The Hershey Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they return home to kick off a franchise-record nine-game homestand this week, featuring games against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday and Saturday, and the Laval Rocket on Sunday.
2025-26 SEASON LEADERS:
Goals: Ilya Protas (7)
Assists: Louie Belpedio, Andrew Cristall, Ilya Protas (8)
Points: Ilya Protas (15)
PIMs: Justin Nachbaur (37)
Power-Play Goals: Graeme Clarke, Ilya Protas (2)
Shorthanded Goals: Ryan Chesley, Bogdan Trineyev (1)
Game-Winning Goals: Ryan Chesley (2)
Plus/Minus: Bogdan Trineyev (+8)
Shots: Graeme Clarke (45)
Wins: Clay Stevenson (6)
Shutouts: Garin Bjorklund (1)
GAA: Clay Stevenson (2.44)
SV%: Clay Stevenson (.913)
Only includes qualified players
LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Monday, Nov. 24
Practice, 11 a.m., GIANT Center
Tuesday, Nov. 25
Practice, 11 a.m., GIANT Center
Wednesday, Nov. 26
Morning skate, 10 a.m., GIANT Center
Thursday, Nov. 27
Day off
Friday, Nov. 28
Practice, 11 a.m., GIANT Center
Saturday, Nov. 29
Morning skate, 10 a.m., GIANT Center
Practice schedule is subject to change. Please check HersheyBears.com daily for updates.
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:
Thursday, Nov. 20 - Hershey 5 at Cleveland 2
Saturday, Nov. 22 - Hershey 3 at Cleveland 5
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, Nov. 26 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7 p.m. - CLICK TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Saturday, Nov. 29 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7 p.m. - CLICK TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Sunday, Nov. 30 vs. Laval, 5 p.m. - CLICK TO PURCHASE TICKETS
All times Eastern.
Television Coverage: WPMT FOX43 (Wednesday and Sunday); Video Coverage: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network
TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:
TEAM STORE HOLIDAY HOURS:
All fans can take advantage of a special mystery offer (including 15-35% discounts) at the Hershey Bears team store at GIANT Center on Black Friday (Nov. 28) during holiday hours from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. The team store will also be open for extended holiday hours for the following dates and times:
Saturday, Nov. 29, 12-5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 30, 12-3 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 5, 12-7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 6, 12-5 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 12, 12-5 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 13, 12-5 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
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.
HOME COOKING:
Wednesday's game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton kicks off a franchise-record stretch of nine consecutive games on home ice. The Bears matched their previous record of eight consecutive home contests during the 2024-25 campaign, posting a 3-5-0-0 record at GIANT Center from Dec. 14 vs. Charlotte - Jan. 7 vs. Lehigh Valley after previously hosting eight straight home games at Hersheypark Arena during the 1985-86 season, going 7-0-1 during a period that lasted from Oct. 19 vs. St. Catharines - Nov. 9 vs. New Haven. Hershey has posted a 4-3-1-0 record at home through eight home games this season, and is averaging 9,342 fans in attendance, good for third in the AHL this season.
ALL THE THANKSGIVING STUFFING:
Hershey gets set to host its 58th Thanksgiving Eve game on Wednesday when it takes on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the first time this season as part of a 10-game season series. The popular tradition for the club started back in the 1961-62 season, when Hershey defeated the Quebec Aces by a 2-1 score. Since then, the Bears have gone 30-20-4-2-1 at home on the night before Thanksgiving, most recently defeating Laval 5-3 on Nov. 27 last season. Hershey has faced Wilkes-Barre/Scranton four times in Thanksgiving Eve games, winning its last three, including a 2-1 victory over the Penguins on Nov. 22, 2023.
THE PROTAS PRINCIPLE:
On Nov. 13th, Ilya Protas' five points were good enough to tie for 211th in league scoring. The following night, Protas recorded a goal and an assist at Syracuse and hasn't looked back, as the 2024 third-round draft selection of the Washington Capitals has piled up 10 points (5g, 5a) as part of five-game goal and point streaks over the last two weeks of play, a number exceeded only by Calgary's Martin Frk, who has logged 12 points (6g, 6a) over his last five games. As a result, Protas has dramatically climbed the league's scoring ladder, as the rookie's 15 total points (7g, 8a) on the season has him now tied for 24th in the scoring race; he is also tied for fourth in scoring among rookies.
POWERED UP:
With the Bears settling into their upcoming homestand, one area that the team will look to improve on is its power play on home ice. While Hershey's road power play is tops among Eastern Conference teams and second overall in the AHL, converting at an 8-for-23 (34.8%) rate, the power play has struggled on home ice, going 1-for-24 (4.2%) in eight contests, placing the club 31st. Over their last five games, the Bears have gone 4-for-14 (28.6%).
PUSHY PENGUINS:
Hershey will play its first two of 10 games this season against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this week; last season, the Bears went 7-3-1-1 against the Penguins, with a 4-2-0-0 record on home ice. The Penguins are tied with Colorado as the top team in the AHL and have already reached the quarter-pole mark in their schedule after racing out to a 7-0-0-0 start. Hershey's leading scorer last season against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton among returning players is Nicky Leivermann, who had six points (0g, 6a) in nine games, but the defenseman has been out since the start of the campaign with a lower-body injury; Rutger McGroarty's 10 points (3g, 7a) in 10 games versus Hershey represents the highest total of any returning Wilkes-Barre/Scranton player. Netminding has been a source of strength for the Penguins this season, as the club has used four different goalies, all of whom have recorded at least two wins, and the Penguins are the only team in the AHL to have three different goalies record a shutout. Hershey enters the season series against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with a lifetime record of 150-99-4-25-10.
FEISTY FRENCHMEN:
Laval's 17.39 penalty minutes per game represents the most of any Eastern Conference club; the Rocket have been forced to play shorthanded a league-leading 84 times and have surrendered 16 power-play goals, leading to a penalty kill of 81% to place them 16th in the AHL. Laval also leads the AHL with the most first goals, and owns a 10-2-0-0 record when scoring first. The Bears have won their last three home meetings with the Rocket, most recently picking up a 5-3 victory on Nov. 27, 2024. Hershey defensemen Louie Belpedio and Corey Schueneman both previously patrolled the blue line for Laval.
STINGRAYS REPORT:
Hershey's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, rebounded from two losses to the Florida Everblades with a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Gladiators on Sunday afternoon in Georgia to keep South Carolina ahead of Florida by a single standings point at the end of the week. Bears-contracted players Seth Eisele (22 saves) and Simon Pinard (game-winning goal) keyed Hershey's victory over Atlanta. The Stingrays visit Atlanta again on Wednesday before hosting Greensboro on Friday and traveling to Orlando for Saturday.
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