Life in the American Hockey League can be tough sometimes, so you need to find ways to kill time during trips. After the Bears had split a series with the St. John’s IceCaps, the team flew from Newfoundland to Toronto, where they have a layover before coming back to the USA.
The Hershey Bears visited the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for the last time this season with a lot on the line with the teams separated by only two points in the standings. For the first time in four contests in Bridgeport, Hershey took the game on a clutch power play goal from Travis Boyd and won the game with an empty net goal by a final of 3-1.
Unlike both of the games the Bears played at home this weekend, this game was a defensive showdown as many of the contests between these two clubs have been. The game was scoreless for the entire first period, and it was scoreless until Bridgeport’s Ross Johnston beat Pheonix Copley early in the second period.
Riley Barber celebrates with Paul Carey after Carey’s fourth goal of the game on Saturday night against Hartford. (Kyle Mace / Chocolate Hockey)
The Hershey Bears defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack for the second time in as many nights behind four goals from Paul Carey. Hershey gets two more points to stay in fourth with rivals Bridgeport and Providence winning on this evening.
The Bears came out flying and were rewarded for their hard work as Carey picked up the puck and snapped a perfect shot over the glove of Mackenzie Skapski to make it 1-0 for the home team.
Christian Djoos celebrates his game winning overtime goal against Hartford on Friday night in Hershey. (Kyle Mace / Chocolate Hockey)
The Hershey Bears hosted the Hartford Wolf Pack looking for 2 points and hopefully advancing into a playoff spot for the first time since January. A back and forth game ended up with an overtime winner from Christian Djoos to give the Bears a 4-3 win.
After a quiet first period, the Bears found themselves behind in the second as Hartford’s Matt Carey tipped in a point shot to give the Wolf Pack the first lead of the game.
Hershey responded under 50 seconds later, as Christian Djoos drove the slot and fed Paul Carey to tie the game at one apiece.
Photo courtesy: JustSports Photography
After a disappointing beginning to the 2017 calendar year, the Hershey Bears finished off the month of January strong with points in three straight. After almost a week off for the All-Star break, the picked right back up where they left off, beating the Binghamton Senators 5-3 Friday night.
Last week, Riliegh McHugh and I invited a few of the Hershey Bears to try some soccer challenges with us at In the Net in Palmyra. Six players accepted and we split them up into two teams. Team Riliegh: Garrett Mitchell, Christan Djoos, and Ryan Bourque; and Team Kyle: Chris Bourque, Joe Cannata, and Stan Galiev.
Huge thanks to Healthy You Cafe for providing us with food for the video shoot!
Any Hershey Bears fan would be able to recognize their favorite player if they encountered them off the ice, right? There is no other way to picture the athletes than as hockey players. As for people who have never attended a Bears game? They wouldn’t have any idea that the guy standing in line behind them is a professional ice hockey player.
I asked high school students who don’t know anything about the Bears what they believe their occupations are. The students were given head shots of eleven players with the jerseys cropped out. They did not know anything about the project being conducted. These are their answers:
The following is a first in Chocolate Hockey history. Bears captain Garrett Mitchell was kind enough to produce an article for us prior to the beginning of this season. The words you are about to read are his own. Please enjoy this player blog.
My first day in Hershey was a hectic one. I got picked up by one of our locker room guys from the airport and he brought me over to Giant Center. We’re there just in time for the game that night. I haven’t met anybody yet. The only guys I knew were from playing against them in juniors or at rookie camps.
After the game, I came down stairs and met everyone, but I’ll never forget what happened next. Beaker looks at me and says I had to go sell a jersey on the ice. I’m like “What do you mean I have to go sell a jersey on the ice?” I was so embarrassed. I’m sitting on the bench going “I have to go on the ice and sell a jersey?” Nobody knows who I am. Nobody knew I was even coming.
Monday afternoon the 2015-16 Hershey Bears were together for the last time, cleaning out their lockers after a disappointing end to the season. Below the jump are thoughts and reaction from Bears head coach Troy Mann, captain Garrett Mitchell, alternate captain Zach Sill, and goalie Justin Peters.
HERSHEY, PA – Former Hershey Bear Connor Carrick will make his return to Giant Center Friday night for Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals. (Kyle Mace / Chocolate Hockey)
It wasn’t difficult for Connor Carrick to walk past his old locker room on Thursday before the Toronto Marlies practiced at Giant Center. “I just kept going. Got the memo awhile ago.”
After spending parts of three seasons in a Chocolate and White sweater, the 22-year-old defenseman was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs right before the trade deadline in February. “A lot of confusion,” Carrick said about when he first learned of the trade. “A lot of trying to figure out the logistics of where am I going, when [I am going], where am I playing, who am I playing, and that kind of thing.
“You kind of going into a survival mode. You try and figure out ‘Alright, what time is my flight, what time should I eat, what can I eat at the airport?’ And try not to forget anything important in the move. You try and roll with the punches and just try and figure out one thing at a time.”
