BEARS 75TH REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE RELEASED

August 17, 2012

HERSHEY, Pa.– The HERSHEY BEARS, in conjunction with the American Hockey League, announced today the complete schedule of games comprising the 2012-2013 regular season.  The announcement was made by BEARS President/GM Doug Yingst.
 
With 11 Calder Cup championships contained in its storied tenure, the league’s most decorated franchise will open its 75^th AHL season on the road on Saturday, October 13.  The slate of games that follows features many special nights to help celebrate the milestone campaign.
 
In total, HERSHEY will face off against 18 of 29 possible opponents.  The club will play every team in the Eastern Conference and four in the Western Conference.  Additionally, the BEARS will be spending more time north of the United States border before the season draws to a close.
 
For the third consecutive year and for the 10^th time in the past 11, the BEARS will first hit the ice away from home.  The Syracuse Crunch, the new affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, will host HERSHEY at the Oncenter War Memorial Arena on Saturday, October 13 during the AHL’s opening weekend.  The feel of the league’s early days will then be in the air when the BEARS host the Rochester Americans in the club’s home opener on Saturday, October 20.
 
After a one-year hiatus, the 2012 Western Conference Champion Toronto Marlies are back on the BEARS’ schedule as they visit GIANT Center on Sunday, November 25, with the matchup at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum set for Saturday, February 16.
 
The Norfolk Admirals have a unique situation of affiliating with a new NHL franchise after capturing last spring’s Calder Cup championship.  Now the top developmental club of the Anaheim Ducks, the Admirals will host HERSHEY on Wednesday, November 28 at Norfolk Scope Arena.  The Admirals will also play host one week later on Thursday, December 6 in the Washington AHL Showcase at Verizon Center, the home of the BEARS’ parent Washington Capitals.  The two teams meet in HERSHEY for the first time on Saturday, December 1.
 
The BEARS will once again pay a visit to Newfoundland as the second-year St. John’s IceCaps host a two-game set on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 11 and 12.  The IceCaps will then visit Chocolatetown on Saturday, November 10 and Friday, January 25.  The BEARS will take on one more Canadian squad as the Hamilton Bulldogs return for the first time since the 2008-2009 season, as they stop in Chocolatetown on Saturday, December 8.  The teams also face off at Hamilton’s Copps Coliseum on Friday, February 15.
 
Plans have been in the works since last winter on the 2013 Capital BlueCross AHL Outdoor Classic, and the premier event on the BEARS schedule will come to life at HERSHEYPARK Stadium on Sunday, January 20 when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins visit for the 5:00 PM contest.
 
The teams will break for the 2013 Dunkin’ Donuts AHL All-Star Classic beginning on Sunday, January 27 when the league’s top stars head to Providence, RI.  One month later on Sunday, February 24, the BEARS will visit Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall – the site of last year’s All-Star Classic – for a matchup with the Albany Devils.
 
The Manchester Monarchs, the top developmental affiliate of the 2012 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings, have the distinction of closing the BEARS’ historic regular season when the teams battle at GIANT Center on Sunday, April 21.
 
The BEARS will play a majority of games on weekends (65 of 76 to be played on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays).  The club will also play three games on Tuesdays, six on Wednesdays, and two on Thursdays.  The BEARS’ longest homestand of the season is a four-game stretch from December 15-26, while the club will play their most consecutive games away from home (six games) from April 7-20.
 
The complete 2012-2013 HERSHEY BEARS schedule follows, including start times and opponents, and games by division and month.
 
Information on purchasing individual game tickets will be released in the near future.

 

HERSHEY BEARS 2012-2013 REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE
All Times Eastern; Home Games in CAPS

Saturday, October 13, 2012  7:30 PM  at Syracuse
Friday, October 19, 2012  7:05 PM  at Binghamton
Saturday, October 20, 2012  7:00 PM  ROCHESTER
Sunday, October 21, 2012  5:00 PM  BINGHAMTON
Friday, October 26, 2012  7:00 PM  at Connecticut
Saturday, October 27, 2012  7:00 PM  ALBANY
Sunday, October 28, 2012  5:00 PM  W-B/SCRANTON
Friday, November 2, 2012  7:00 PM  at Springfield
Saturday, November 3, 2012  7:00 PM  at Bridgeport
Friday, November 9, 2012  7:05 PM  at W-B/Scranton
Saturday, November 10, 2012  7:00 PM  ST. JOHN’S
Sunday, November 11, 2012  5:00 PM  PORTLAND
Friday, November 16, 2012  7:30 PM  at Syracuse
Saturday, November 17, 2012  7:00 PM  W-B/SCRANTON
Sunday, November 18, 2012  5:00 PM  SYRACUSE
Wednesday, November 21, 2012  7:00 PM  W-B/SCRANTON
Saturday, November 24, 2012  7:00 PM  at Adirondack
Sunday, November 25, 2012  5:00 PM  TORONTO
Wednesday, November 28, 2012  7:15 PM  at Norfolk
Friday, November 30, 2012  7:00 PM  BRIDGEPORT
Saturday, December 1, 2012  7:00 PM  NORFOLK
Thursday, December 6, 2012  7:00 PM  at Norfolk1
Friday, December 7, 2012  7:05 PM  at W-B/Scranton
Saturday, December 8, 2012  7:00 PM  HAMILTON
Tuesday, December 11, 2012  6:00 PM  at St. John’s
Wednesday, December 12, 2012  6:00 PM  at St. John’s
Saturday, December 15, 2012  7:00 PM  WORCESTER
Wednesday, December 19, 2012  7:00 PM  NORFOLK
Saturday, December 22, 2012  7:00 PM  SPRINGFIELD
Wednesday, December 26, 2012  7:00 PM  W-B/SCRANTON
Thursday, December 27, 2012  7:05 PM  at W-B/Scranton
Saturday, December 29, 2012  7:00 PM  ALBANY
Saturday, January 5, 2013  7:00 PM  BINGHAMTON
Sunday, January 6, 2013   5:00 PM  WORCESTER
Tuesday, January 8, 2013  7:00 PM  at Bridgeport
Friday, January 11, 2013  7:05 PM  at W-B/Scranton
Saturday, January 12, 2013  7:00 PM  CONNECTICUT
Sunday, January 13, 2013  5:00 PM  CONNECTICUT
Wednesday, January 16, 2013  7:00 PM  at Worcester
Friday, January 18, 2013  7:00 PM  LAKE ERIE
Sunday, January 20, 2013  5:00 PM  W-B/SCRANTON2
Friday, January 25, 2013  7:00 PM  ST. JOHN’S
Saturday, January 26, 2013  7:05 PM  at Binghamton
Saturday, February 2, 2013  7:00 PM  MANCHESTER
Sunday, February 3, 2013  2:00 PM  W-B/SCRANTON
Tuesday, February 5, 2013  7:00 PM  at Lake Erie
Saturday, February 9, 2013  7:00 PM  BINGHAMTON
Sunday, February 10, 2013  5:00 PM  NORFOLK
Friday, February 15, 2013  7:30 PM  at Hamilton
Saturday, February 16, 2013  3:00 PM  at Toronto
Sunday, February 17, 2013  3:05 PM  at Rochester
Friday, February, 22, 2013  7:05 PM  at Binghamton
Saturday, February 23, 2013  7:00 PM  ADIRONDACK
Sunday, February 24, 2013  4:00 PM  at Albany3
Friday, March 1, 2013   7:05 PM  at W-B/Scranton
Saturday, March 2, 2013   7:00 PM  NORFOLK
Sunday, March 3, 2013   5:00 PM  SYRACUSE
Friday, March 8, 2013   7:30 PM  at Norfolk
Saturday, March 9, 2013   7:15 PM  at Norfolk
Sunday, March 10, 2013   5:00 PM  BINGHAMTON
Saturday, March 16, 2013  7:00 PM  BRIDGEPORT
Sunday, March 17, 2013   5:00 PM  ADIRONDACK
Friday, March 22, 2013   7:00 PM  at Connecticut
Saturday, March 23, 2013  7:00 PM  at Manchester
Sunday, March 24, 2013   3:00 PM  at Worcester
Friday, March 29, 2013   7:00 PM  at Albany
Saturday, March 30, 2013  7:00 PM  PROVIDENCE
Friday, April 5, 2013   7:30 PM  at Syracuse
Saturday, April 6, 2013   7:00 PM  SYRACUSE
Sunday, April 7, 2013   3:05 PM  at W-B/Scranton
Friday, April 12, 2013   7:05 PM  at Providence
Saturday, April 13, 2013  7:00 PM  at Manchester
Sunday, April 14, 2013   4:00 PM  at Portland
Friday, April 19, 2013   7:00 PM  at Adirondack
Saturday, April 20, 2013  7:05 PM  at Binghamton
Sunday, April 21, 2013   5:00 PM  MANCHESTER

1 at Verizon Center, Washington, DC
2 Capital BlueCross AHL Outdoor Classic at HERSHEYPARK Stadium, Hershey, PA
3 at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ