Game Preview: Bears at Wolf Pack, 6 p.m.

April 4, 2026

The Hershey Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they look to snap a three-game losing streak as they battle the Hartford Wolf Pack for the final time this season. 

Hershey Bears (28-29-6-3) at Hartford Wolf Pack (24-33-5-3)
April 4, 2026 | 6 p.m. | PeoplesBank Arena
Referees: Chad Ingalls (39), Samuel Heidemann (60) 
Linespersons: Anthony Lapointe (58), Kevin Briganti (39)

Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, FOX43 sports director Todd Sadowski, and Bears media specialist Jesse Liebman 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
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey 
LISTEN LIVE: Froggy Valley 100.1-FM Stream, Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 5:30 p.m.; Television coverage starts at 6 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears led 1-0 after the first period, but the Springfield Thunderbirds struck three times in the second frame on the way to a 4-2 victory last night at MassMutual Center. Grant Cruikshank and Louie Belpedio scored for Hershey, and Mitch Gibson made 32 saves in the defeat. The Wolf Pack were also upended by a 4-2 score, falling to the Bridgeport Islanders at Total Mortgage Arena. Hartford outshot Bridgeport 34-20, and goals from Trey Fix-Wolansky and Bryce McConnell-Barker weren't enough in the loss. 

ATLANTIC PLAYOFF CHASE:
Hershey sits in fifth place in the Atlantic Division collecting 65 points through 66 games. The Bears trail the fourth-place Bridgeport Islanders by three points in the standings, and after last night's loss to Springfield, Hershey sits just one point ahead of the sixth-place Thunderbirds, who have played just 65 games. Hershey remains three points ahead of seventh-place Lehigh Valley, who sit below the playoff line with 62 points through 66 games. Hartford is in eighth and last place with 56 points through 65 games. Hershey's Magic Number to clinch a berth in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs is now 10 following Lehigh Valley's 3-1 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH HARTFORD:
Hershey is 0-1-2-0 against Hartford this season after dropping a pair of overtime losses at home in January and falling 5-2 on the road in early March. Brett Leason's five points (2g, 3a) in two contests paces the Chocolate and White against Hartford. The last time the Bears went winless against the Wolf Pack in a season series was the 2013-14 campaign, in which Hershey went 0-1-0-1. Hershey's last road win over the Wolf Pack came on March 30, 2024, in a 2-1 shootout victory; the Wolf Pack are tied with the Calgary Wranglers and Iowa Wild for the fewest home wins this season with 10.

CRUIKSHANK'S COOKING:
Grant Cruikshank scored his fifth shorthanded goal of the season in last night's loss, moving him into a tie with Grand Rapids' John Leonard for the league lead in shorthanded tallies. His tally marked the most shorthanded goals by a Bear since Chris Bourque recorded five goals with a man down during the 2011-12 season. Half of Cruikshank's 10 goals this season have been shorthanded, but he did tally an even-strength marker at Hartford in Hershey's loss on March 7. 

BEARS BITES:
Louie Belpedio's goal last night was the 50th marker of his AHL career...Ilya Protas' point streak concluded last night at eight games (5g, 6a)...Defenseman Phip Waugh, who played three games for Hershey earlier this season, is part of Hartford's roster on a professional tryout...Wolf Pack defender Scott Morrow is the son of former Bear Steve Morrow who played two seasons for Hershey from 1991-93. His uncle, also named Scott Morrow, played one season for the Bears in 1995-96, scoring 93 points...Hershey has been outscored 12-6 in the second period over the past five games...Both Hershey (2-7-0-1) and Hartford (2-6-1-1) each have just two wins over the past 10 games with Hershey dropping three straight games (0-3-0-0) and the Wolf Pack on a five-game skid (0-3-1-1)...The Wolf Pack's 1,043 penalty minutes are the most in the Atlantic Division, while Hershey is second with 927 penalty minutes.

ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
April 4, 1982 - Errol Rause found the net three times and the Bears closed out the regular season with a 9-2 home win against the New Brunswick Hawks. Wes Jarvis scored at 13:13 of the second period to extend his point streak to 20 games, breaking the previous team record he shared with Tim Tookey and Tony McKegney. Jarvis piled up 43 points (19g, 24a) during his prolific scoring binge, a mark that would not be surpassed in the Hershey record book until Alexandre Giroux's 2008-09 campaign.