Practice Notebook: Homestand Nearly Dunne

Prior to this season, the longest stretch of games at home to begin a season for the Hershey Bears was four games – set just a year ago during the 2025-26 season – with the club going 1-2-1-0 out of the gates. Before that, the most recent time the Bears began a season with three consecutive games on home ice was the 1982-83 campaign; that squad went a perfect 3-0-0.

It’s safe to say that Hershey has been able to enjoy its extended stay in the comforts of GIANT Center to begin the 2026-27 campaign. At 4-2-0-0, the Bears get set to wrap up their longest homestand to open a season on Saturday night, when they host the Belleville Senators at 7 p.m. in Belleville’s lone visit of the season.

Josh Dunne has been an integral part of Hershey’s play in the early weeks of the season that has led to the four wins already accumulated, currently occupying the No. 1 center role on the team’s depth chart. The seventh-year pro has largely played between Andrew Cristall and Jonny Brodzinski on his wings, and the trio all occupy a spot in Hershey’s top five players in scoring, with Dunne tied for the team lead with three goals, including two game-winners.

As Hershey wrapped up practice on Friday, Dunne caught up with the team’s media contingent, and spoke glowingly about his linemates’ skillset.

“They’re two super-smart players out there. They make little plays that people don’t even realize that are so unbelievable,” Dunne said. “So for me, it’s easy to play with those guys because they’re making really smart plays. They’re putting themselves in good spots. Very high-skilled, talented players, so they make things easy. They’re just unbelievable players – can’t speak enough to how smart they are.

“For the line, no one’s trying to do too much because we know each guy can do something with [the puck]. So we’re relying on each other right now and playing through each other, and it’s been great.”

The prospect of the team being able to finish the homestand on a high note is encouraging for the 27-year-old, but Hershey’s record after Saturday’s match is not necessarily a barometer for success.

“I think that’s a nice big-picture thing right now. It’s obviously good if we go get the win this weekend [and are] 5-2, but I think for us just focusing on one game at a time right now and understanding how early it is, and trying to iron out some of these mistakes and capitalize on some of these things that we’re doing,” Dunne said. “I think for us, [it’s about] trying not to look too far ahead. I know the schedule’s a little slow right now, so for us we just want to focus on taking care of business on Saturday.

“I think that’s part of the beginning of a season, especially down here. A lot of new players, there’s young guys, there’s guys who’ve come from different organizations, and I think it's the gelling factor of where you can see us when we have it going, how good it can be, and then when we’re a little bit disjointed, how it can kind of go the opposite way. So that will happen early in the season, and I think it’s just continuing to get better in the good, and then iron out some of those mistakes that we have, and those are what really good teams will do. You start to see those mistakes go away, and then they become a really good product. So I think for us, it’s just continuing to learn from the things that don’t go well and to continue to do the things that are going well.”

As the team continues to build on the foundation and structure set by the coaching staff, the promise of how far this team can go is especially appealing to Dunne.

“We’re deep at every position right now, so I think for us, that’s something you rely on, especially in a long season. We have a lot of experience, we also have some youth, so it’s kind of a good combination right now. I think for us it’s just with all the new guys here continuing to gel together and continuing to build towards something, and I think that just takes time. I think we’re doing that day by day, and that’s the nice part about the schedule the way it is.”

Fans can tune into the first intermission of Saturday’s broadcast to catch an exclusive interview between Dunne and Bears play-by-play announcer Zack Fisch on the GIANT Bears Radio Network.

Written by Bears media specialist Jesse Liebman