The Hershey Bears have dominated the American Hockey League (AHL) for years.
Out of 25 Calder Cup final appearances, they have won 13, with two back-to-back wins.
With an active target on them, can the Bears keep their streak and win Calder Cup 14?
Manager of Media Relations and Broadcasting Zack Fisch knew that clinching the playoffs would happen.
“It was a nice and expected accomplishment because of how [Head Coach Todd] Nelson holds the standard,” Fisch said.
The Hershey Bears are currently sitting first in the Atlantic Division. If they hold this position, they will earn an automatic bye during the first week and advance to the second round of playoffs. However, there is tight competition with the Charlotte Checkers and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coming down the homestretch.
“It’s really in our hands,” Vice President of Hockey Operations Bryan Helmer said. “We just have to worry about taking it one game at a time and focusing on not having to play in the best of three rounds.”
As back-to-back champions of the coveted Calder Cup, the Bears have had a target on their back this season. Helmer knows that the players feel this pressure, but that it helps them bring their best.
“You want to be the best and have teams come after you, every team wants to bring us down,” Helmer said.
The Hershey Bears have seen numerous players come and go during these past three years, but Game Night Emcee Jim Jones is excited about a certain veteran who has yet to actively play for the Bears in the playoffs.
“The addition of Mike Sgarbossa is huge,” Jones said. “He’s a playmaker, he makes your top line better. He is usually our number one on the power plays.”
Fisch agreed with Jones. “Mike Sgarbossa can be a game changer when he’s healthy. If he’s playing at the high caliber we’ve seen him at, he will be an important factor on the offense.”
Sgarbossa was able to play at the beginning of the 2022-23 championship run, but was injured early on. In the 2023-24 season, Sgarbossa was loaned to the Washington Capitals, the Hershey Bears’ NHL affiliate, and was not traded back to the Bears by the deadline.
Fisch, Helmer and Jones all agree however that the success of the team starts in the net. The Bears have seen success with their starting goalie, Hunter Shepard, as well as their backup goalie, Clay Stevenson. Shepard won MVP of the 2022-23 Calder Cup Championship Finals.
“Hunter Shepard is single-handedly the guy who has won us games before,” Fisch said. “He’s been there and done that in high stake situations.”
Helmer sees the success in Shepard’s game, but also knows he needs to work on his consistency. “Shep has played a lot of hockey, the time has caught up to him a bit,” he said. “Moving forward, he has to be more consistent. He can compete. He wants to win.”
As commonly seen on minor league sports teams, key players are called up to the major leagues, leaving a missing presence. Former captain Dylan McIlrath was called up to the Capitals in October to be a starting defenseman for the team. McIlrath’s teammate and forward Ethen Frank was called to the Capitals in January, leaving another hole in the Bears’ starting line.
“You definitely feel the missing presence of Mac and Franky,” Helmer said. “Mac is a great leader on and off the ice, he killed penalties, and made smaller guys feel big on the ice.”
Defenseman Aaron Ness stepped in as captain when McIlrath was originally loaned to the Capitals at the end of the 2023-24 championship season. “Ness is a power in the locker room,” Jones said. “He is the best locker room motivator.”
The Bears have been lucky to have nameless talents in the past three years skating while representing the cocoa and cream. Center Hendrix Lapierre, while only 23 years old, has played on both championship teams and even won MVP for the 2023-24 championship season.
“He has a great attitude,” Helmer said. “He understands that he has to get better in a consistent way. He wants to prove himself and prove that he belongs in Washington.” Jones and Fisch also mentioned Lapierre as a key player going into the playoffs.
Looking at what to improve, Fisch thinks the team needs to work on giving up less goals. “We need a large defense,” he said. “The biggest thing to rwound into form is to fire on all cylinders while focusing on goalies and defensemen.”
At the end of the day, a successful team needs a strong culture. “The culture Coach Nelson and everyone in the organization has made sure that it’s a family atmosphere,” Helmer said. “You want to care about each other and that’s the culture we’ve built here the last few years.”
With the likes of Sgarbossa, Shepard and Lapierre, the Hershey Bears hope to roar louder than ever as they skate towards more hardware.
