Hershey Wins Second Straight Calder Cup

The Hershey Bears are back-to-back Calder Cup champions.

The Bears won their record 13th American Hockey league postseason title with a 5-4 overtime victory over the visiting Coachella Valley Firebirds on Monday night, before a record crowd of 11,013 at Giant Arena. Matt Strome's unassisted goal just over a minute into the extra session proved to be the deciding score. Hershey won the best-of-seven series in six games, one year after topping Coachella Valley in seven games in the AHL final. 

Cale Fleury forced overtime for the Firebirds on a goal with just under three minutes remaining in regulation, after Hershey had established leads of 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3. Pierrick Dubé scored three times for the Bears, while Chase Priskie (Quinnipiac) and Joe Snively (Yale) both recorded assists on the evening, and Hunter Shepard (Minnesota-Duluth) finished with 17 saves in net for Hershey in winning his second straight Calder Cup as starting goaltender. 

Cameron Hughes (Wisconsin) set up three goals on the night for Coachella Valley, including Fleury's late game-tying goal, while Ryan Winterton scored twice. The Firebirds have made the AHL final in each of the first two years of their existence, falling to Hershey both times in OT.

Monday also marked the final game behind the Firebirds bench for head coach Dan Bylsma (Bowling Green), who is leaving to take the helm of Coachella Valley's NHL parent club, the Seattle Kraken.

Hershey Ties Up Calder Cup Final Again

The 2024 Calder Cup Final is all tied up. Again.

The Hershey Bears rebounded for a 3-2 victory at Coachella Valley in Game Four on Thursday night to knot the best-of-seven series, two games to two. Joe Snively (Yale) notched the game-winning goal early in the third period, less than four minutes after the host Firebirds had knotted the game at two. Snively also drew an assist on Hershey's second goal of the contest, which gave the Bears a 2-1 lead late in the second stanza before 10,087 on-lookers at Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, Ca.

Hunter Shepard (Minnesota-Duluth) stopped 22 of 24 shots for the Bears, who will attempt to take their first lead of the series in Game 5 on Saturday night at Coachella Valley.

Bears Bounce Back to Tie Calder Cup Final

The 2024 Calder Cup Final will not be a sweep.

Two days after falling short in a 4-3 loss in the series opener on Friday, the Hershey Bears rebounded with a 5-2 win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The best-of-seven series, which shifts to California for the next three games, is now tied, one to one.

Mike Vecchione (Union) set up two goals for the Bears on Sunday, while Hunter Shepard (Minnesota-Duluth) stopped 32 of 34 shots against before 10,507 spectators at Hershey's Giant Center. Shepard was named first star of the game, while Vecchione was third star.

Game Three is slated for Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, Cal., tonight at 10 p.m. ET. 

ADDENDUM: Coachella Valley took a two to one lead in the Calder Cup Final with a 6-2 victory over Hershey in Game Three. Max McCormick (Ohio State) scored three goals for the Firebirds, who outshot the Bears, 42-24. Coachella Valley will host Game Four on Thursday evening.

Hersey Earns 2024 AHL Eastern Conference Crown

Garrett Roe (St. Cloud State) whipped home a rebound less than eight minutes into overtime Wednesday night to lift the Hershey Bears to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Cleveland Monsters in Game 7 of the 2024 AHL Eastern Conference final. Hershey wins the best-of-seven series, four games to three, with three of those victories coming in OT. Cleveland forced a deciding contest by winning the previous three games of the series, after originally falling behind three games to none.

Hunter Shepard (Minnesota-Duluth) stopped 42 of 44 shots before 10,520 on-lookers last night for the Bears, who also got two points from Logan Day (Endicott), including the primary assist on Roe's game-winner. The Bears are looking to repeat as Calder Cup champions, and will face the Western Conference champion Coachella Valley Firebirds, whom they topped in seven games in last year's AHL final. Game One is slated for Friday night at Hershey's Giant Center.

Hershey Wins in OT, Claims 12th Calder Cup

The oldest franchise in the American Hockey League edged its newest organization for this year's playoff title, with two former NCAA champions leading the way.

Mike Vecchione (Union) scored off a rebound with 3:41 remaining in overtime, and Hunter Shepard (Minnesota-Duluth) made 45 saves in all tonight as the Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup over the first-year Coachella Valley Firebirds, 3-2, at a sold-out Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Cal.

Hershey claims its record 12th Calder Cup, in its 85th year of operation. After falling behind, 2-0, this evening, the Bears scored twice in the second period to knot matters before becoming the first team in this series to win a game on the road. Hershey won four of the last five games of the series, all by one goal, including three in overtime, after dropping the first two contests.

Shepard, who also backstopped UMD to consecutive NCAA titles in 2018 and 2019, also won this year's Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the AHL playoff MVP, after fashioning a 14-6 record with a 2.27 goals-against average and three shutouts. Vecchione, who helped Union to a national collegiate title in 2014, is the first player in AHL history to score the Calder Cup-clinching goal in a Game Seven in overtime. Joey Daccord (Arizona State) stopped 35 shots for Coachella Valley, which came within a goal of winning its first Calder Cup in its inaugural season of play.

Other former NCAA players on this year's Bears playoff roster included: Sam Anas (Quinnipiac), Logan Day (Providence/Endicott), Ethen Frank (Western Michigan), Shane Gersich (North Dakota), Mason Morelli (Nebraska-Omaha), Bobby Nardella (Notre Dame), Aaron Ness (Minnesota), Joe Snively (Yale), 

Hershey's victory tonight also concludes the 2022-23 hockey season as a whole.