Game Preview: Bears vs. Checkers, 3 p.m.

The Hershey Bears continue the 2026-27 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they battle the Charlotte Checkers on Belco Kids Night. 

Hershey Bears (9-6-0-0) vs. Charlotte Checkers (10-6-1-0)
Nov. 15, 2026 | 3 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Rob Hennessey (87), Bobby Jo Love (51)
Linespersons: Dominic Moore (59), Jud Ritter (34)

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS VIA TICKETMASTER

Promotions:

Belco Kids Night – Join us for a family-friendly night, featuring activities just for the kiddos!

Belco Knit Hat Night – The first 3,000 children in 15-and-under in attendance will receive a Coco knit hat, courtesy of Belco.

Mascot Mania – Lions, tigers, and Bears…Oh my! Your favorite mascots from Central PA and beyond are joining Coco to take over GIANT Center!

Bears Brunch – Hope you’re hungry! Specialty brunch offerings will be available at select locations on the concourse.

Broadcast Information:
Voice of the Bears Zack Fisch, AHL Hall-of-Famer Mitch Lamourex, and radio ice-side reporter Jim Jones on the call
RADIO: WFVY 100.1-FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, In-arena on 88.9-FM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream
Radio pre-game coverage begins at 2:30 p.m

LAST TIME OUT:
Hershey rallied on Friday for a 4-3 overtime win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, as Spencer Smallman and Louie Belpedio scored in the third period to rebound from a 3-1 deficit, and Smallman helped set up Josh Dunne’s game-winner to complete the comeback in the extra frame. The Checkers are coming off a 3-1 win at Lehigh Valley last night. Goaltender Cooper Black stopped 25 shots for the Checkers, and forward Jack Devine posted a pair of assists in the victory. 

SEASON SERIES AT-A-GLANCE:
Hershey and Charlotte split their first two games of the eight-game season series during the first week of the season, with the Checkers earning a 5-2 victory on Oct. 3 and the Bears rebounding with a 3-2 win the following day. Hershey’s Andrew Cristall is pacing the Bears in scoring with three points (3a) versus Charlotte, while Checkers forward Nate Smith leads his club with three points (3g) against the Bears. Hershey (15 games) has played two fewer contests than Charlotte (17); a win today would vault the Bears ahead of Hartford into second place in the Atlantic Division behind the Checkers.

SHOOTING GALLERY:
Since the start of the month the Bears have outshot their opponents a collective 227-134, including establishing a new season high of 47 on Friday. That has helped vault Hershey into the league leaders in shots per game, as Hershey is averaging 32.4 shots each contest, while the Bears are also allowing the fourth-lowest shot totals in the AHL (21.83 per game). Charlotte, meanwhile, ranks ninth in shots for per game (29.88) and fifth in shots against (25.59).

“SNACK” ATTACK:
Defenseman Jacob MacDonald scored in his Bears debut on Oct. 3 versus Charlotte, and the 2024-25 Eddie Shore Award winner has contributed six points (1g, 5a) so far this season for Hershey while posting a team-high eight shots on goal on Nov. 1 versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The veteran blueliner has nine points (2g, 7a) in 10 career games against the Checkers.

BEARS BITES:
Following Friday night’s overtime tally, Josh Dunne is tied for second in the league in game-winning goals with three. The Hershey record for game-winning goals in a season is Dunc Fisher with 13 during the 1953-54 campaign…Hershey is 2-2-0-0 on Sunday this season…The Bears are 4-0-0-0 this season in games decided by one goal; Hershey’s first win of this kind was on Oct. 4 versus Charlotte in a 3-2 victory…Dylan McIlrath is one assist away from his 100th pro helper…Pending they are in the lineup, Charlotte defenseman Alex Petrovic is slated to play in his 500th AHL game today while Nathan Basitan will skate in his 200th AHL contest…The next goal for Checkers forward and former Bear Brian Pinho will be the 100th in his AHL career. 

ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Nov. 15, 2008 – The Bears rallied from a 3-2 deficit against the Philadelphia Phantoms with a five-goal third period for a 7-3 victory at GIANT Center. Oskar Osala collected a hat trick, while Alexandre Giroux tallied a pair of assists (including on Chris Bourque’s tying score at 7:04 of the final frame) to begin what would become a franchise-record 23-game point streak (27g, 17a) that lasted through January 30 of that season.