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

October 24, 2025

The Hershey Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they play their first road game of the season by visiting the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to open a home-and-home set against their I-78 rivals.

Hershey Bears (1-2-1-0) at Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-2-0-0)
Oct. 24, 2025 | 7:05 p.m. | PPL Center
Referees: Jack Young (24), Jake Kamrass (3)
Linespersons: Shawn Oliver (66), J.P. Waleski (14)

Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch on the call
RADIO: WFVY-100.1-FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:35 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears took a split of last weekend's series with the Springfield Thunderbirds via a 5-1 loss on Sunday, as Henrik Rybinski scored late in the second period for Hershey to stop a four-goal run by Springfield. The Phantoms are coming off a 4-1 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday in which Alexis Gendron netted the lone goal for Lehigh Valley on the power play 56 seconds into the middle frame and Aleksei Kolosov made 28 of 32 saves.

POWERED UP AT PPL CENTER:
Hershey has gone 29-27-3-6 in 65 career regular-season games at PPL Center since the Phantoms relocated to Allentown in the 2014-15 season; the Bears were 12-3-1-2 in Allentown over the previous three seasons. Goaltender Clay Stevenson is 5-2-2 in nine career road appearances with Hershey at PPL Center with a 1.76 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and three shutouts.

CLARKE CLICKING:
Bears forward Graeme Clarke's 17 shots on goal are tied for sixth in the AHL, and the sixth-year pro could become a valuable contributor for Hershey against the Phantoms if his past success against Lehigh Valley is any indication. From 2020-24 as a member of the Binghamton Devils/Utica Comets, Clarke played in 20 games against the Phantoms, collecting 14 points (4g, 10a).

SWEETER SIDE OF THE I-78 RIVALRY:
This summer the Bears brought two former Phantoms into the fold in Chocolatetown, as defenseman Louie Belpedio signed a two-year, two-way NHL contract with Washington and could skate against his former club tonight; Belpedio produced 65 points (17g, 48a) and 224 penalty minutes in 174 games as a Phantom from 2022-25. Former Lehigh Valley video coach/assistant coach Bill Downey was also added to Hershey's coaching staff during the offseason. The pair join another former Phantom on the Bears in Matt Strome, who skated with Lehigh Valley for parts of four seasons from 2018-22.

PHANTOMS FLUCTUATION BEHIND THE BENCH:
With Ian Laperriere stepping into an advisory role with the parent Philadelphia Flyers in May and later departing the organization altogether for a scouting role with the New York Islanders in early September, former Phantoms assistant John Snowden has succeeded Laperriere as the bench boss in Lehigh Valley. Nick Schultz and Terrence Wallin serve as Snowden's assistant coaches on the Phantoms bench. 

BEARS BITES:
Henrik Rybinski is tied for sixth 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 one of three AHL players with two shorthanded points...Lehigh Valley's Devin Kaplan and Karsen Dorwart have both recorded four points, which is tied for fifth in rookie scoring.

ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Oct. 24, 2015 - Longtime Bears president and general manager Doug Yingst announced his intention to retire following the 2015-16 season in a pregame ceremony before that season's home opener. Yingst's subsequent retirement ended his 34-year tenure with the club, and his four Calder Cups as general manager are tied for the most of anyone in AHL history. Once the puck dropped that evening against the Hartford Wolf Pack, Ryan Stanton and Travis Boyd scored in the second period, and Chris Bourque netted the game-winner via an overtime power-play goal to give the Chocolate and White a 3-2 win. The Bears would go on to claim the Richard F. Canning Trophy as Eastern Conference champions and make their 23rd appearance in the Calder Cup Finals.