Game Preview: Bears at Islanders, 7 p.m.

October 29, 2025

The Hershey Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they begin a three-game New England road trip in the Constitution State with their first meeting of the season with the Bridgeport Islanders.

Hershey Bears (2-3-1-0) at Bridgeport Islanders (2-3-1-0)
Oct. 29, 2025 | 7 p.m. | Total Mortgage Arena
Referees: Austin O'Rourke (19), Jim Curtin (22)
Linespersons: Kevin Briganti (39), Nick Briganti (58)

Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch 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: Froggy Valley 100.1-FM Stream, Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m.; Television coverage starts at 7 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears battled back from 1-0 and 3-2 deficits against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last Saturday to earn an eventual 4-3 win via the shootout, that was highlighted by a two-point night from Andrew Cristall which included his first professional goal, and a 23-save effort from Garin Bjorklund. The Islanders visited Providence on Sunday and initially held a 1-0 lead in the second period after Cam Berg had scored at the 2:52 mark, but Providence reeled off four straight goals and dealt Bridgeport a 4-1 loss.

FOR WHOM THE 'BEL' TOLLS:
Bears defenseman Louie Belpedio enters tonight's game with 10 points (4g, 6a) in 21 career games against Bridgeport. The eighth-year pro's last goal occurred on March 1, 2025 against Bridgeport as a member of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and his single-game career-high of four points (1g, 3a) occurred on Jan. 29, 2025 at Bridgeport while with Lehigh Valley.

NOTHIN' BUT A 'G' THING:
Should Garin Bjorklund get a second consecutive start tonight following his 23-save performance on Saturday over Lehigh Valley, it will mark the first set of back-to-back starts of his AHL tenure. The rookie netminder originally made his AHL debut at Bridgeport on March 26, 2025, making 26 saves in a 4-1 win over the Islanders. Bjorklund's 2.85 goals-against average ranks eighth among rookie goalies.

BOOMIN' IN BRIDGEPORT:
Hershey heads into its first meeting of the season with Bridgeport with identical 2-3-1-0 records in the standings. The Islanders are in their first season under head coach Rocky Thompson, who played 42 games with the Bears during the 2001-02 season. Thompson most recently spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, and previously had been assistant coach under former Bears head coach Todd Nelson's staff with the Oklahoma City Barons. Hershey went 5-1-0-0 against the Islanders last season, winning its last three meetings against Bridgeport, as well as its last three contests at Total Mortgage Arena. Hershey leads the all-time series with a 76-34-3-5-10 record in 128 previous meetings. Bears acting assistant coach Brent Thompson previously served as Bridgeport's head coach from 2011-12 and 2014-23, where he coached Aaron Ness in the defenseman's rookie season in 2011-12 and Ness' final season with the franchise in 2014-15.

BRETT'S BACK:
The Bears welcomed back a familiar face to their roster on Tuesday with the loan of forward Brett Leason to the club after Leason had returned to the Washington Capitals organization with his signing on Monday to a one-year, two-way NHL contract. Leason last suited up with the Chocolate and White on May 9, 2022 in Game 3 of the Atlantic Division First Round series against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Leason has 47 career AHL points (18g, 29a) in 114 regular-season games, all of which came with the Bears between 2019-22. Leason began the season on professional try-out agreement with the Minnesota Wild and Charlotte Checkers after spending the last three seasons under contract with the Anaheim Ducks.

BEARS BITES:
Calle Rosén's five assists are tied for second among league defensemen, and is four points away from his 200th career AHL point...Graeme Clarke is tied for 10th in the AHL with 23 shots on goal...Henrik Rybinski is tied for first in the AHL with a 66.7 shooting percentage (2-for-3)...Ryan Chesley is one of three AHL rookies with a shorthanded goal and is tied for the league lead with two shorthanded points...Bridgeport veteran forward Chris Terry has 42 career points (18g, 24a) in 42 career games against Hershey. He has one assist through six games this season.

ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Oct. 29, 2004 - After one season of using the shootout to settle tie games in the 1986-87 campaign, the penalty shot competition made its return in the 2004-05 season, and it was on this date that season that the Bears played their first modern shootout, a rare 1-0 win at Syracuse, as Hershey netminder Peter Budaj and Crunch goaltender Pascal Leclaire dueled through 65 minutes of regulation and overtime play, with Budaj making 35 saves, including four in the sudden-death period. In the skills competition, Budaj got the better of Leclaire in five rounds as Marek Svatoš and Éric Perrin each tallied for Hershey, while only Joe Motzko found the net for Syracuse.