trade Deadline, which will take place Friday, March 15 at 3 p.m. Last season, Hershey only made one move as it approached the deadline, sending forward Kale Kessy to the Colorado Eagles in exchange for future considerations. Hershey has 15 players under AHL contract for this season, with seven players currently playing for the club's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays.

BEARS BITES:

The Bears lead the AHL with a penalty kill that has given up the fewest power-play goals (24) and an overall PK percentage of 88.3 percent (182-for-206)...Second-year defenseman Vincent Iorio's plus/minus of +22 is sixth among league blueliners and 10th overall in the AHL...Hershey plays North Division clubs in four of its next five games; the Bears are 8-3-0-1 against North Division clubs this season...Defender Hardy Häman Aktell's next game will be his 200th professional game. The blueliner is in his first year of a two-year NHL contract signed with Washington on April 27, 2023, and has played in 48 combined games in his first season in North America, adding to his 151 career games in the Swedish Hockey League...Pierrick Dubé has four assists over his last three games...Hershey leads the AHL with a 15-0-0-1 road record when leading after two periods... Hunter Shepard's next victory will be his 50th career win in the AHL and as a Bear. The goalie is currently tied with Darren Jensen and Don Edwards for 18th on the franchise wins list...The Bears are averaging the fewest penalty minutes among Eastern Conference teams with 9.72 PIMs per game...Hershey is tied for second in the league with 34 first goals and boasts a league-leading 31 wins when scoring first...The Bears lead the league with fewest goals against per game (2.12) and shots against per game (26.23).

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