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

November 1, 2025

The Hershey Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they conclude a three-game road trip through New England against the undefeated Providence Bruins. 

Hershey Bears (4-3-1-0) at Providence Bruins (7-0-0-0)
Nov. 1, 2025 | 7:05 p.m. | Amica Mutual Pavillion 
Referees: Morgan MacPhee (43), Austin Rook (26)
Linespersons: Shawn Oliver (66), Dmitrii Antipin (77)

Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, and Bears media specialist Jesse Liebman on the call
RADIO: WFVY-100.1-FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Froggy Valley 100.1-FM Stream, Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:35 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears extended the club's winning streak to three games as Calle Rosén scored the overtime tally to lift Hershey to a 3-2 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday night at MassMutual Center. Grant Cruikshank and Bogdan Trineyev scored for Hershey in the second period, and Rosén provided the heroics on the power play in overtime at 4:32 of the extra session. Hershey fired a season-best 38 shots, and netminer Clay Stevenson made 26 saves for Hershey in the victory. The Bruins were idle last night, but the club was most recently in action on Wednesday at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Providence handed the Penguins the club's first loss of the season as the Bruins scored three times in the second period en route to a 3-1 win, despite firing just 16 shots. 

CRISTALL CHIPPING IN:
Forward Andrew Cristall is finding his offensive footing in the pro ranks, and the rookie winger posted the primary assist on Calle Rosén's game-winning tally in overtime last night at Springfield. The 20-year-old now has points in three straight games, collecting four points (1g, 3a) in that span. He has scored six points (1g, 5a) in the first eight games of his professional career after tallying 132 points (48g, 84a) points in just 57 games in the Western Hockey League last year for Kelowna and Spokane. Cristall ranks sixth in the AHL in rookie scoring entering tonight's game. 

SOMETHING'S BRUIN:
The Bruins are off to a red-hot start with a perfect 7-0-0-0 record, making them one of just two teams in the AHL yet to record a loss (Grand Rapids, 6-0-0-0). The Bruins are coached by former Hershey assistant coach Ryan Mougenel, while former Bears forward Ryan Bourque is in his first year as an assistant coach on Mougenel's staff. Last season the Bears went 4-0-0-0 versus Providence, including winning a pair of 2-1 contests at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Oct. 25 and Oct. 27. Forward Spencer Smallman led Hershey last season with three goals in head-to-head play versus Providence.

LEAGUE LEADERS: 
Both clubs feature several players who are among the league leaders through the first month of the season. Hershey's Graeme Clarke is tied for the top mark in the AHL with 33 shots, while fellow forward Justin Nachbuar is tied for first in the AHL in major penalties with three. Defender Ryan Chesley is tied for first in the league with two shorthanded points, while fellow blueliner Calle Rosén is fifth in scoring among defenders with seven points (1g, 6a). On Providence's side, the Bruins have three players in the AHL's top-10 in scoring, with Riley Tufte ranking fourth in the AHL with 11 points (5g, 6a) while Georgii Merukuov (5g, 5a) and Patrick Brown (4g, 6a) are tied for eighth with 10 points. Tufte is tied for the best plus/minus in the AHL at +11 while Frederic Brunet ranks tied for first in the same category among defenders at +9.  Providence is also the AHL's most disciplined team so far this season, recording just 6.71 penalty minutes per game. Their power play is the best in the Eastern Conference at 31.8% and ranks third in the league, while they are first overall in the AHL in goals per game (4.43).

TOPPER TIME:
Hershey forward Luke Toporowski is now available to play after missing two games with an upper-body injury that occurred in the early moments of Hershey's loss at Lehigh Valley last Friday night. The former Bruin could make his return to Hershey's lineup tonight against his former team. Toporowski started his professional career with the Bruins, playing parts of two seasons in Providence, including tallying a career-best 29 points (15g 14a) in his rookie campaign in 2022-23. Toporowski has one assist in two games with Hershey this season. 

BEARS BITES:
Graeme Clarke is slated to skate in his 300th professional game tonight...Hershey has won its last five games at Amica Mutual Pavillion dating back to Oct. 20, 2023...With his overtime marker last night, defenseman Calle Rosén has points in four straight games (1g, 4a). He enters tonight's game two points from 200 in his AHL career...With his fight last night, Hershey forward Justin Nachbaur eclipsed 500 penalty minutes in his professional career between the AHL and ECHL...Hershey's power play hit pay dirt for the fourth consecutive game last night, and the Bears now sit at 5-for-24 (20.8%) on the man advantage...Forward Henrik Rybinski has assists in two straight games...Bogdan Trineyev's goal in yesterday's win at Springfield was the No. 2 play on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays last night...In addition to Luke Toporowski, Aaron Ness and Dalton Smith also previously played with the Bruins, while acting assistant coach Brent Thompson also served as Providence's captain in his final season as a player in 2004-05.

ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Nov. 1, 1969 - Hershey's Don Marcotte scored three goals and netminder Andre Gill made 45 saves as the Bears trounced the Springfield Kings, 7-1 at the Eastern States Coliseum for the 1,000th regular-season victory for Hershey in franchise history.