You know a hockey team is feeling good about themselves when they’re having fun. That’s exactly what happened Wednesday morning at Giant Center when the Bears held a team shootout at the end of practice. A very good sign for Hershey as they prepare for one of the most important months of the season.
HERSHEY, PA – Hershey Bears head coach Troy Mann draws a play out through the fog at Hersheypark Arena Wednesday (Kyle Mace – Chocolate Hockey)
It is always a step back in time to watch the Bears practice at Hersheypark Arena. The arena serves as a practice site for the Bears when Giant Center isn’t available, and that was the case on Wednesday.
Just stepping into the “Old Barn” brings back lots of memories to long time Hershey Bears fans. Walk into the Arena now and you’ll see two big upgrades; a new ceiling and safety nets behind each goal that went up just a few months ago. Yet with all of the improvements, air conditioning has never been installed in the arena. With hot and humid weather outside, there was a throwback to the past as well.
Shortly after practice began, a thick layer of fog engulfed the ice, just like it used to when the building was packed on a warm evening in Chocolate Town. And on a warm day like Wednesday, practice wasn’t what Coach Troy Mann had hoped for.