2015-16 SEASON SCHEDULE, ON-SALE INFORMATION ANNOUNCED

August 27, 2015

HERSHEY, Pa. – The Hershey Bears, in conjunction with the American Hockey League, announced today the schedule of games comprising the 2015-16 regular season.  The club also announced information on purchasing individual game tickets for the public and a special pre-sale for season ticket holders.  The announcements were made by Bears president/general manager Doug Yingst.

The Bears, members of the AHL’s new eight-team Atlantic Division, will again open the campaign with the longest stretch of road games during 2015-16 on Saturday, October 10 with a visit to take on the Springfield Falcons.  The four-game stretch will continue with a pair of games against the Portland Pirates, and conclude with the club’s first-ever matchup against the 2015 Western Conference champion Utica Comets on Friday, October 23.

The 78th home opener in Bears history will take place on Saturday, October 24.  The Hartford Wolf Pack, Hershey’s opponent in the 2015 Eastern Conference semifinals, will visit for a 7:00 PM matchup.  Fans will be treated to the debut of GIANT Center’s new high-definition center-hung videoboard, 360 LED fascia and LED video standings board.  The Bears will also celebrate the 35th anniversary of the 1980 Calder Cup championship team on this night prior to the game.

The Bears will face every resident of the Eastern Conference at least twice, and will not play a Western Conference opponent this season.  The longest-running series will be played against the in-state rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.  The first of 12 games against the Phantoms kicks off on Sunday, November 1 in Chocolatetown, and the first of 12 with the Penguins takes place on Friday, November 13 in Wilkes-Barre Township.

The AHL’s oldest rivalry, which enters its 60th season in 2015-16, resumes on Sunday, November 15 when the Rochester Americans visit GIANT Center as new transplants into the Eastern Conference.  The Bears travel to western New York for the other game of the series on Friday, January 8.

A very busy December features the longest stretch of home games for the Chocolate and White, a six-game stretch from Friday, December 19 through Thursday, December 31.  The Toronto Marlies, the other newest member of the Eastern Conference, take on the Bears at the beginning of this homestand.  It concludes with the Bears’ second consecutive New Year’s Eve contest, with Lehigh Valley as the opponent for a special 5:00 PM faceoff.

Also included in the homestand is the fourth annual Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which commences prior to face off against the Syracuse Crunch on Sunday, December 20.

Shortly after the All-Star Break in early February, the Bears will host the Binghamton Senators in the annual Super Bowl Sunday contest on February 7, with faceoff slated for 2:00 PM.

The Bears wrap up the road portion of their schedule on Friday, April 15 against Binghamton, and conclude the entire regular season at home on Sunday, April 17 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

In all, a majority of the Hershey Bears’ home games will take place on weekends (35 of the 38 to be played on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays).  The club will also play one game at home on a Tuesday (December 29), Wednesday (November 25) and Thursday (December 31).

With special thanks to Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company, the popular HERSHEYPARK Pass Nights return for 2015-16.  All fans in attendance on the following days will receive one complimentary pass to HERSHEYPARK (valid through July 31, 2016): Sunday, November 1 vs. Lehigh Valley; Sunday, December 20 vs. Syracuse; Sunday, January 10 vs. Utica; and Sunday, February 7 vs. Binghamton.

Information on other promotional nights and special theme nights will be released in the coming days.

Individual tickets for all Hershey Bears home games will go on sale to the general public on Monday, September 28 at 10:00 AM.  Tickets may be purchased by calling (717) 508-BEAR, online at TicketMaster.com, or by visiting the GIANT Center box office.

All Hershey Bears season ticket holders – full season, 22-game, 12-game and flex plan – may begin to purchase additional tickets on Wednesday, September 23 at 10:00 AM.  Season ticket holders will be required to have their account information ready in order to access the pre-sale, which is available at the GIANT Center box office or by calling (717) 508-BEAR.

The complete 2015-16 Hershey Bears regular-season schedule follows, including start times and opponents, and games by division, month and day of week.

HERSHEY BEARS 2015-16 REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE

All Times Eastern; Home Games in CAPS

SCHEDULE BY MONTH

SCHEDULE BY DAY OF WEEK

SCHEDULE BY CONFERENCE/DIVISION