Weekly Release: Bears Close Out Record Homestand

December 15, 2025

The Hershey Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they conclude a franchise-record nine-game homestand on Saturday against Bridgeport before heading into the American Hockey League's holiday break with a road game on Sunday at division leaders Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

2025-26 SEASON LEADERS:
Goals: Ilya Protas (11)
Assists: Andrew Cristall (17)
Points: Ilya Protas (21)
PIMs: Justin Nachbaur (41)
Power-Play Goals: Ilya Protas (4)
Shorthanded Goals: Ryan Chesley, Grant Cruikshank, Ilya Protas (1)
Game-Winning Goals: Ryan Chesley (2)
Plus/Minus: Brett Leason, Ilya Protas (+6)
Shots: Graeme Clarke (63)
Wins: Clay Stevenson (7)
Shutouts: Garin Bjorklund, Mitch Gibson (1)
GAA: Clay Stevenson (2.70)
SV%: Clay Stevenson (.910)
Only includes qualified players on active roster

LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

Monday, Dec. 15
Practice, 11 a.m., Hersheypark Arena

Tuesday, Dec. 16
Practice, 11 a.m., GIANT Center

Wednesday, Dec. 17
DAY OFF

Thursday, Dec. 18
No public practice due to company event

Friday, Dec. 19
Practice, 11 a.m., GIANT Center

Saturday, Dec. 20
Morning Skate, 10:15 a.m., Hersheypark Arena

Practice schedule is subject to change. Please check HersheyBears.com daily for updates.

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:

Wednesday, Dec. 10 - Hershey 1 vs. Providence 3
Saturday, Dec. 12 - Hershey 1 vs. Providence 4
Sunday, Dec. 13 - Hershey 4 vs. Charlotte 0

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:

Saturday, Dec. 20 vs. Bridgeport, 7 p.m. - CLICK TO PURCHASE TICKETS

• Berks Holiday Ham Shoot Night - All fans are welcome onto the ice post-game to take part in the Berks Holiday Ham Shoot.

Sunday, Dec. 21 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 3:05 p.m.

All times Eastern.

Television Coverage: WPMT FOX43.2 Antenna TV (Saturday); Video Coverage:  AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

TEAM STORE HOLIDAY HOURS:
The Hershey Bears team store at GIANT Center will be open for extended holiday hours for the following dates and times:
Friday, Dec. 19, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 20, 12-5 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 21, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

WRAPPING UP THE HOMESTAND:
Saturday's contest against Bridgeport will see the conclusion of a franchise-record nine-game homestand for the Bears. The club has gone 3-5-0-0 during the recent stretch at GIANT Center, of which five games came against the top two clubs in the Atlantic Division in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Providence, all while missing key forwards Spencer Smallman and Matt Strome for the entirety of the homestand. Over the past eight games the club has gone 5-for-27 (18.5%) on the power play and 23-for-27 (85.2%) on the penalty kill.

NOTORIOUS G.I.B.:
Goaltender Mitch Gibson made an AHL career-high 36 saves on Saturday to earn his first career AHL shutout in Hershey's 4-0 win over Charlotte, including 20 stops in the second period, the most shots allowed by Hershey in an individual period this season. With Saturday's victory, Gibson improved to 5-0-0 in his AHL career since making his Bears debut in the 2023-24 season, becoming just the fourth goaltender in Bears history to begin his Hershey tenure with five consecutive victories, joining Harvey Bennett, Bobby Perreault, and Cam Newton.

BOGEY MAKES NHL DEBUT WITH WASHINGTON:
Bogdan Trineyev made his National Hockey League debut for the Washington Capitals on Saturday night in Winnipeg, becoming the 70th former Bear to make his major league premiere with the club's NHL affiliate since the two teams joined forces before the 2005-06 season. At the time of his recall by the Capitals on Dec. 17, Trineyev's 12 points ranked third on Hershey's roster.

DECEMBER LEADERS:
Brett Leason (4g, 2a) and Andrew Cristall (0g, 6a) have paced the Bears in scoring for the month of December with six points apiece. Leason's four goals leads the club, while Cristall's six assists (part of a larger seven-game assist streak dating back to Nov. 26) also lead all Hershey players for the month. 

FUNK-ADELIC:
Forward Zac Funk has been added back to Hershey's roster after being re-assigned to the club earlier today from the South Carolina Stingrays by the Washington Capitals. The 22-year-old began the season as a non-roster player for Washington continuing his rehabilitation from a lower-body injury sustained while with the Stingrays last season, and was originally added to Hershey's roster on Nov. 29, although he did not earn a sweater before being re-assigned to South Carolina on Dec. 1. Funk recorded goals in each of his first three games with the Stingrays and had four multi-point games in his first eight contests. Funk maintains his rookie status in the AHL this season after only appearing in 15 games with the Bears last season. The undrafted forward led the Western Hockey League in goals (67), power-play goals (31) and plus/minus (+56) and ranked second in points (123) in 2023-24, playing in 68 regular-season games with the Prince George Cougars.

ISLE BE SEEING YOU:
The Islanders come to town on Saturday for their first of two visits this season. Bridgeport enters the week having won three straight games; the last time the Islanders had won three consecutive games was during a four-game win streak in March of 2024. Hershey's first road win of the season came against Bridgeport, a 3-1 victory, on Oct. 29. The Bears have gone a combined 9-2-0-1 at home against the Islanders over the previous four seasons.

TAKING A TRIP UP I-81:
Following Saturday's game, the Bears will play their first road game since Nov. 22 on Sunday when they make the trek up I-81 for their first visit of the season to Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, where they will take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hershey has gone 1-2-0-0 on home ice against the top team in the Atlantic Division this season, and went 3-1-1-1 in six road contests against the Penguins during the previous campaign. By virtue of spending their last eight games at home, the Bears have played the fewest road games in the AHL so far this season, owning a 6-2-0-0 record; Hershey's road power play unit has converted at a 34.8% clip, the top mark of any Eastern Conference squad.

STINGRAYS REPORT:
Hershey's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, went 3-1-0-0 last week to jump back into second place in the South Division. Bears-contracted goaltender Seth Eisele made 32 saves in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Savannah, while Jalen Luypen, fresh off his return to the Stingrays after scoring for Hershey on Saturday night, netted the game-winning goal for the Stingrays. Luypen is fourth in the ECHL scoring race with 26 points (12g, 14a), while Bears-contracted forward Kaden Bohlsen's 10 goals is fifth among ECHL rookies.

BEARS BITES:
Dalton Smith suited up in his 600th professional game in last Wednesday's loss to Providence...Hershey is one of just two teams along with San Jose to have a pair of rookies in the league's Top 10 in rookie scoring (Ilya Protas, 21 points, 5th; Andrew Cristall, 20 points, T-6th)...Cristall's 17 assists leads all rookies...Aaron Ness appeared in his 452nd game as a Bear last Saturday to pass Michel Harvey for 22nd in franchise history, and will tie Frank Mario (453 GP) for 21st with his next appearance...Hershey is 10-0-1-0 when leading after two periods.