The Hershey Bears begin their 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs run this Wednesday as they open up the best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. This will mark the sixth postseason series between the two clubs, as Hershey begins its defense of its 2023 Calder Cup title.
2023-24 REGULAR SEASON TEAM LEADERS:
Goals: Ethen Frank (29)
Assists: Joe Snively (45)
Points: Joe Snively (59)
Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank (13)
Shorthanded Goals: Bogdan Trineyev (3)
Plus/Minus: Vincent Iorio (+26)
Wins: Hunter Shepard (27)
GAA: Hunter Shepard (1.76)
SV%: Hunter Shepard (.929)
Only includes qualified players
LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF APRIL 29:
Monday, April 29
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center
Tuesday, April 30
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center
Wednesday, May 1
Morning Skate, 10:15 a.m. at GIANT Center
Thursday, May 2
Day Off
Friday, May 3
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center
Saturday, May 4
No Morning Skate
Sunday, May 5
Day Off
All practices are open to the public. Practice dates and times are subject to change; please check HersheyBears.com daily for updates.
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, May 1 - Hershey vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS
Saturday, May 4 - Hershey vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS
Wednesday, May 8 - Hershey at Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m.
*Saturday, May 11 - Hershey at Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m.
*Sunday, May 12 - Hershey vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS
*if necessary
Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Capitals Radio Network
All times Eastern
TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:
HOW WE GOT HERE:
The Bears completed their best regular season ever based on points percentage, skating to a record of 53-14-0-5 (.771) in the 72-game game campaign - good for the second-most wins in a season in franchise history - while setting a new AHL mark for victories under a 72-game schedule. Hershey finished first in the regular season, earning a first-round bye to begin the postseason as it looks to defend its title. Lehigh Valley completed a two-game upset sweep of the best-of-three first round against the third-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, winning Game 1 by a 2-1 score on the road before ousting the Penguins with a comeback 5-4 overtime win at home last Friday in Game 2 to give the franchise its first postseason series victory since advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018.
HEAD-TO-HEAD FACTS:
Hershey is a lifetime 154-104-8-22-17 in the regular season against the Phantoms franchise, dating back to its days at the since-demolished Philadelphia Spectrum. The Bears own a 14-11 playoff record since the two clubs first met in the 1997 postseason, with Hershey also owning a 4-1 series record; Hershey's victories in 1997 and 2009 were part of eventual championship runs, while the Phantoms took the 1998 series victory in the Mid-Atlantic Division Finals en route to their first title. Since the Phantoms relocated from Glens Falls, N.Y. to Allentown in time for the 2014-15 season, the Chocolate and White have only met once, with Hershey taking the best-of-five 2017 Atlantic Division Semifinals in five games. Hershey claimed the 2023-24 regular-season series with a record of 8-2-0-2, going 5-1-0-0 on GIANT Center ice.
SCORING LEADERS:
During the regular season, the Bears were paced in scoring against Lehigh Valley by Pierrick Dube, who collected eight points (6g, 2a) in 11 games. Two of Dube's goals against the Phantoms were game-winners, both of which coincidentally came in shutout victories. Cooper Marody led the way for Lehigh Valley against Hershey, with six points (2g, 4a) in 10 games.
BENCH BOSS BREAKDOWN:
Bears head coach Todd Nelson will look to pick up where he left off in the regular season after claiming the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the American Hockey League's outstanding coach for the first time in his career. Currently eighth in league history with 406 regular-season wins, Nelson also owns an AHL postseason coaching record of 56-37, going 20-20 with Oklahoma City, 22-11 in Grand Rapids, and 14-6 last season with the Bears. Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere is making his second appearance in the postseason at the helm of Lehigh Valley in his third season behind the bench, and sports a 3-2 record in the playoffs.
BEARS BITES:
Aaron Ness is Hershey's active leader for career playoff games, with 52; he notably led the entire Calder Cup Playoffs with 12 assists during Hershey's run to the championship round against Cleveland in 2016, and his 15 career playoff assists is also the active leader for the Bears...Joe Snively led the Bears in postseason scoring in 2023 with 15 points (2g, 13a) in 20 games, and followed that up by leading Hershey in scoring during the 2023-24 campaign with a career-high 59 points (14g, 45a) in 69 games...The Bears finished the regular season with the AHL's best record for the ninth time in franchise history; in the seven previous instances in which a leaguewide playoff was held, Hershey went to the Calder Cup Finals five times, and won the ultimate prize three times.
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