The Hershey Bears have lost another top scorer. Center Zach Hamill has been traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Casey Wellman. The Chocolate and White’s fourth leading scorer is now heading off to San Antonio for the Rampage’s second leading score. Wellman, 25, has scored seven goals and 16 assists for the Panthers affiliate in 37 games this season.
HERSHEY, PA – Zach Hamill celebrates his game tying goal during Hershey’s win against the Whale Saturday night (Tim Stough – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
Saturday night the Hershey Bears returned home to face the Connecticut Whale at Giant Center. As if the Bears’ offensive hasn’t been challenged enough as of late, they would have to battle the Whale with no Jeff Taffe, Ryan Potulny and Evan Barlow in the lineup. Philipp Grubauer earned his second start of the season in Hershey and gained his first ever shootout win in a 4-3 victory over the Whale.
HERSHEY, PA – Harri Pesonen scores the game winning goal for Albany during their 3-2 win over Hershey (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
On December 29, 1973, the Hershey Bears set a franchise record with 63 shots in a single game en route to an 11-2 win. Thirty nine years later, it was quite the opposite story when the Bears took on the Albany Devils at Giant Center. Rather than an 11-2 blowout, Albany battled their way to a 3-2 win in Hershey.
Jon Matsumoto scores the game winning shootout goal on Braden Holtby (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
Although the Hershey Bears have won four games in the month of December, all the victories have been coming on the road. Saturday night, Hershey returned to Giant Center with plans of home cooking against the Worcester Sharks. In the first shootout this season at Giant Center, the Bears again fell short in front of their home crowd of 10,075, by a 4-3 margin.
Photo via the St. John’s IceCaps
Wednesday evening the Hershey Bears completed a two day sweep at Mile One Centre over the AHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets. Ten different Bears inked the score sheet, and Braden Holtby earned his 12th career shutout in a Hershey uniform leading to a 4-0 victory.
Washington, DC – The opening faceoff of the AHL Showcase at Verizon Center (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
It was a night not only Hershey Bears fans have waited for, but also Washington Capitals fans. With the NHL lacking a Collective Bargaining Agreement since September 16, Capitals fans stormed the gates of Verizon Center for the first time this season to view an American Hockey League Showcase.
With the season series tied at 1-1 entering Thursday, the Hershey Bears battled the Norfolk Admirals in our Nation’s Capital. Ryan Potulny scored his first goal of the season which proved to be the game-winner at the 4:26 mark of the third period to give the Bears a 2-1 lead, and eventual win.
HERSHEY, PA – Zach Hamill scores in the first period during the Bears 5-2 win over Bridgeport (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
Friday evening, Braden Holtby earned his third consecutive start, as the Hershey Bears looked to continue their winning ways against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Four Hershey third period goals proved to be the decisive factor, as the Bears silenced the Sound Tigers, 5-2.
HERSHEY, PA – Jon DiSalvatore scores to get his 500th AHL point during Hershey’s 4-2 win over the Marlies (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
With time running short in November, the Hershey Bears scrapped for a win Sunday night against the defending Western Conference Champions, Toronto Marlies. Four goals were scored in the first 40 minutes, leading to a much needed 4-2 win.
Corporal Shawn Petterson drops the puck before tonight’s Bears-Phantoms game (Photo courtesy @PhantomsHockey)
It has been no lie the Hershey Bears have been struggling of late in November. The Bears hopped the bus to head north to Adirondack Saturday morning, while being victims of defeat in five of their last six games. The Bears fired 24 shots on net, but the power play was no where close to effective in a 3-1 loss to the Phantoms.
HERSHEY, PA – Dany Sabourin is replaced by Braden Holtby in the first period after Sabourin gave up two quick goals in Hershey’s 5-3 loss. (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
Sunday night the Hershey Bears looked for revenge over the Syracuse Crunch after suffering a 6-1 beat down, nearly 48 hours prior to the start of Sunday’s game. Dany Sabourin, who came into Friday’s game in relief for Braden Holtby drew the start against Dustin Tokarski. A third period scoring explosion for Syracuse led to a 5-2 win over Hershey.