Game Preview: Bears vs. Monsters, 7 p.m.

January 10, 2026

The Hershey Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they host the Cleveland Monsters in the first of two games this weekend at GIANT Center.

Hershey Bears (16-14-1-0) vs. Cleveland Monsters (16-11-4-1)
Jan. 10, 2026 | 7 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Jack Young (24), Mason Riley (79
Linespersons: John Rey (16), Davids Rozitis (62)

Tonight's Promotions:

• Pepsi Cowboy Hat Night - The first 6,000 fans in attendance will receive a Bears cowboy hat, courtesy of Pepsi.
• Country Night - Got our boots... Got our hats... We're bringing country back! Get ready to have a yee-hockey good time at our first ever Country Night. The evening will also feature internationally-known line and partner dance choreographer Heidi Cluck of Dance with Heidi leading line dancing instruction on the back of the GIANT Center concourse during pregame from 6-6:45 p.m. and a performance during the second intermission.
• 1938 Jerseys - The Bears will be wearing their 1938-inspired throwback jerseys as part of the American Hockey League's 90th anniversary season.

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Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, AHL Hall-of-Famer Mitch Lamoureux, and in-arena host 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: Froggy Valley 100.1-FM Stream, Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears are coming off their GIANT Teddy Bear Toss last Sunday against Rockford, as Louie Belpedio scored 2:55 into the first period to put the hosts in front 1-0 and prompt fans to throw 81,796 stuffed animals onto the ice to be collected and distributed to children in need throughout central Pennsylvania. After Rockford took a 2-1 lead, the Bears reeled off five straight, as Graeme Clarke recorded a hat trick to go along with an assist on Belpedio's goal, and Ryan Chesley netted his fourth of the season to stake Hershey to a 5-2 victory. Cleveland earned a 5-4 shootout win at Toronto on Wednesday, as the Monsters rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits before taking a 4-3 lead in the third period. The Marlies eventually tied the game at 4-4 midway through the third, and following a scoreless overtime, Hunter McKown scored the deciding tally in the fifth round of the shootout to lift Cleveland past Toronto.

SMALL-MAN, BIG PRESENCE:
Despite losing one of his three assists from Sunday's performance due to a retroactive score correction, Spencer Smallman has enjoyed a recent stretch of offensive production. The forward has five points (1g, 4a) over his last five games, and is 12 assists away from 100 in his AHL career. This season the Bears have been without Smallman's services for a total of 10 games due to injury, along with two games due to an NHL recall in November. When Smallman has dressed for the Bears, the team is five games above the .500 mark (12-7-0-0), the best among Hershey's forward group; the second-best record of any player on the team behind only Cam Allen (12-5-1-0).

SHORTHANDED SPECIALISTS:
The Bears scored their fifth shorthanded goal of the season last Saturday in their 5-4 win over Rockford, as Henrik Rybinski found twine just 2:10 into the contest. Hershey's five shorthanded tallies are two back of the league lead held by San Diego. All of Hershey's shorthanded goals have come at home, and all via different individual players, more than doubling last season's output of two. Rybinski's goal was his third career shorthanded marker, while Bogdan Trineyev leads the active roster with five career shorthanded goals. Cleveland has surrendered four shorthanded goals this season, but is tied for second in the league with six shorthanded markers.

MONSTER ACTION:
The Bears will wrap up their four-game season series this weekend with a pair of home games against the Cleveland Monsters. During its two-game visit to Cleveland in late November, Hershey won the initial contest by a 5-2 score on Nov. 20, only to see the Monsters respond with a 5-3 victory two nights later, ending a nine-game road win streak against the franchise for Hershey. Cleveland visits Toronto on Wednesday before traveling to Hershey; the Monsters have gone 11-7-1-0 since they last faced the Bears. Ilya Protas leads the Bears in the season series with five points (2g, 3a) in two contests. Bears Goaltender Clay Stevenson is 6-1-0 with a 2.02 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage, and two shutouts in seven career outings against the Monsters, while Cleveland netminder Ivan Fedotov has only lost once in regulation in his last 10 outings.

BEARS BITES:
Graeme Clarke's goals at 12:17 and 13:11 of the second period in Sunday's win over Rockford represents the fastest pair of goals scored by Hershey (54 seconds) this season...Hershey's power play has gone 5-for-12 (41.67%) over its last four games, while going 12-for-13 (92.31%) with a shorthanded goal on the penalty kill in that same time...Clay Stevenson's next victory will move him past Marc D'Amour (53 wins) for sole possession of 18th in the club record book...Corey Schueneman is one assist away from earning his 100th career AHL helper...Dalton Smith is four penalty minutes away from his 1,000th in the AHL...Rookie defenseman Cam Allen has five points (2g, 3a) in his last seven games and registered the first multi-point game of his career last Sunday...Hershey is 13-4-1-0 when scoring first this season...The Bears are 15-5-1-0 when tied or leading after the first period.

ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Jan. 10, 1986 - Rookie netminder Ron Hextall came up with 35 saves - including 18 in the third period - for his first professional shutout, as the Bears earned a 4-0 road triumph over the Binghamton Whalers. Ross Fitzpatrick scored his fourth consecutive game-winning goal for Hershey in the opening frame, and Tim Tookey picked up a pair of assists. Hextall finished the season with five shutouts and won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the American Hockey League's outstanding rookie (the only Bears player to date to capture the AHL's rookie of the year honors), and would help Hershey reach the 1986 Calder Cup Finals before going on to a 13-year career in the National Hockey League.