Bears to Battle Charlotte Checkers in Atlantic Division Finals

May 11, 2025

The Hershey Bears have announced the schedule for the club's 2025 Atlantic Division Finals playoff series against the Charlotte Checkers. Hershey, the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division during the 2024-25 regular season and defending back-to-back Calder Cup Champions, will square off against the No. 2-seeded Charlotte Checkers in a best-of-five series. The Bears reached the Atlantic Division Finals for the third consecutive spring after defeating the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the decisive fifth game of the best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals.

The complete schedule is as follows:

Game 1 - Friday, May 16 at Charlotte, Bojangles Coliseum, 7 p.m.

Game 2 - Saturday, May 17 at Charlotte, Bojangles Coliseum, 7 p.m.

Game 3 - Wednesday, May 21 vs. Charlotte, GIANT Center, 7 p.m.

*Game 4 - Thursday, May 22 vs. Charlotte, GIANT Center, 7 p.m.

*Game 5 - Saturday, May 24 vs. Charlotte, GIANT Center, 7 p.m.

*If necessary. All times Eastern.

Tickets for Hershey's home games will go on sale on Monday, May 12 at 10 a.m. online via Ticketmaster.

This marks the first playoff series between the Bears and Checkers since the best-of-five 2023 Atlantic Division Semifinals, which saw Hershey take the series in four games and began their current league-record run of nine consecutive playoff series won. The Bears and Checkers have met in three previous postseason series, with the Chocolate and White owning a 1-2 series record. Hershey went 4-4-0-0 against Charlotte in the 2024-25 regular season, and the Bears are looking to become just the second team in the history of the American Hockey League to win three consecutive Calder Cups, joining the 1960-62 Springfield Indians. 

Fans are asked to continue to check HersheyBears.com and the club's social media channels for the latest updates on the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.