Bears Release 2017-18 Schedule

July 16, 2017

VIEW THE FULL 2017-18 SCHEDULE HERE! (Printable Calendar PDF Coming Soon)

The Hershey Bears, in conjunction with the American Hockey League, have released the 2017-18 schedule for the club's historic 80th Anniversary Season. 

The Bears open the 2017-18 regular season on the road on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Lehigh Valley in a rematch of the opening round of the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs. Hershey's Home Opener at the Giant Center will take place on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. versus the Belleville Senators. 

The marquee event of the 2017-18 season is the 2018 Outdoor Classic on Jan. 20 at Hersheypark Stadium. The Bears will host an outdoor contest versus the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Tickets will go on sale for this special event on Friday, Aug. 18, with a season ticket holder presale in early August.

Hershey will play three Western Conference opponents during the 2017-18 season. The Bears will meet the defending Calder Cup Champion Grand Rapids Griffins on home ice on Sunday, Mar 11. Hershey also hosts the Milwaukee Admirals on Saturday, Dec. 2, and battles with the Rockford IceHogs at the Giant Center on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Bears will also make a trip to the midwest early in the season, playing at Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, and Rockford on Oct. 20-22. 

The Bears will also renew a rivalry with the Charlotte Checkers, who return to the Eastern Conference this season. Hershey plays Charlotte eight total times, and hosts its new Atlantic Division rival at the Giant Center on Jan. 6-7, and Feb. 3-4.

Hershey's schedule features 12 games, including six on home ice, versus Atlantic Division rivals Lehigh Valley and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Hershey's first home game versus the Phantoms is Sunday, Oct. 15, while the Bears welcome the Penguins to town for the first time on Sunday, Nov. 12. 

The club's schedule features 11 "three-in-threes" where Hershey will play three games in three nights. This number is down from 14 during the 2016-17 season. The Bears busiest months are December and March in which they will play 14 total games. Hershey hosts the most home games on Saturday nights (18), while they'll also play home games on Wednesday (5), Friday (1), and Sunday (14). Home games will once again start at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights, and at 5 p.m. on Sunday evenings. The lone exception is the Sunday, Feb. 4 game versus Charlotte. That contest will start at 2 p.m. due to the NFL championship game. 

A complete promotional schedule will be released in the coming month. Individual game tickets are slated to go on sale in September. 

2017-18 Schedule Breakdown: 

Longest Road Trip: 4 games (10/20-10/27, 2/16-2/23)

Longest Homestand: 4 games (12/9-12/17, 12/30-1/10)

2017-18 Schedule by Month:
October: 9 games (4 home, 5 road)
November: 12 games (6 home, 6 road)
December: 14 games (8 home, 6 road)
January: 10 games (6 home, 4 road)
February: 12 games (5 home, 7 road)
March: 14 games (7 home, 7 road)
April: 5 games (2 home, 3 road)

2017-18 Schedule by Day of Week:
Monday: 1 game (0 home, 1 road)
Tuesday: 1 game (0 home, 1 road)
Wednesday: 10 games (5 home, 5 road)
Thursday: 1 game (0 home, 1 road)
Friday: 16 games (1 home, 15 road)
Saturday: 27 games (18 home, 9 road)
Sunday: 20 games (14 home, 6 road)

2017-18 Schedule by Opponent
Lehigh Valley: 12 games (6 home, 6 road)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton: 12 games (6 home, 6 road)
Charlotte: 8 games (4 home, 4 road)
Bridgeport: 6 games (3 home, 3 road)
Hartford: 6 games (3 home, 3 road)
Providence: 6 games (3 home, 3 road)
Springfield: 6 games (3 home, 3 road)
Belleville: 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
Binghamton: 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
Grand Rapids: 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
Laval: 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
Milwaukee: 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
Rochester: 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
Rockford: 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
Syracuse: 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
Toronto: 2 games (1 home, 1 road)
Utica: 2 games (1 home, 1 road)