Bears Advance to Calder Cup Finals with 1-0 Game 6 Win Over Amerks

June 2, 2023

The Hershey Bears (10-3) captured the Richard F Canning Trophy as Eastern Conference Champions and advanced to the Calder Cup Finals for the 24th time in franchise history following a 1-0 victory over the Rochester Americans (8-6) in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night at Blue Cross Arena. Hershey won the best-of-seven series four games to two.

The Bears will extend their league record by making their 24th appearance in the Calder Cup Finals, where they will face the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and the Milwaukee Admirals. That best-of-seven series is currently tied at two games apiece.

The Bears are making their sixth trip to the Calder Cup Finals since becoming the top development affiliate of the Washington Capitals in 2005-06. Led by head coach Todd Nelson, the Bears finished second in the Atlantic Division and fourth overall in the AHL during the regular season (44-19-5-4, 97 points), then defeated the Charlotte Checkers (3-1) in the division semifinals and the Hartford Wolf Pack (3-0) in the division finals before eliminating Rochester.

BOX SCORE

Both teams tested each other in the opening frame, with Hunter Shepard turning aside nine Rochester attempts and Malcom Subban denying six Hershey chances, resulting in a 0-0 score after 20 minutes of play.

Shane Gersich scored the lone goal of the evening for Hershey at 12:40 of the second period when Beck Malenstyn’s shot from the left flank rebounded off the pads of Subban to Gersich, who stashed the puck into the cage for his first of the postseason. Gabriel Carlsson earned a secondary assist.

Shepard was sensational in the second, including surviving a 5-on-3 Rochester power play sequence after losing his goalie stick during the chaos in front of the Hershey net.
The Americans continued to press in the third, outshooting Hershey 7-4, but Shepard made all of the necessary stops to allow Gersich’s goal to stand as the series-winner.

Shots finished 24-19 in favor of the Americans. Shepard went 24-for-24 for the Bears in his second shutout victory of the series; Subban went 18-for-19 in the loss for the Americans. Hershey was 0-for-3 on the power play, while Rochester went 0-for-4.

The Bears’ 2023 playoffs, presented by Penn State Health, continues when the Chocolate and White face the winner of the Western Conference Finals in the 2023 Calder Cup Finals. Tickets for Hershey’s first two home games of the championship round will go on sale via Ticketmaster on Saturday, June 3 at 10 a.m. Fans can take advantage of pre-sale pricing with tickets starting as low as $14.95 until Hershey’s schedule, opponent, dates, and times for the Calder Cup Finals are determined. Continue to check HersheyBears.com for the latest updates on the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, including games, dates, times, and ticket information.