Game Preview: Bears at Americans, 7:05 p.m.

The Hershey Bears continue the 2026-27 season, presented by Penn State Health, with their first road match of the campaign as they take on the Rochester Americans.

Hershey Bears (5-2-0-0) at Rochester Americans (4-3-0-1)
Oct. 28, 2026 | 7:05 p.m. | Blue Cross Arena
Referees: Matt Mannella (93), Hayden Verbeek (40)
Linespersons: Tory Carissimo (54), T.J. Dockery (27)

Broadcast Information:
Voice of the Bears Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43 sports director Todd Sadowski on the call
TELEVISION: Antenna TV (WPMT FOX 43.2, Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, and Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88)
RADIO: WFVY 100.1-FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream

Radio pre-game coverage begins at 6:35 p.m.; TV coverage begins at 7 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears picked up a 5-2 win over the Belleville Senators last Saturday, rallying from a 2-0 deficit. Grant Cruikshank and Spencer Smallman each picked up a goal and an assist, Joey Anderson scored twice, and Lynden Lakovic netted the game-winner for Hershey. The Americans have been idle since Friday, when they faced the Syracuse Crunch. After taking a 2-0 lead on goals from Gavin McCarthy and Matthew Peca, Rochester saw Syracuse rally to force overtime, but Trevor Kuntar secured the additional point for the Amerks at 1:59 of the extra frame.

DUNNE PLAYING THAT FUNK-Y MUSIC:
Tonight’s match features two potential rematches for players against their former organizations, as Bears forward Josh Dunne played 70 total games over two seasons with the Americans before signing as a free agent with the Washington Capitals this summer, and former Bear Zac Funk was traded by Washington to the Buffalo Sabres organization in exchange for Tyler Kopff (currently with ECHL South Carolina) during the offseason and has currently generated three points (1g, 2a) in five contests with Rochester this season. Bears assistant athletic trainer Jacqui Gutierrez moved on from an identical role with Rochester this summer as well.

OLD TIME HOCKEY:
The AHL’s oldest active rivalry reignites tonight when the Bears visit Blue Cross Arena to take on the Rochester Americans. Since their inaugural meeting in 1956, the two clubs have clashed a total of 472 times in the regular season, with Hershey posting a record of 224-190-53-3-2; the two teams have also met in the postseason for a total of eight series, with Hershey winning the latest clash in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, 4-2. This season marks the second consecutive campaign that Hershey and Rochester will face each other four times; last season the Bears earned a win in their first visit to Rochester, extending a road win streak against the Americans to three games to match a series record, but the Amerks snapped the streak on Jan. 30 with a 3-1 win. Defenseman Jon McDonald led Hershey in scoring against Rochester in 2025-26 with four points (1g, 3a) in three games. Neither of the goaltenders on Hershey’s active roster have faced the Americans in their career.

BEARS BITES:
Josh Dunne’s next point will be his 100th AHL point and he is one of 15 skaters in the AHL with multiple game-winning goals…Andrew Cristall is tied for seventh in the league with eight assists…Louie Belpedio’s +6 is tied for fifth among all skaters…Cam Allen’s .83 points per game is tied for 12th among all defensemen…Joey Anderson’s 37.5% shooting percentage is tied for eighth among skaters with at least four shots on goal…Jonny Brodzinski has a five-game point streak (2g. 4a).

ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Oct. 28, 1956 – The Bears and Americans faced each other for the first time, with the Bears winning at the Rochester War Memorial in Rochester 4-2. Several future AHL Hall-of-Famers starred in the contest, as goaltender Gil Mayer made 44 saves, Willie Marshall netted a pair of goals, and Dunc Fisher tallied the eventual game-winner in the second period. Hershey went 9-7-0 against Rochester that season.