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

The Hershey Bears continue the 2026-27 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at GIANT Center for the second time this season.

Hershey Bears (8-6-0-0) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (7-5-1-0)
Nov. 13, 2026 | 7 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Chris Conway (33), Bobby Jo Love (51)
Linespersons: Shawn Oliver (66), Tommy George (61)

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Broadcast Information:
Voice of the Bears Zack Fisch 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 6:30 p.m

LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears dropped the first contest of a four-game homestand to the Hamilton Hammers on Wednesday night by a 4-1 score. Bogdan Trineyev scored 6:08 into the game for Hershey, but the Hammers tallied four unanswered goals, including three in the third period. Former Bear Vítek Vaněček earned the win in net for Hamilton with 34 saves. The Penguins' last contest was Tuesday as they fell 4-0 to Utica. Comets goaltender David Rittich stopped all 25 shots he faced. 

KEEPING IT 300:
Hershey faces Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tonight in the 300th regular-season meeting between the clubs. Through 299 games, the Bears hold a lifetime record of 153-105-4-26-11 (.580); Hershey owns a lifetime 85-39-3-16-7 record at home against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and is looking for its first win against its I-81 rivals on GIANT Center ice since Nov. 29, 2025 (6-2 W).

FRIDAY THE 13TH :
Games on Friday the 13th have generally brought scary results for Hershey. The Bears are just 12-24-1-1-0 in franchise history on Friday the 13th, but the club has won three of its past four games on this date. Hershey’s last Friday the 13th game was a victory at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, as the Bears claimed a 4-2 decision at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza on March 13. In games that have specifically taken place on Friday, Nov. 13, the Bears are just 1-4-0-0, with the latest result coming in 2015 in a 7-0 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. All four of those losses have come on the road, while the lone victory came at GIANT Center in 2009 in a 5-3 decision over Norfolk. 

PETERSEN VS. THE PENGUINS:
Hershey netminder Cal Petersen is seeking the first win of his career versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The netminder previously played Hershey’s Keystone State rival four times during his tenure with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, recording a 0-3-1 record. Despite the results, Petersen’s numbers versus the Baby Pens have been strong as he has posted a 2.52 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. Petersen is 4-3-0 this season for Hershey, but the Waterloo, Iowa native is hoping to snap a two-game losing streak tonight in which he’s posted a .857 save percentage. 

POWER PLAY PRIMER:
If statistics this season are an indication of how many man advantages today’s game might bring, power-play chances would be anticipated to be low. Both Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton enter tonight’s game with 42 opportunities with the power play, a mark that is tied with the Chicago Wolves for the lowest total in the AHL. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (9, 21.4%) has one more power-play goal than Hershey (8, 19.0%), and in the lone previous meeting on Nov. 1, neither team scored on the power play, as Hershey was 0-for-3 and the Pens 0-for-2. 

SHUTTING THE DOOR:
When these two teams last met on Nov. 1 at GIANT Center, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender Taylor Gauthier turned aside all 43 shots to secure a 5-0 shutout victory. His performance was the 17th documented regular-season shutout by an opposing goaltender making 40-plus saves, and the first since Spencer Knight’s 44-save, 3-0 win for Charlotte at GIANT Center on March 2, 2022. The all-time record for saves in a shutout by an opposing netminder is held by New Haven’s Steve Weeks, who made 55 saves during a 2-0 home win for the Nighthawks on October 12, 1980.

BEARS BITES:
The Bears released forward Joey Anderson from his professional tryout agreement (PTO) on Wednesday so he could pursue another playing opportunity…Matt Strome skated in his 200th game with the Bears on Wednesday night…Lynden Lakovic is second in shots among rookies with 43, just trailing Hartford’s Liam Greentree who has 49…Hershey has outscored opponents 14-7 in the first period, but has also been outscored 16-12 in the second and 19-17 in the third…Starting with tonight’s game, Hershey will play just four opponents for the remaining 17 games in 2026 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton-6, Lehigh Valley-5, Charlotte-4, Rochester-2). 

ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:
Nov. 13, 2009 – The Bears earned a 5-3 Friday the 13th win over the Norfolk Admirals, as Keith Aucoin and Alexandre Giroux each put up a goal and assist, and Andrew Joudrey scored the eventual game-winner as Michal Neuvirth made 26 saves to skate away with the victory.