Game Preview: Bears vs. Checkers, 6 p.m.

The Hershey Bears open the 2026-27 season presented by Penn State Health – and their 89th season of competition in the American Hockey League – with the first of two weekend contests against the Charlotte Checkers.

Hershey Bears (0-0-0-0) vs. Charlotte Checkers (0-0-0-0)
Oct. 3, 2026 | 6 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Chris Conway (33), Mike Dietrich (15)
Linespersons: Tommy George (61), Chris Martenet (78)

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Promotions:

Opening Night – Celebrate the beginning of another season of Hershey Bears hockey! Be sure to be in your seats by 5:45 p.m. for 2026-27 player and staff introductions.

PNC Magnet Schedule – All fans in attendance will receive a 2026-27 season magnet schedule, presented by PNC.

Broadcast Information:
Voice of the Bears Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, FOX43 sports director Todd Sadowski 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, in-arena on 88.9-FM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream

Radio pre-game coverage begins at 5:30 p.m.

LAST SEASON’S RESULTS:
The Bears posted a 32-31-6-3 record during the 2025-26 campaign, finishing fifth in the Atlantic Division. Hershey advanced to the 2026 Atlantic Division Semifinals, falling to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in four games to eliminate them from the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Checkers finished third in the Atlantic Division last year with a 44-23-5-0 record, including an impressive 24-9-3-0 mark on the road. Despite this, the Checkers were bested in the Atlantic Division First Round by Springfield, 2-1.

HOME OPENER HISTORY:
Hershey enters its 89th season of AHL competition with a lifetime 41-40-4-2-1 record in the opening game of the regular season, a lifetime 44-35-4-3-2 record in home openers, and a 11-8-0-3-2 record in home openers at GIANT Center since the venue opened in the 2002-03 season. Tonight’s game marks the ninth consecutive season Hershey has opened the campaign on home ice, posting a 3-4-1-0 record in that span. Hershey’s largest win in a season-opening game was an 11-1 victory over the Providence Reds on Oct. 15, 1967; the club’s largest defeat was an 11-0 road loss to the Cornwall Aces on Oct. 8, 1993. The Oct. 3 date is earlier than recent years, but the club opened both the 2007 and 2009 campaigns on this date. The most recent time in franchise history Hershey started the season earlier was on Oct. 2, 1999, when the Bears upended the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-2 at Hersheypark Arena in the clubs’ first-ever meeting. The earliest Hershey ever started a season was the 1994-95 campaign, when the Bears dropped a 5-4 decision at the Providence Reds on Sept. 30, 1994.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN:
Defenseman Louie Belpedio was named captain of the 2026-27 Bears on Friday, succeeding Aaron Ness, who retired during the offseason. At the opening of the season, Belpedio’s 476 career games in the American Hockey League were the 16th-most among AHL players since the 2014 third-round pick of the Minnesota Wild entered the league at the end of the 2017-18 season. Belpedio joined the Bears last season after signing a two-year contract with the Washington Capitals, and collected career highs of 25 assists and 34 points and received the club’s Milton Garland Award as the team’s top defenseman.

CHECKING IN ON THE CHECKERS:
Hershey’s clash with Charlotte tonight marks the first of eight total meetings between the Atlantic Division foes this season. In the 2025-26 regular season, the Bears posted a record of 4-3-0-1 in eight contests against the Checkers; despite both teams earning four wins, Charlotte won the season series on the strength of an additional overtime point. Alex Suzdalev led Hershey in scoring versus Charlotte with eight points (4g, 4a). In 74 lifetime meetings, the Bears own a 38-32-1-3 record against the Checkers.

BROTHERLY LOVE:
Bears forward Sam Bitten could potentially face his brother Will Bitten for the first time in their professional careers. The brothers were previously teammates with the Springfield Thunderbirds during the 2023-24 season; Hershey acquired Sam from Springfield in a November 2025 trade, while Will spent the past three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Moscow Spartak and HC Sochi before returning to North America this season with Charlotte. The elder Bitten won the J. Ross Robertson Cup with the Ontario Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs in 2018, where he was teammates with Matt Strome

FRESH-FACED FIRST ROUNDERS:
Hershey’s roster includes a pair of first-round draft picks of the Washington Capitals. Terik Parascak (2024, 17th overall) made his pro debut with Hershey in the final game of the 2024-25 regular season before returning to Prince George of the Western Hockey League for the 2025-26 campaign, while Lynden Lakovic (2025, 27th overall) is slated to make his professional debut this evening. 

BLAST FROM THE PAST TAKES ASSISTANT POST:
Hershey announced an addition to its bench this summer with the hiring of 2006 Calder Cup champion Louis Robitaille, who skated for the Chocolate and White for three seasons from 2005-08. Robitaille’s final year as a player in the AHL was with the Albany Devils in 2010-11 when the Albany River Rats franchise was purchased by Michael Kahn and relocated to Charlotte and rebranded as the Checkers. The Devils, meanwhile, were relocated from Lowell, Massachusetts by the parent club in New Jersey.

BEARS BITES:
Hershey’s roster features 19 players who played for the club in the 2025-26 regular season and/or the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs…Joining Louie Belpedio as part of Hershey’s leadership group is forward Jonny Brodzinski and defenseman Jacob MacDonald, who will serve as alternate captains at home, and forwards Josh Dunne and Spencer Smallman who will be alternate captains on the road…Bears forward Spencer Smallman previously played for the Checkers from 2018-20, while Charlotte forward Brian Pinho skated for Hershey from 2018-22…Cal Petersen is 1-4-0 in five lifetime meetings with Charlotte, while Garin Bjorklund has never faced the Checkers…Forward Joey Anderson’s next point will be his 200th in the American Hockey League.

ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Oct. 3, 2009 – Hershey raised its 2009 Calder Cup banner to the rafters of GIANT Center in a pregame ceremony, then dropped the puck on the 2009-10 season with a 3-1 victory over the Norfolk Admirals. Andrew Gordon, taking over for the departed Graham Mink on Hershey’s top line, scored three goals, and rookie netminder Braden Holtby made 23 saves in his professional debut, while Mark French earned the win in his debut as head coach of the Bears. Hershey went on to an AHL record 60-win campaign and repeated in the playoffs as Calder Cup champions.