Hershey Bears
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| Hershey Bears | |
| |
| Founded | 1932 (T-SHL/EAHL); 1938 (I-AHL/AHL) |
| Home ice | GIANT Center |
| Based in | Hershey, Pennsylvania |
| Colors | burgundy, black, silver, tan |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Head coach | Bruce Boudreau |
| General manager | Doug Yingst |
| Owner | Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company |
The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League of which the Bears are also the senior member club. They play in Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA at the GIANT Center and are the current (2006) defending AHL Calder Cup champions.
- Founded: 1932 (T-SHL/EAHL); 1938 (I-AHL/AHL)
- Arena: GIANT Center (capacity for hockey: 10,500)
- Former Arenas: Hershey "Ice Palace" (1932-36); Hersheypark Arena (1936-2002)
- Uniform colors: burgundy, black, silver, tan
- Retired Numbers: #3 - Frank S. Mathers (D) 1956-62 & Ralph Keller (D) 1963-74; #8 - Mike Nykoluk (C) 1958-72; #9 - Arnie Kullman (C) 1948-60 & Tim Tookey (C) 1980-81, 85-87, 89-95; #16 - Willie Marshall (C) 1956-63 & Mitch Lamoureux (C) 1986-89, 93-95, 97-99,
- Hockey Hall of Famers: Frank S. Mathers (Player/Coach; Coach; GM; President/GM) 1956-91 Elected HHOF (Builder) 1992; Ralph "Cooney" Weiland (Coach) 1941-45 Elected HHOF (Player) 1971
- AHL Hall of Famers: Frank S. Mathers, Willie Marshall
- Logo design: A bear swatting at a puck
- Mascot: Coco the Bear
- Affiliates: Washington Capitals (NHL), South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL)
- Division titles won: 12 (1938-39, 1943-44, 1946-47, 1951-52, 1966-67, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1975-76, 1980-81, 1985-86, 1987-88, 1993-94)
- Regular season titles won: 5 (1942-43, 1957-58, 1980-81, 1985-86, 1987-88)
- League championships won: 9 (1946-47, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1968-69, 1973-74, 1979-80, 1987-88, 1996-97, 2005-06)
- Local Media: The Patriot-News
- Radio Announcer: John Walton
- Rivals: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Philadelphia Phantoms.
Contents |
[edit] Team History
The history of the AHL Hershey Bears Hockey Club (also popularly known as the "Chocolate & White") goes back to a series of amateur hockey matches played in Hershey between college teams beginning in early 1931. The first such "formal" hockey game ever played in Hershey took place on February 18, 1931, when Penn A.C. and Villanova faced off in the 1,900-seat Hershey "Ice Palace." Nine months after that successful inaugural contest, Swarthmore Athletic Club moved into the Ice Palace as its home ice where they played their first game on November 19, 1931, against Crescent A.C. of New York City. (In the lineup that night for Crescent was 23-year old center Lloyd S. Blinco, a native of Grand Mere, Quebec, who came to Hershey the next year and would remain continuously associated with Hershey hockey for a half century as a player, coach, and manger.)
The popularity of these amateur hockey matches prompted chocolate maker and amusement park operator Milton S. Hershey and his long time entertainment and amusements chief, John B. Sollenberger, to sponsor a permanent team in 1932-33 called the Hershey B'ars which joined the newly formed Tri-State Hockey League with Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Atlantic City. After one season that circuit reformed itself into a larger, seven-club loop called the Eastern Amateur Hockey League in which Hershey played first as the "Chocolate B'ars" (1933-34), then again as the "B'ars" (1934-36), and finally in 1936 as the "Hershey Bears," a name they adopted in response to criticism levied by New York sportswriters and the league that the "B'ars" moniker was too commercial. (These writers had already informally dubbed the club as the "Bears from Penn's Woods" when they visited Madison Square Garden to play the New York Rovers.)
On December 19, 1936, the newly renamed Bears also moved from the "cozy" confines of the WWI vintage "Ice Palace" (where they had to play on a small 60x170 foot rink) into the newly constructed 7,286-seat Hersheypark Arena (then known as the "Hershey Sports Arena") built immediately adjacent to the older venue. Over the next sixty-six seasons the Bears played a remarkable total of 2,280 regular season and playoff games at the Arena which served as their home from 1936 to 2002 before moving a few hundred yards further west to the new 10,500-seat GIANT Center at the start of the 2002-2003 season.
In 1938-39 the Bears became the eighth member of the newly formed International-American Hockey League (renamed the American Hockey League in 1940) which was created on the June 28, 1938, by the formal merger of the International and the Canadian-American (Can-Am) Hockey Leagues after those two smaller circuits had played interlocking schedules with each other over the previous two seasons. Although four of the seven other I-AHL charter member cities (Springfield, Syracuse, Providence, and Philadelphia) are also represented in the AHL today (2006-2007), only the Bears have played in the league without interruption since that inaugural 1938-39 I-AHL season.
The Washington Capitals returned as the Bears NHL parent club in 2005 after a 21 year span where Hershey had been affiliated with the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Colorado Avalanche. (The club has also had earlier NHL affiliations with the Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres.) The Bears are presently tied with the original Cleveland Barons for the most Calder Cup championships (9). Their most recent championship was in 2005-06 versus the Milwaukee Admirals.
On the eve of their 1st defense of the Calder Cup Championship of 2006, the Hershey Bears unveiled new uniforms. The away jerseys are a maroon body with black, gold and white stripes at the arms and bottom; black side panels; the swatting Bear logo on the left chest; circle "HB" logo on the left shoulder; Washington Capitals logo on the right shoulder; and Hershey written diagonally written down the chest of the jersey. The home jerseys are very similar to the 2005-2006 third jersey, with maroon, gold and black stripes at the the arms and bottom; the swatting Bear logo on the left chest; circle "HB" logo on the left shoulder; Washington Capitals logo on the right shoulder; black side panels; but with Bears written diagonally down the chest. Although they are a new style, they are also a "vintage style" jersey similar to some of the many great classic styles the Bears have worn in past years.
[edit] 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs Championship
In 2006 the Hershey Bears returned to the playoffs after a 2 year absence. The team came off with a strong start by winning their first two series, against the Norfolk Admirals and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 4 games each. In the Eastern Conference Finals, The Bears played the Portland Pirates. The Bears quickly took a 2-0 series lead, but then lost the third game. The Bears then rebounded and won game four, to take a 3-1 series lead. However the Bears were unable to finish the job and were forced back to the GIANT Center for game seven. The Bears trailed throughout the game, but managed to tie it with just over two minutes remaining. Then in overtime, the Bears finished the job off a goal by Eric Fehr, to win the series 4-3. On June 15, 2006, The Bears won the Calder Cup by a series mark of 4-2, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals. This marked the ninth time the franchise had won the Calder Cup which tied Hershey with the original Cleveland Barons (1937-1972) for the most times winnng the AHL's play-off title.
[edit] Year-by-year record
| Year | GP | W | L | T | OL | SOL | GF | GA | PTS | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 80 | 44 | 21 | -- | 5 | 10 | 262 | 234 | 103 | 2nd, East | Won Calder Cup |
| 2004-05 | 80 | 39 | 37 | 2 | 2 | -- | 207 | 226 | 82 | 5th, East | Out of Playoffs |
| 2003-04 | 80 | 33 | 34 | 8 | 5 | -- | 203 | 218 | 78 | 6th, East | Out of Playoffs |
| 2002-03 | 80 | 36 | 27 | 14 | 3 | -- | 217 | 209 | 89 | 2nd, South | Lost in round 1 |
| 2001-02 | 80 | 36 | 27 | 11 | 6 | -- | 200 | 193 | 89 | 2nd, South | Lost in round 2 |
| 2000-01 | 80 | 34 | 39 | 4 | 3 | -- | 216 | 234 | 75 | 5th, Mid-Atlantic | Lost in round 3 |
| 1999-00 | 80 | 43 | 29 | 5 | 3 | -- | 297 | 267 | 94 | 2nd, Mid-Atlantic | Lost in round 3 |
| 1998-99 | 80 | 37 | 32 | 10 | 1 | -- | 242 | 224 | 85 | 3rd, Mid-Atlantic | Lost in round 1 |
| 1997-98 | 80 | 36 | 31 | 7 | 6 | -- | 238 | 235 | 85 | 2nd, Mid-Atlantic | Lost in round 2 |
| 1996-97 | 80 | 43 | 22 | 10 | 5 | -- | 273 | 220 | 101 | 2nd, Mid-Atlantic | Won Calder Cup |
| 1995-96 | 80 | 36 | 30 | 11 | 3 | -- | 301 | 287 | 86 | 2nd, Southern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1994-95 | 80 | 34 | 36 | 10 | - | -- | 275 | 300 | 78 | 3rd, Southern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1993-94 | 80 | 38 | 31 | 11 | - | -- | 306 | 298 | 87 | 1st, Southern | Lost in round 2 |
| 1992-93 | 80 | 27 | 41 | 12 | - | -- | 316 | 339 | 66 | 5th, Southern | Out of Playoffs |
| 1991-92 | 80 | 36 | 33 | 11 | - | -- | 313 | 337 | 83 | 3rd, Southern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1990-91 | 80 | 33 | 35 | 12 | - | -- | 313 | 324 | 78 | 4th, Southern | Lost in round 2 |
| 1989-90 | 80 | 32 | 38 | 10 | - | -- | 298 | 296 | 74 | 6th, Southern | Out of Playoffs |
| 1988-89 | 80 | 40 | 30 | 10 | - | -- | 361 | 309 | 90 | 2nd, Southern | Lost in round 2 |
| 1987-88 | 80 | 50 | 25 | 3 | 2 | -- | 343 | 256 | 103 | 1st, Southern | Won Calder Cup |
| 1986-87 | 80 | 43 | 36 | 0 | 1 | -- | 329 | 309 | 87 | 4th, Southern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1985-86 | 80 | 48 | 29 | 3 | - | -- | 346 | 292 | 99 | 1st, Southern | Lost in Finals |
| 1984-85 | 80 | 26 | 43 | 11 | - | -- | 315 | 339 | 63 | 6th, Southern | Out of Playoffs |
| 1983-84 | 80 | 28 | 42 | 10 | - | -- | 320 | 384 | 66 | Last, Southern | Out of Playoffs |
| 1982-83 | 80 | 40 | 35 | 5 | - | -- | 313 | 308 | 85 | 2nd, Southern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1981-82 | 80 | 36 | 38 | 6 | - | -- | 316 | 347 | 78 | 4th, Southern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1980-81 | 80 | 47 | 24 | 9 | - | -- | 357 | 299 | 103 | 1st, Southern | Lost in round 2 |
| 1979-80 | 80 | 35 | 39 | 6 | - | -- | 289 | 273 | 76 | 2nd, Southern | Won Calder Cup |
| 1978-79 | 79 | 35 | 36 | 8 | - | -- | 311 | 324 | 78 | 2nd, Southern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1977-78 | 81 | 27 | 44 | 10 | - | -- | 281 | 324 | 64 | 4th, Southern | Out of Playoffs |
| 1976-77 | 80 | 36 | 38 | 6 | - | -- | 282 | 293 | 78 | 4th | Lost in round 1 |
| 1975-76 | 76 | 39 | 31 | 6 | - | -- | 304 | 275 | 84 | 1st, Southern | Lost in Finals |
| 1974-75 | 76 | 27 | 38 | 10 | - | -- | 259 | 303 | 64 | 3rd, Southern | Lost in round 2 |
| 1973-74 | 76 | 39 | 23 | 14 | - | -- | 320 | 241 | 92 | 2nd, Southern | Won Calder Cup |
| 1972-73 | 76 | 42 | 23 | 11 | - | -- | 326 | 231 | 95 | 2nd, Western | Lost in round 1 |
| 1971-72 | 76 | 33 | 30 | 13 | - | -- | 266 | 253 | 79 | 2nd, Western | Lost in round 1 |
| 1970-71 | 72 | 31 | 31 | 10 | - | -- | 238 | 212 | 72 | 3rd, Western | Lost in round 1 |
| 1969-70 | 72 | 28 | 28 | 16 | - | -- | 247 | 249 | 72 | 2nd, Western | Lost in round 1 |
| 1968-69 | 74 | 41 | 27 | 6 | - | -- | 307 | 234 | 88 | 1st, Eastern | Won Calder Cup |
| 1967-68 | 72 | 34 | 30 | 8 | - | -- | 276 | 248 | 76 | 1st, Eastern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1966-67 | 72 | 38 | 24 | 10 | - | -- | 273 | 216 | 86 | 1st, Eastern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1965-66 | 72 | 37 | 30 | 5 | - | -- | 268 | 232 | 79 | 2nd, Eastern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1964-65 | 72 | 36 | 32 | 4 | - | -- | 246 | 243 | 76 | 2nd, Eastern | Lost in Finals |
| 1963-64 | 72 | 36 | 31 | 5 | - | -- | 236 | 249 | 77 | 2nd, Eastern | Lost in round 2 |
| 1962-63 | 72 | 36 | 28 | 8 | - | -- | 262 | 231 | 80 | 2nd, Eastern | Lost in Finals |
| 1961-62 | 70 | 37 | 28 | 5 | - | -- | 236 | 213 | 79 | 2nd, Eastern | Lost in round 2 |
| 1960-61 | 72 | 36 | 32 | 4 | - | -- | 218 | 210 | 76 | 2nd | Lost in Finals |
| 1959-60 | 72 | 28 | 37 | 7 | - | -- | 226 | 238 | 63 | 6th | Out of Playoffs |
| 1958-59 | 70 | 32 | 32 | 6 | - | -- | 200 | 202 | 70 | 4th | Won Calder Cup |
| 1957-58 | 70 | 39 | 24 | 7 | - | -- | 241 | 198 | 85 | 1st | Won Calder Cup |
| 1956-57 | 64 | 32 | 28 | 4 | - | -- | 223 | 237 | 68 | 4th | Lost in round 1 |
| 1955-56 | 64 | 19 | 39 | 6 | - | -- | 218 | 271 | 44 | 5th | Out of Playoffs |
| 1954-55 | 64 | 29 | 28 | 7 | - | -- | 217 | 225 | 65 | 5th | Out of Playoffs |
| 1953-54 | 70 | 37 | 29 | 4 | - | -- | 274 | 243 | 78 | 2nd | Lost in Finals |
| 1952-53 | 64 | 31 | 32 | 1 | - | -- | 208 | 217 | 63 | 4th | Lost in round 1 |
| 1951-52 | 68 | 35 | 28 | 5 | - | -- | 256 | 215 | 75 | 1st, Eastern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1950-51 | 70 | 38 | 28 | 5 | - | 256 | 242 | 80 | 2nd, Eastern | Lost in round 2 | |
| 1949-50 | 70 | 21 | 39 | 10 | - | -- | 229 | 310 | 52 | Last, Eastern | Out of Playoffs |
| 1948-49 | 78 | 28 | 35 | 5 | - | -- | 256 | 261 | 61 | 2nd, Eastern | Lost in Finals |
| 1947-48 | 68 | 25 | 30 | 13 | - | -- | 240 | 273 | 63 | 3rd, Eastern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1946-47 | 64 | 36 | 16 | 12 | - | -- | 276 | 174 | 84 | 1st, Eastern | Won Calder Cup |
| 1945-46 | 62 | 26 | 26 | 10 | - | -- | 213 | 221 | 62 | 2nd, Eastern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1944-45 | 60 | 28 | 24 | 8 | - | -- | 197 | 186 | 64 | 2nd, Eastern | Lost in Finals |
| 1943-44 | 54 | 30 | 16 | 8 | - | -- | 181 | 133 | 68 | 1st, Eastern | Lost in round 1 |
| 1942-43 | 56 | 35 | 13 | 8 | - | -- | 240 | 166 | 78 | 1st | Lost in round 1 |
| 1941-42 | 56 | 33 | 17 | 6 | - | -- | 207 | 169 | 72 | 2nd, Western | Lost in Finals |
| 1940-41 | 56 | 24 | 23 | 9 | - | -- | 193 | 189 | 57 | 2nd, Western | Lost in Finals |
| Year | GP | W | L | T | OL | GF | GA | PTS | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939-40 | 56 | 27 | 24 | 5 | - | 154 | 156 | 59 | 3rd, Western | Lost in Semi-Finals |
| 1938-39 | 54 | 31 | 18 | 5 | - | 140 | 110 | 67 | 1st, Western | Lost in Semi-Finals |
[edit] Team records
- Goals: 53 Image:Flag of Canada.svg Tony Cassolato (1982-83)
- Assists: 89 Image:Flag of Canada.svg George "Red" Sullivan (1953-54)
- Points: 124 Image:Flag of Canada.svg Tim Tookey (1986-87)
- Penalty Minutes: 432 Steve Martinson (1985-86)
- GAA: 1.98 Image:Flag of Canada.svg Alfie Moore (1938-39)
- SV%:
- Career Goals: 260 Image:Flag of Canada.svg Dunc Fisher
- Career Assists: 636 Image:Flag of Canada.svg Mike Nykoluk
- Career Points: 808 Mike Nykoluk
- Career Penalty Minutes: 1519 Image:Flag of Canada.svg Mike Stothers
- Career Goaltending Wins: 226 Image:Flag of Canada.svg Gordie Henry
- Career Shutouts: 29 Nick Damore
- Career Games: 972 Mike Nykoluk
- Career Games Coached: 1,256 (610-512-134) Frank S. Mathers
[edit] External links
- Hershey Bears official site
- "1936-2002: HersheyPark Arena's Sixty-Six Years as Home to Hershey Bears Hockey"
- "The 1938-39 Philadelphia-Hershey Hockey Wars"
- Frank S. Mathers (1924-2005)
- The Internet Hockey Database - Hershey Bears (AHL)
- The Internet Hockey Database - Hershey Bears (IAHL)
| American Hockey League | |
|---|---|
| 2006-07 teams: Albany River Rats | Binghamton Senators | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | Chicago Wolves | Grand Rapids Griffins | Hamilton Bulldogs | Hartford Wolf Pack | Hershey Bears | Houston Aeros | Iowa Stars | Lowell Devils | Manchester Monarchs | Manitoba Moose | Milwaukee Admirals | Norfolk Admirals | Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights | Peoria Rivermen | Philadelphia Phantoms | Portland Pirates | Providence Bruins | Rochester Americans | San Antonio Rampage | Springfield Falcons | Syracuse Crunch | Toronto Marlies | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | Worcester Sharks | |
| Trophies and Awards: Calder Cup Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award | Eddie Shore Award | Hap Holmes Memorial Award | Jack A. Butterfield Trophy | John B. Sollenberger Trophy | Les Cunningham Award | Willie Marshall Award | |
| Related Articles: NHL | ECHL | UHL | CHL | SPHL | |
