Weekly Release: Bears Host Pair of Games Against Thunderbirds

October 14, 2025

The Hershey Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, with a pair of home games this weekend at GIANT Center against the Springfield Thunderbirds.

2025-26 SEASON LEADERS:
Goals: Ethen Frank (2)
Assists: Andrew Cristall (2)
Points: Ethen Frank, Andrew Cristall (2)
PIMs: Ivan Miroshnichenko (19)
Power-Play Goals: N/A
Shorthanded Goals: Bogdan Trineyev (1)
Game-Winning Goals: N/A
Plus/Minus: Four players (+1)
Shots: Sheldon Rempal (8)
Wins: N/A
Shutouts: N/A
GAA: Garin Bjorklund (2.94)
SV%: Clay Stevenson (.895)
Only includes qualified players

LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

Monday, Oct. 13
Day off

Tuesday, Oct. 14
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center

Wednesday, Oct. 15
Practice, 11 a.m. at GIANT Center

Thursday, Oct. 16
TEAM EVENT, NO PRACTICE

Friday, Oct. 17
Practice, 11 a.m. at GIANT Center

Saturday, Oct. 18
Morning Skate, 10:15 a.m. at GIANT Center

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

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:

• Saturday, Oct. 11 - Hershey 2 vs. Syracuse 5
• Sunday, Oct. 12 - Hershey 2 vs. Syracuse 3 (OT)

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:

Saturday, Oct. 18 vs. Springfield, 7 p.m. - CLICK TO PURCHASE TICKETS

• Penn State Health Pink the Rink Night - Join the Bears and Penn State Health, and wear pink in support of the fight against breast cancer. All fans in attendance will receive a Pink the Rink light-up foam baton, courtesy of Penn State Health.

Sunday, Oct. 19 vs. Springfield, 5 p.m. - CLICK TO PURCHASE TICKETS

• Pink the Rink Jersey Auction - Bears players will wear Pink the Rink jerseys for both of this weekend's games, which will be auctioned off post-game on Sunday.

All times Eastern.

Video Coverage: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

A SOUND OF THUNDER:
Hershey enters this weekend's series with the Thunderbirds riding a 13-game home winning streak against Springfield dating back to March 13, 2019, the longest such streak against the Thunderbirds in Bears history. Last season, the Bears swept the overall series with a 4-0-0-0 record and matched their previous mark for goals against the Thunderbirds in a game with a 6-2 victory at MassMutual Center on Oct. 26.

ROSEN COULD FACE FORMER TEAM:
Defenseman Calle Rosen picked up his first point as a Bear last Sunday against Syracuse, and is poised to play his first game against Springfield since he suited up for the Thunderbirds in the 2023-24 season. Rosen also patrolled the blue line with Springfield during the 2021-22 season, in which he helped the club make a run to the Calder Cup Finals while also appearing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the St. Louis Blues.

SHORTHANDED BANDIT:
Bogdan Trineyev's first goal of the season on Sunday was also Hershey's first shorthanded goal of the campaign. During the 2024-25 season, Trineyev scored one of the club's two shorthanded goals, along with Grant Cruikshank. As a rookie in 2023-24, Trineyev also paced the Bears with three shorthanded markers; his five career shorthanded goals as a Bear leads the active roster. AHL Hall of Fame inductee Tim Tookey holds the franchise record with 19 shorthanded goals.

MEAN MIRO:
Ivan Miroshnichenko was assessed 17 penalty minutes on Saturday, representing a single-game career high for the third-year pro. Miroshnichenko's 19 penalty minutes on the season is tied for the league lead with Iowa's Mark Liwiski. The 2022 first-round selection of the Washington Capitals had previously topped out at 28 penalty minutes for the entire 2024-25 season.

THE KIDS MAKE THEIR DEBUT:
A handful of Bears players made their professional debuts this past weekend, as forwards Andrew Cristall, Eriks Mateiko, and Ilya Protas suited up for both games against Syracuse, with Cristall collecting a pair of assists in Saturday's home opener for his first professional points, and defenseman Cam Allen dressed on Sunday. Still yet to dress for their first North American pro games are forward Patrick Thomas and goaltender Antoine Keller.

STINGRAYS SEASON GETS UNDERWAY:
Hershey's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, begins its season Saturday night at home against the Norfolk Admirals, before visiting in-state rival Greenville on Sunday afternoon. South Carolina hired former NHL defenseman David Warsofsky as head coach this summer. The Bears have loaned several players to the Stingrays at the start of the season, including 2024-25 ECHL All-Rookie Team member Kyler Kupka, along with goaltenders Mitch Gibson and Seth Eisele.

BEARS BITES:
Bears head coach Derek King's first win with Hershey will mark his 100th pro head coaching win. During King's playing career, he played for the Springfield Indians franchise over three seasons from 1987-90 when the team was affiliated with the New York Islanders...Springfield forward Kale Kessy played parts of four seasons with Hershey from 2019-23, receiving the team's Man of the Year award in 2019-20...Thunderbirds general manager Kevin Maxwell was a member of Hershey's 1988 Calder Cup championship, while assistant coach Chad Wiseman helped the Bears reach the 2007 Calder Cup Finals...Bears defenseman Louie Belpedio is four penalty minutes away from reaching 500 in his AHL career...Of the 30 previous seasons in which the team started the regular season without a win through its first two games (not including the 2019-20 season that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Hershey has still managed to qualify for the postseason 24 times...Hershey's 22 penalty minutes per game is tied with Iowa for the third most in the AHL.