2023–24 Hershey Bears season

2023–24 Hershey Bears
Calder Cup champions
Eastern Conference champions
Atlantic Division champions
League	1st AHL
Division	1st Atlantic
Conference	1st Eastern
2023–24 record	53–14–0–5 (111 pts)
Home record	29–7–0-0
Road record	24–7–0-5
Goals for	229
Goals against	151
Team information
General manager	Bryan Helmer (de facto - VP of Hockey Operations)
Coach	Todd Nelson
Assistant coach	Patrick Wellar Nick Bootland
Captain	Dylan McIlrath
Alternate captains	Aaron Ness Mike Vecchione
Arena	Giant Center
Average attendance	9,439
Team leaders
Goals	Ethen Frank (29)
Assists	Joe Snively (45)
Points	Joe Snively (59)
Penalty minutes	Dylan McIlrath (100)
Wins	Hunter Shepard (27)
Goals against average	Hunter Shepard (2.26)

The 2023–24 Hershey Bears season was the franchise's 86th season in the American Hockey League (AHL), starting on October 14, 2023, and ending during the Calder Cup playoffs. They play their home games at Giant Center.

On April 2, 2024, the Bears clinched a playoff berth for the third consecutive season following a 1–0 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.^[1] In that same game, they clinched their division.

The Bears finished the season as Atlantic Division champions, their second in franchise history, and Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy winners for the fourth time in franchise history, with a record-setting 111 points from 53 wins, 15 losses, and 5 shootout losses, their 53 wins also serving as a new AHL record under a 72 game season.^[2]

The Bears would win the Calder Cup in back to back years, beating the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 6 games.^[3]

Standings

 y–  indicates team has clinched division and a playoff spot
 x–  indicates team has clinched a playoff spot
 e–  indicates team has been eliminated from playoff contention

Division

Eastern Conference	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	Pts	Pts%	GF	GA
y–Hershey Bears (WSH)	72	53	14	0	5	111	.771	229	151
x–Providence Bruins (BOS)	72	42	21	6	3	93	.646	239	208
x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)	72	39	24	8	1	87	.604	211	194
x–Charlotte Checkers (FLA)	72	39	26	7	0	85	.590	217	203
x–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)	72	34	28	7	3	78	.542	204	219
x–Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI)	72	32	31	6	3	73	.507	191	217
e–Springfield Thunderbirds (STL)	72	30	37	3	2	65	.451	226	244
e–Bridgeport Islanders (NYI)	72	25	38	7	2	59	.410	162	222

Conference

Atlantic Division	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	Pts	Pts%	GF	GA
y–Hershey Bears (WSH)	72	53	14	0	5	111	.771	229	151
x–Providence Bruins (BOS)	72	42	21	6	3	93	.646	239	208
y–Cleveland Monsters (CBJ)	72	40	24	5	3	88	.611	233	238
x–Rochester Americans (BUF)	72	39	23	7	3	88	.611	234	239
x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)	72	39	24	8	1	87	.604	211	194
x–Syracuse Crunch (TBL)	72	39	24	4	5	87	.604	220	203
x–Charlotte Checkers (FLA)	72	39	26	7	0	85	.590	217	203
x–Belleville Senators (OTT)	72	38	28	3	3	82	.569	209	211
x–Toronto Marlies (TOR)	72	34	26	10	2	80	.556	249	220
x–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)	72	34	28	7	3	78	.542	204	219
e–Utica Comets (NJD)	72	32	29	5	6	75	.521	221	226
x–Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI)	72	32	31	6	3	73	.507	191	217
e–Laval Rocket (MTL)	72	33	31	6	2	74	.514	235	242
e–Springfield Thunderbirds (STL)	72	30	37	3	2	65	.451	226	244
e–Bridgeport Islanders (NYI)	72	25	38	7	2	59	.410	162	222

Roster

2024 roster

Updated April 29, 2024.^[4][5]

No.	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace	Contract
1		Garin Bjorklund	G	L	22	2022	Calgary, Alberta	Capitals
36		Andrew Cristall	RW	L	20	2024	Vancouver, British Columbia	Capitals
26		Logan Day	D	R	30	2022	Seminole, Florida	Bears
18		Pierrick Dube	RW	R	24	2023	Lyon, France	Capitals
20		Tyson Empey	F	L	29	2023	Swift Current, Saskatchewan	Bears
28		Ethen Frank	C	R	27	2022	Papillion, Nebraska	Capitals
35		Mitch Gibson	G	L	25	2023	Phoenixville, Pennsylvania	Capitals
7		Hardy Haman Aktell	D	L	26	2023	Kåge, Sweden	Capitals
25		Ryan Hofer	C	L	22	2023	Headingley, Manitoba	Capitals
15		Jimmy Huntington	C	L	26	2023	Laval, Quebec	Bears
6		Vincent Iorio	D	R	22	2022	Coquitlam, British Columbia	Capitals
5		Lucas Johansen	D	L	27	2017	Port Moody, British Columbia	Capitals
29		Hendrix Lapierre	C	L	23	2022	Gatineau, Quebec	Capitals
4		Nick Leivermann	D	L	26	2023	Eden Prairie, Minnesota	Bears
12		Alex Limoges	LW	L	27	2023	Boulder, Colorado	Capitals
2		Jake Massie	D	L	28	2021	St-Lazare, Quebec	Bears
47		Jon McDonald	D	L	26	2023	Livonia, Michigan	Bears
42		Dylan McIlrath (C)	D	R	32	2021	Winnipeg, Manitoba	Capitals
10		Ivan Miroshnichenko	LW	R	21	2023	Ussuriysk, Russia	Capitals
27		Aaron Ness (A)	D	L	34	2022	Bemidji, Minnesota	Bears
39		Kevin O'Neil	RW	R	27	2023	Latham, New York	Bears
34		Dmitry Osipov	RW	R	28	2023	Moscow, Russia	Bears
11		Matthew Phillips	RW	R	27	2024	Calgary, Alberta	Capitals
22		Chase Priskie	D	R	29	2023	Pembroke Pines, Florida	Capitals
65		Garrett Roe	C	L	37	2023	Vienna, Virginia	Bears
38		Henrik Rybinski	RW	R	23	2022	Vancouver, British Columbia	Capitals
30		Hunter Shepard	G	L	29	2020	Cohasset, Minnesota	Capitals
21		Joe Snively	LW	L	29	2019	Herndon, Virginia	Capitals
31		Clay Stevenson	G	L	26	2022	Drayton Valley, Alberta	Capitals
45		Matthew Strome	LW	L	26	2022	Mississauga, Ontario	Bears
24		Riley Sutter	RW	R	25	2019	Calgary, Alberta	Capitals
41		Alexander Suzdalev	LW	L	21	2023	Khabarovsk, Russia	Capitals
37		Colin Swoyer	D	R	27	2023	Hinsdale, Illinois	Bears
44		Bogdan Trineyev	LW	R	23	2023	Voronezh, Russia	Capitals
19		Mike Vecchione (A)	RW	R	32	2021	Saugus, Massachusetts	Bears

Playoffs

Main article: 2024 Calder Cup playoffs

Game log

2024 Game Log – Playoffs
Eastern Conference First Round vs. (A6) Lehigh Valley Phantoms: Bears won 3–1 # Date Visitor Score Home OT Starting Goalie Attendance Series Recap 1 May 1 Lehigh Valley 1–6 Hershey Shepard 8,038 1–0 Recap 2 May 4 Lehigh Valley 2–4 Hershey Shepard 10,520 2–0 Recap 3 May 8 Hershey 0–2 Lehigh Valley Shepard 6,240 2–1 Recap 4 May 11 Hershey 5–3 Lehigh Valley Shepard 7,089 3–1 Recap
Eastern Conference Second Round vs. (A5) Hartford Wolf Pack: Bears won 3–0 # Date Visitor Score Home OT Starting Goalie Attendance Series Recap 1 May 16 Hartford 1–6 Hershey Shepard 8,384 1–0 Recap 2 May 18 Hartford 2–4 Hershey Shepard 10,714 2–0 Recap 3 May 22 Hershey 4–1 Hartford Shepard 3,954 3–0 Recap
Eastern Conference Finals vs. (N1) Cleveland Monsters: Bears won 4–3 # Date Visitor Score Home OT Starting Goalie Attendance Series Recap 1 May 30 Cleveland 4–5 Hershey OT Shepard 9,229 0–1 Recap 2 June 1 Cleveland 2–3 Hershey OT Shepard 10,562 0–2 Recap 3 June 4 Hershey 6–2 Cleveland Shepard 14,675 0–3 Recap 4 June 6 Hershey 2–3 Cleveland Shepard 12,814 3–1 Recap 5 June 8 Hershey 1–5 Cleveland Shepard 13,159 3–2 Recap 6 June 10 Cleveland 3–2 Hershey OT Shepard 9,511 3–3 Recap 7 June 12 Cleveland 2–3 Hershey OT Shepard 10,520 4–3 Recap
Calder Cup Finals vs. (P1) Coachella Valley Firebirds: Hershey won series 4–2 # Date Visitor Score Home OT Starting Goalie Attendance Series Recap 1 June 14 Coachella Valley 4–3 Hershey Shepard 10,154 0–1 Recap 2 June 16 Coachella Valley 2–5 Hershey Shepard 10,507 1–1 Recap 3 June 18 Hershey 2-6 Coachella Valley Shepard 9.034 1-2 Recap 4 June 20 Hershey 3-2 Coachella Valley Shepard 10,087 2-2 Recap 5 June 22 Hershey 3-2 Coachella Valley Shepard 10,087 3-2 Recap 6 June 24 Coachella Valley 4-5 Hershey OT Shepard 11,013 4-2 Recap
Legend:        = Win        = Loss

References

1. "Bears Clinch Atlantic Division in 1–0 Win Over Phantoms". Hershey Bears. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
2. "Bears fall short of record, turn attention to Cup repeat". April 21, 2024.
3. "New faces spark Bears to latest Calder Cup championship". American Hockey League. June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
4. "Hershey Bears – Team roster". Hershey Bears. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
5. "Hershey Bears Elite Prospects". Elite Prospects. Retrieved April 29, 2024.