Monday November 29, 2004 (Posted 9:55 P.M. EST.)

Up & Down…Comings & Goings in Hershey

On Monday, the Hershey Bears made several roster moves, with 2 players leaving, and 2 players entering the fold. LW Frantisek Skladany and D Mikko Viitanen were assigned to the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League (UHL), while D Trevor Johnson (Peoria Rivermen), and C Graig Mischler (Reading Royals) were recalled from their respective ECHL clubs.

Skladany, 22, registered 0 points and 2 penalty minutes in 15 games with Hershey this season, but had been a healthy scratch in the last 4 contests. Last year, he joined the Bears at the conclusion of his junior season at Boston University, going scoreless in 5 games.

Viitanen, 22, saw action in 19 of 20 games this season for Hershey, totaling 1 assist and 4 penalty minutes. Last season, he played in 20 games for the Bears, as well as 47 contests for Reading (ECHL).

In 13 games for Peoria this season, the 22-year old Johnson notched 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) and 20 penalty minutes. The 5-10, 177 lb defenseman, in his 2nd full professional season, spent the 2003/04 campaign with Muskegon of the UHL, scoring 3-23-26 with 86 PIMs in 74 contests. Prior to turning pro, he played 5 seasons in the WHL with the Kootenay Ice, Seattle Thunderbirds, and Tri City Americans. While in Kootenay, he played alongside current Bears D Dean Arsene and C Marek Svatos. He was signed to a tryout contract by Hershey, and is expected to be in the lineup when the Bears embark on a 5 game road trip, beginning Wednesday night in Albany.

Mischler, 26, becomes the 4th member of the 2004/05 Reading Royals to spend time in Chocolatetown this year, joining current Bears LW David Masse and D Martin Wilde. The other player, RW Cail MacLean, played 10 games with Hershey before getting reassigned to the club 2 weeks ago. He leaves Reading as the teams' 2nd leading point producer this season, scoring 3-8-11 with 31 penalty minutes in 14 games. Last season, Mischler led the Royals with 57 points, netting 13 goals and 44 assists in 69 games. He's no stranger to the AHL scene though, having spent the 01/02 & 02/03 seasons with the Cleveland Barons, totaling 48 points in 132 contests.

Sunday November 28, 2004 vs. Philadelphia (Posted 1:55 A.M. EST.)

Bears earn dubious place in AHL history

The Philadelphia Phantoms made American Hockey League history Saturday night, defeating the Hershey Bears 3-1, and setting a new AHL record with their 17th consecutive victory. During the streak, 3 of Philly's 17 wins have come courtesy of Hershey. The win was also the Phantoms' 16th straight over Hershey, dating back to last season.

Mark Murphy, who had 3 points in Philadelphia's win Friday night over the Bears, notched 2 points Saturday, including the game-winning goal in the 2nd period. 1st place Philadelphia (17-2-0, 34 points) is tied with the Manchester Monarchs for the most points in the AHL (34), while the Bears (7-12-1, 15 points) remain the East Division's cellar dwellers.

Need to Know: At 9:44 of the 1st period, with Hershey on the power play, the Bears would strike first. After D Brett Clark's shot from the top of the faceoff circle was stopped by Phantoms G Neil Little, David Masse would pick up the rebound, and backhand a shot past the Philly netminder, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead…13:20 into the same period, with Eric Perrin serving a hooking penalty for Hershey, the Phantoms would counter with a power play tally of their own. Ben Stafford, who burned the Bears for 4 points Friday night in Philly, tied the contest at 1-1, taking a corner pass from Ryan Ready, and punching a shot past Bears netminder Peter Budaj…Philadelphia RW Mark Murphy would make it 2-1, netting an unassisted goal at the 11:05 mark of the 2nd period. After Murphy's shot on goal was stopped by Budaj, Hershey captain Clark, trying a clearing attempt from the crease, inadvertently swatted the puck into the Bears net, giving the Phantoms their first lead of the game...less the 1 minute later (at the 11:54 mark), Tony Voce would provide Philadelphia with an insurance goal, making it a 3-1 edge for the away team. The Phantoms went from end to end, setting up a tic-tac-toe score, with crisp passes from R.J. Umberger to Randy Jones to Voce, who pocketed the game's final goal.

Misc. Game Notes: Former Bear Neil Little earned the victory for the Phantoms, finishing with 40 saves to improve to 5-0-0 on the season…Peter Budaj took the loss for Hershey, ending with 28 saves and dropping to 4-7-0 in 04/05… Phantoms enforcer Josh Gratton and Bears D Dean Arsene fought at the 8:02 mark of the 1st period, after Arsene laid a big hit on a Phantoms player along the boards in front of the Bears bench. Each shook their gloves, but hesitated for several seconds before finally mutually agreeing to drop their mitts. Each threw a few before Gratton landed a haymaker, dropping Arsene to the ice. Arsene headed off to the locker room, but returned a few minutes later. Gratton was handed a 17 penalty minute package (2 for instigation, 5 for fighting, and a 10 minute misconduct), and his minor penalty lead to the Masse's power play tally...the Bears' 20, 1st period shots were a season high for one period…their 41 shots were the most taken in regulation this season. Their season high is 42, which occurred November 21st in an overtime win against Albany…Bears C Marty Hlinka donned an alternate captain's "A" for the game…earlier Saturday, defenseman Martin Wilde, who attended Bears training camp this season, was recalled from the Reading Royals of the ECHL…Bears LW Frantisek Skladany and D Agris Saviels were healthy scratches, while D Jamie Rivers and C Cody McCormick are out with injuries…faces in the crowd included former Bears LW Gene Ubriaco, Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee, Flyers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock, and former Bear and current Flyers Director of Pro Hockey Personnel Ron Hextall…former Bear Mitch Lamoureux, who also attended Saturday's game, played 18 games for the 1984/85 Baltimore Skipjacks team that previously held the AHL consecutive wins mark.

Coming Up: For the second time in the last month, Hershey will embark on a 5 game road trip, beginning Wednesday evening in Albany, NY, where the Bears will take on the River Rats at the Pepsi Arena at 7 PM. The road swing will also see the Bears stopping in Worcester, Portland, Providence, and Philadelphia before returning home Saturday, December 11th against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 7 PM.

Philadelphia's Josh Gratton (left) and Hershey's Dean Arsene slug it out during a 1st period fight.

Bears LW David Masse watches as his backhand shot finds it's way past Phantoms goaltender Neil Little, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead in the 1st period.

Phantoms goalie Neil Little, who improved to 5-0 on the season, makes a 1st period save.

The Philadelphia Phantoms celebrate their AHL-record 17th consecutive victory, after defeating the Bears 3-1 Saturday night.

The 7641 Sports' News 'N Notes team can be contacted via e-mail at: nnn@7641.com

Friday November 26, 2004 at Philadelphia (Posted 9:33 P.M. EST.)

On Black Friday, Bears can't buy a win

The Philadelphia Phantoms tied an AHL record with their 16th consecutive victory, dusting aside the Hershey Bears 4-2 before 11,064 fans Friday evening at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA. Ben Stafford led the way for the division-leading Phantoms (16-2-0-0, 32 points), netting 2 goals within a minute's span, and adding 2 assists in what was also the teams' 15th straight win over Hershey (7-11-1-0, 15 points). With a win Saturday night in Hershey, the Phantoms can set a new AHL record, which they currently share with the 1984/85 Baltimore Skipjacks.

Need to Know: At 4:30 of the opening period, Dennis Seidenberg would kick off the evening's scoring, blasting his 3rd goal of the season from the top of the faceoff circle, beating Bears goaltender Tom Lawson top-right shelf and giving the Phantoms a 1-0 lead…at 3:06 of the 2nd period, with the Phantoms' Ryan Ready screening Lawson, Freddy Meyer would net his 4th goal of the season, a shot from the blue line, getting past Lawson and providing Philly with a 2-0 advantage…at the 12:28 mark of the middle frame, with Philadelphia's Eric Meloche serving an interference penalty, Bears leading scorer Brett Clark would make it a 2-1 contest, backdooring an attempt past Phantoms goalie Antero Niitymaki…a little more than 5 minutes later (at 17:56), with Johnny Boychuk in the box for holding, Ben Stafford would make it 3-1 Philly, netting the game-winner after his shot hit the left post, bouncing off of Lawson and crossing the goal line…at 18:47 of the 2nd period, Stafford would net his 2nd goal in under a minute, providing the Phantoms with a 3 goal cushion at 4-1…at the halfway point (10:00) of the 3rd stanza, Mathieu Darche would net his team-leading 8th goal of the season, cutting the Phantoms lead in half at 4-2.

Misc. Game Notes: Niitymaki earned the win for Philly, finishing with 19 saves and upping his record to 12-2-0 on the season. Overall, it was his 11th straight win, and 9th consecutive victory over the Bears, dating back to last season…Lawson suffered the defeat for Hershey, ending with 26 saves while dropping his record to 3-6-0 in 04/05…Phantoms RW Mark Murphy finished the game with 3 assists…Hershey's Clark and Darche each finished with 1 goal and 1 assist… Jamie Rivers (shoulder), Cody McCormick (hand), and Frantisek Skladany (healthy) were scratched for the Bears.

Coming Up: The Bears return to the Giant Center Saturday night at 7 PM, when the Phantoms visit Chocolatetown to wrap up a home and home weekend series. It will be the 4th of 12 meetings between the two teams this season, with the Phantoms holding a 4-0 season record.

The 7641 Sports' News 'N Notes team can be contacted via e-mail at: nnn@7641.com

Thursday November 25, 2004 vs. Springfield (Posted 1:15 A.M. EST.)

Bears baste, stuff Falcons

The Hershey Bears had another come-from-behind win, downing the Springfield Falcons 2-1 before 7,178 fans Wednesday evening at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. The Bears, down 1-0 midway through the 3rd period, stormed back, with Chris Bala and Marty Hlinka netting goals en route to the Bears second straight home victory.

With the win, Hershey improves to 7-10-1-0 with 15 points in the East Division. The Falcons (5-11-1-1, 12 points) have now lost 6 straight road contests, and currently wallow in a 9 game winless streak away from Springfield.

Need to Know: 4:14 into the opening period, former Bear Shane Willis would give the Falcons an early 1-0 advantage, leading a 2 on 1 rush and fore handing a shot past Bears goaltender Tom Lawson…the game would remain scoreless until 9:27 of the 3rd period, when Chris Bala's shot on Falcons netminder Jamie Storr trickled into the net, tying the contest at 1-1…under 5 minutes later (at the 14:21 mark), after a Greg Barber shot was stopped by Storr, Marty Hlinka, driving the net, buried the rebound that was left at the doorstep, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead. Hlinka's eventual game-winning tally---his 1st goal of the season---stood as the Bears shut down the Falcons, even with Storr pulled in favor of an extra attacker the final 1:19 of the period.

Misc. Game Notes: Lawson, tending the Bears net for the second straight game, finished with 23 saves, and upped his record to 3-5-0 on the season…Storr (4-9-0-1), the former 2-time member of the NHL's All-Rookie Team while with Los Angeles, took the loss for the Falcons, finishing with 34 saves. His 9 losses are tops in the AHL…the Falcons finished 0-2 on the power play, having entered Wednesday as the owners of the worst power play percentage in the AHL (7.8%)…Falcons RW Evgeny Artukhin, who was no stranger to game misconducts last season with Hershey, received a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Jeff Ulmer during the 2nd period. The Bears failed to convert on the ensuing man advantage…Bears RW Dennis Bonvie, who finished with an assist, added another 2 penalty minutes, and now trails former Binghamton teammate Brian McGrattan (127 PIMs) by only 1 for the league lead …former Bears President & General Manager, and current Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster attended the game, as did the Stanley Cup…the game was delayed for several minutes during the 2nd period, as referee Ryan Fraser left the ice for medical attention after receiving a high stick to the face. His father, veteran NHL referee Kerry Fraser, was in attendance, and was ready to assume duty if necessary…Frantisek Skladany (healthy) and Marek Svatos (injury) were scratched from the Hershey lineup, while former Bears Darren Rumble and Marc Busenburg (injury) were among the Springfield scratches.

Et Cetera: Falcons Head Coach Dirk Graham spent 12 years in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. With the Hawks, he won the Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward) during the 1990/91 season, and was Chicago's bench boss for 59 games during the 1998/99 season…Springfield Assistant Coach Phil Russell accumulated 2,038 penalty minutes in 1,016 career NHL games with the Blackhawks, Atlanta & Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres…Springfield teammates Ryan Craig (#255) and Darren Reid (#256) were taken back-to-back in the 8th round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. In a similar coincidence, another set of Falcons teammates, Andre Deveaux (#182) and Paul Ranger (#183), were taken back-to-back in the 6th round of that same 2002 draft…Falcons C Craig Darby has played for 6 different AHL clubs in his 12 year pro career (Fredericton, Worcester, Philadelphia, Quebec, Albany, Springfield), including a Calder Cup Championship with the Phantoms in 1998…at age 36, Springfield D Brian Chapman is the oldest player in the AHL…erstwhile 6'7'' enforcer Mitch Fritz, in just his 5th pro season, has now skated for 6 different AHL teams (Lowell, Hamilton, Saint John, Milwaukee, Worcester, Springfield)…another hired gun, "Stone Cold" Steve McLaren, has racked up 1800+ career PIMs, and is considered one of the top heavyweights in the AHL.

6 Degrees of Separation: Several former Bears dot the Falcons lineup, including 7 from last season (Nikita Alexeev, Evgeny Artukhin, Marc Busenburg, Ryan Craig, Darren Rumble, J.F. Soucy, and Shane Willis). Another two, G Brian Eklund and D Gerard DiCaire, were in the 2003/04 Bears training camp…Springfield LW Adam Henrich is the younger brother of former Bear Michael Henrich (02/03), and was taken 1 pick ahead of Bears D Johnny Boychuk in the 2nd round of the 2002 NHL Draft…DiCaire and Bears C Marek Svatos were teammates during the 2001/02 season when the Kootenay Ice (WHL) captured the Memorial Cup Championship.

Coming Up: The Bears next head to Philadelphia, where they'll try to snap a 14 game losing streak to the Phantoms Friday night at the Wachovia Spectrum at 7 PM. The Bears return home the following evening, where they'll wrap up a home-and-home series with Philly with a 7 PM faceoff at the Giant Center.

Springfield's Nikos Tselios (left) watches a Shane Willis shot trickle through the crease en route to a 1st period goal. Also pictured are the Bears' Jeff Finger (#6) and goaltender Tom Lawson.

Hershey's Martin Hlinka (left) gets hauled down by Springfield defenseman Doug O'Brien during 2nd period action. O'Brien was assessed a minor penalty for holding.

From left to right, Springfield's Adam Henrich, Doug O'Brien, and Jamie Storr watch as Martin Hlinka's shot heads toward the back of the net, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead in the 3rd period.

The 7641 Sports' News 'N Notes team can be contacted via e-mail at: nnn@7641.com

Thursday November 25, 2004 (Posted 1:00 A.M. EST.)

Feast-er Famine

By Jim Starr, Special to 7641.com

HERSHEY, PA--- The past year has been "Feast or Famine" for Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager, Jay Feaster. He is either busy winning hockey's greatest prize…the Stanley Cup, or he is busy sitting by helplessly waiting along with other GM's for trickles of information regarding this season's NHL lockout.

When asked: What roller coaster of emotions have you experienced going from investing every ounce of your time and talent in winning the Stanley Cup … to no season at all, he replied …

JAY: The real roller coaster of emotions was the process of trying to win the Cup. We swept Montreal, then we win every other game with the Flyers, Then we lose game one against Calgary, but win game 6 in double overtime to force a game seven … that was a roller coaster of emotions.

JIM: Are some Tampa Bay Lightning personnel and team staff being temporarily laid off until the new season begins?

JAY: No, everyone is under contract and still have their jobs. We are in the best position of all the NHL teams because we can actively continue to promote and sell the fact that we are the Stanley Cup Champions.

Our front office is busy promoting the team locally, our broadcasters and media people are marketing the team locally throughout the community, we are marketing a DVD of Dave Mishkin's call of game seven, Mishkin is out visiting and speaking to school kids as well.

A lot of our team staff is supporting and working with our AHL Springfield affiliate, especially the coaching staff, goalie coach, video coach, etc. They are keeping a close eye on all of our prospects.

JIM: Does it matter to you if you have half a season to defend your title, or would you rather wait for a full schedule to begin in 2005-06?

JAY: I'm ready to play hockey now. We had a good summer with ticket sales, and we still have marketing momentum. Whenever we do start playing again … we are going to raise three banners. The Southeast Division Champions for the second season in a row, the Eastern Conference Title, and the Stanley Cup Banner. The banners won't go up until the first game, and we are ready to defend our title at any time. We did, however give out Championship rings to every one of our 200 employees.

JIM: Which players on your AHL Affiliate, Springfield Falcons, do you think will soon be knocking on the Tampa Bay Lightning locker room door?

JAY: I think that we have a line right now that with in a year or so can come up as a line, ah…Andre Deveaux, Nick Tarnasky and J. F. Soucy, those three guys are knocking on the door…Nikita Alexeev and Evgeni Artukhin have potential, as well as, Mike Egener and Doug O'Brien.

JIM: Explain the thrill of winning both the Calder Cup and the Stanley Cup so far in your career.

JAY: It's tremendous! Actually, we are unique in that Coach John Tortorella won the Calder Cup in Rochester in 1996, I won it here in Hershey in 97, Our Director of Player Personnel, Bill Barber, won the Calder Cup with the Phantoms in 98, and our head Medical trainer, along with our back up goalie, Johnny Grahame won it in 99 with Providence.

JIM: But, how many GM's have won both the Calder Cup and the Stanley Cup?

JAY: I'm not sure. I believe Neil Smith won the Calder Cup as GM of the Adirondack Red Wings in the 80's, and later the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers. I do know the club membership is very small. I have always said that winning the Cup at the AHL level is every bit as difficult as winning at the National League level.

Jay Feaster is from Williamstown, in Dauphin County, about 35 miles north of Hershey. He first tested his magical skills of hockey management and negotiations as the Hershey Bears GM in 1990.

For the next nine years, Jay Feaster would establish himself as a very profitable leader. He helped to set Hershey Bear attendance records for three seasons in a row, and in 1997, treated fans to a Calder Cup Championship. The AHL treated Jay to the 1997 "Executive of the Year" Award. During his time with Hershey, Jay was also responsible for management of the HersheyPark Arena and the 25,000 capacity HersheyPark Stadium. He was credited with record gross revenue performances and top worldwide facility rankings by Amusement Business Magazine.

Jay's professional talents may have moved on to the NHL, but his heart and memories are still 100% Dauphin County. He takes every opportunity to spend time in the area, he still serves on various local committees, and he continues to bring home the NHL Bacon (ah… the Stanley Cup) every chance he gets, for us Chocolatetown locals to touch and taste as he shares his success and celebrates his life with the place and people he calls home.

Jim Starr is a freelance hockey broadcaster/video coach, and can be reached at: JimStarrHockey@cs.com

Tuesday November 23, 2004 (Posted 8:15 P.M. EST.)

Barber Recalled

On Tuesday, the Hershey Bears recalled RW Greg Barber from the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League (UHL). Barber, 25, started the season in Hershey, going scoreless in 2 games played. He had also been a healthy scratch on two occasions before being reassigned to Quad City on October 27th. With the Mallards, he recorded 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in 11 games, and his +/- rating of +12 was 3rd in the UHL at the time of his recall. With the transaction, the Bears roster sits at 23 players.

Sunday November 21, 2004 vs. Albany (Posted 11:57 P.M. EST.)

Bears save the best for last

The Hershey Bears defeated the Albany River Rats in dramatic fashion, coming down from 2 goals to take a 4-3 overtime decision Sunday night before 6,514 fans at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. David Masse, in just his third game with the Bears this season, netted 2 goals and 1 assist, including the game-winning, power play OT tally to lead the Bears to their second victory in three days over Albany. The Bears (6-10-1, 13 points) now trail Albany (6-8-2-2, 15 points) by only 2 points for 6th place in the East Division.

Need to Know: Just 1:27 into the opening period, Carl Corazzini gave the Bears a 1-0 lead, beating Albany goalie Ari Ahonen on a second attempt in front of the Rats net for his 2nd goal of the season…with Agris Saviels serving a holding penalty for Hershey, LW Ilkka Pikkarainen, on a second effort, beat Bears netminder Tom Lawson at the 10:36 mark of the 1st period, tying the contest at 1-1…a little under 1 ½ minutes later (at 11:56), Alexander Suglobov would give Albany a 2-1 lead, firing a point-blank shot from the slot past Lawson for his 6th goal of the season…at the 3:47 mark of the 2nd frame, Eric Johansson would give the Rats a 2 goal lead, driving to the Bears net and beating Lawson for his 2nd goal of the season…just under a minute and a half later (at the 5:44 mark), though, Brett Clark would notch his 1st score of the season, putting one by Ahonen and cutting the Rats lead to 1 goal…with under 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd period, David Masse, along the far-side boards, fired an innocent-looking shot to the net, which found it's way past Ahonen on the short-side, tying the game at 3-3…only 48 seconds into the overtime period, Masse would strike again, taking an Eric Perrin feed in front of the net, and flicking it in past Ahonen, securing the win for Hershey.

Misc. Game Notes: Lawson earned the win for Hershey, finishing with 21 saves while improving to 2-5-0 on the season…Ahonen (3-4-0) took the loss for Albany, ending with an admirable 38 saves on 42 shots…before Masse's OT power play score, the Bears had gone scoreless in their previous 32 man-advantage attempts…Hershey captain Clark earned an assist on Masse's overtime winner, and now leads all AHL defensemen with 12 assists…Perrin finished with 2 assists and 7 shots on goal…Pikkarainen and Johansson each finished with 1 goal and 1 assist for Albany…RW Dennis Bonvie, and Rats RW Cam Janssen squared off only 4 seconds into the 1st period, with both throwing and missing a few punches before Bonvie wrestled Janssen to the ice. This judge scored it a draw…C Marek Svatos was a healthy scratch for the Bears… this season, Hershey is 4-6 in games decided by 1 goal…Hershey finished with a season-high 42 shots on goal…through 17 games, the Bears have yet to score more than 4 goals in 1 game.

Et Cetera: The start of the 2nd period was delayed several minutes, as Albany goaltender Ahonen attended to equipment issues at the River Rats bench…the first 4,500 fans through the gates received a Dennis Bonvie bobblehead…River Rats LW Ryan Murphy, who had 4 shots in the game, is the brother-in-law of Bears goaltender Tom Lawson.

Coming Up: The Bears wrap up their 3 game homestand Wednesday evening at the Giant Center in a Thanksgiving Eve matchup with the Springfield Falcons at 7:30 PM.

Hershey RW Carl Corrazini lays a big hit on Albany defenseman Ray Schultz during 1st period action.

On "Dennis Bonvie Bobblehead Night", the Bears enforcer (left) tangles with River Rats rookie Cam Janssen just 4 seconds into the 1st period.

Bears goalie Tom Lawson (left) and River Rats RW Aaron Voros each have their eyes on a loose puck during 1st period play.

Hershey's Dennis Bonvie goes airborne in front of Albany goaltender Ari Ahonen during 3rd period action. Also pictured are River Rats defenseman Teemu Kesa (left) and Bears left wing David Masse.

Albany netminder Ari Ahonen emulates a butterfly with this 3rd period save.

The 7641 Sports' News 'N Notes team can be contacted via e-mail at: nnn@7641.com

Sunday November 21, 2004 vs. Bridgeport (Posted 12:58 A.M. EST.)

Sound Tigers silence Bears

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers defeated the Hershey Bears 4-1 before 6,403 fans Saturday evening at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. Justin Mapletoft led the way on offense for Bridgeport, notching a goal and an assist in what was only the Sound Tigers' 2nd road win of the season. The Sound Tigers are now 9-7-0 with 18 points, while the Bears dropped to 5-10-1, 11 points.

Need to Know: At 7:58 of the 1st period, after a Chris Campoli shot deflected off of Bears goalie Peter Budaj, Kevin Colley poked in the loose puck, giving Bridgeport a 1-0 lead…a little more than 2 minutes later (at the 10:12 mark), Sean Bergenheim would make it 2-0 Bridgeport, taking a feed from Mapletoft, and firing a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle, beating Budaj on the glove-side for the game-winner …with 4.3 seconds remaining in the middle frame, Jeff Ulmer would tuck one in past Bridgeport goaltender Wade Dubielewicz, cutting the Sound Tigers lead in half at 2-1…with under 2 minutes remaining in the 3rd period, RW Rob Collins would take the puck from the far neutral zone, and breakaway, firing a shot past Hershey goalie Tom Lawson, giving the Sound Tigers a 3-1 advantage…with Lawson pulled in favor of an extra Bears attacker, Mapletoft would seal the victory for Bridgeport with an empty net tally with 7.7 seconds left in the final frame.

Misc. Game Notes: Dubielewicz earned the victory for Bridgeport, stopping 30 shots and improving his record to 5-4-0…Budaj, who played only the first 20 minutes of Saturday's contest, took the loss, finishing with 12 saves while dropping to 4-6-0 on the season….Lawson, who replaced Budaj to start the 2nd period, ended with 23 saves…the Bears finished a dismal 0-10 on the power play…Hershey has still yet to win back-to-back games this season…Bridgeport C Kevin Colley now leads the AHL with 21 minor penalties…former Bear Graham Belak (97/98) was a scratch for Bridgeport…faces in the crowd included Avalanche Head Coach Joel Queneville, and Islanders General Manager Mike Milbury.

Facts on the Foes: Sound Tigers leading scorer Justin Mapletoft led the WHL with 120 points during the 2000/01 season, and led his Red Deer Rebels to the 2001 Memorial Cup Championship…Bridgeport LW Sean Bergenheim was the Islanders 1st round pick (22nd overall) in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft…'Tigers LW Barrett Heisten, also a former 1st round choice (20th overall by Buffalo in 1999), was a member of the University of Maine's 1999 NCAA Championship team…Bridgeport RW Jim Campbell, who's brother Ed played for the Bears earlier this season, has played with 8 different teams in his 12-year pro career (Fredericton, Baltimore, Worcester, Quebec, Norfolk, San Antonio, Chicago, Bridgeport), and has 136 points in 284 career NHL games…Sound Tigers tough guy Eric Godard, who has spent time with the Islanders the last 2 seasons, led the WHL in penalty minutes (310) during the 99/00 season as a member of the Lethbridge Hurricanes…Bridgeport D Ryan Caldwell was a member of the University of Denver's 2004 NCAA Championship squad…Sound Tigers winger Matt Koalska was a member of the University of Minnesota's back-to-back NCAA Championship teams in 2002 & 2003…Bridgeport D Keith Aldridge was a member of Lake Superior State's 1994 NCAA Championship team…in this, his 6th pro season, 'Tigers C Kevin Colley has played for 6 different AHL teams (Hartford, Providence, Rochester, Syracuse, Worcester, Bridgeport), as well as 5 ECHL clubs (Charlotte, Dayton, Pensacola, New Orleans, Atlantic City)…Bridgeport goaltender Dieter Kochan was a member of the Houston Aeros 2003 Calder Cup Championship team...Sound Tigers netminder Wade Dubielewicz was the AHL's rookie-of-the-year last season, and set new AHL records with a 1.38 goals-against average and .946 save percentage.

Coming Up: The Bears finish up the weekend with a Sunday matinee against the Albany River Rats, starting at 5:00 PM at the Giant Center. Hershey defeated Albany 4-2 Friday night in Albany.

Bears goaltender Peter Budaj stops a Blaine Down shot, while Bears #21 Jamie Rivers defends during 1st period action.

Bridgeport's Jody Robinson (left) and Hershey's Dennis Bonvie size each other up before locking horns in their 2nd period fight.

Bridgeport goalie Wade Dubielewicz stops a shot during 3rd period action of the Sound Tigers 4-1 win over the Bears.

The 7641 Sports' News 'N Notes team can be contacted via e-mail at: nnn@7641.com

Friday November 19, 2004 at Albany (Posted 9:32 P.M. EST.)

Bears snap skid, defeat Rats

The Hershey Bears wrapped up their 5 game road trip by besting the Albany River Rats 4-2 Friday night at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, NY. Jeff Ulmer, Brett Clark, and Martin Hlinka led the way with 2 points each for the Bears (5-10-0), who had lost 3 straight on the road, and 3 consecutive games overall.

Need to Know: At the 11:19 mark of the 1st period, with Marek Svatos serving a tripping penalty, Jeff Ulmer would blast a short-handed attempt past Albany netminder Ari Ahonen, giving the Bears a 1-0 advantage…on a delayed River Rats penalty, Carl Corazzini fired a shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle, beating Ahonen at the 18:18 mark of the 1st period, giving Hershey a 2-0 lead…less than a minute later, with 47.7 seconds remaining in the opening frame, Mathieu Darche would net the game-winner---his team-leading 7th goal of the 04/05 campaign---pushing the Bears lead to 3-0…3:09 into the 2nd period, Dean Arsene would score his 1st goal in a Bears uniform, tipping in a rebound from a Jeff Ulmer shot, and giving Hershey a 4-0 lead…on a Hershey defensive breakdown, Ray Schultz would get the River Rats on the score sheet at the 14:19 mark of the middle frame, netting his 2nd goal of the season, and making it a 4-1 contest…less than 5 minutes later, with 45 seconds left in the 2nd stanza, Dean McAmmond would punch one past Bears goalie Peter Budaj, earning his 2nd goal of the season and getting the Rats closer at 4-2…with Matt DeMarchi serving an early 3rd period penalty for Albany, Pascal Rheaume had a breakaway opportunity, but was hooked by Bears D Brett Clark, earning a penalty shot from referee Ryan Fraser. Rheaume was stonewalled on his attempt by Budaj, who, in similar fashion, has turned away 8 of 10 shootout chances this season.

Misc. Game Notes: Budaj earned the victory for the Bears, stopping 26 of 28 shots and upping his record to 4-5-0…Ahonen (3-3-0) suffered the loss for the River Rats, turning aside 12 of 16 shots before leaving the game midway through the 2nd period…Scott Clemmensen entered the game at the 8:42 mark of the 2nd period, replacing Ahonen, who left the contest for an unknown reason. Clemmensen ended the game stopping all 16 shots he faced…Corazzini made his Bears debut, sporting jersey #11…Bears LW David Masse made his 04/05 AHL debut, after netting 4 points in 10 games with the Reading Royals (ECHL) prior to his Thursday recall…Ulmer's goal was the Bears 1st short-handed tally this season…the 3, 1st period goals tied a season high for most goals in 1 period (previously scored 3, 1st period goals 11/10 vs Hartford)…Bears rookie C Ryan Steeves earned his 1st professional assist on Arsene's 2nd period tally…Hershey captain Brett Clark had 2 assists, and now leads all AHL defenseman with 11 helpers…with 2 assists, Bears C Martin Hlinka had his 1st multi-point game of the season…Bears LW Frantisek Skladany was a healthy scratch, while C Cody McCormick is out 3-6 weeks with a fractured left wrist he sustained this past Wednesday in Hershey's 2-1 loss to Norfolk…Rheaume's 3rd period penalty shot attempt was the 1st the Bears have allowed this season… Albany (6-8-1) has now lost 4 straight at home.

Et Cetera: Albany C Pascal Rheaume, who was a member of the inaugural Rats team in 93/94 and won a Calder Cup with them in 94/95, has played 305 career NHL games between New Jersey, St. Louis, Chicago, Atlanta, and the New York Rangers…before the 04/05 season, Rats LW Dean McAmmond last played in the AHL during the 95/96 season, when he suited for the Cape Breton Oilers in what would be their last season before moving to Hamilton. In 12 NHL seasons, he's played 645 career games with Chicago, Edmonton, Philadelphia, Calgary, and Colorado…River Rats rookie C Zach Parise, who was New Jersey's 1st round pick (17th overall) in 2003, is the son of former NHL'er J.P. Parise…Albany winger Cam Janssen, who leads all AHL rookies in fighting majors and penalty minutes, led the OHL in PIMs (268) during the 2000/01 season with the Windsor Spitfires…speaking of fisticuffs, enforcer Rob Skrlac, who is in his 8th season with the River Rats, is Albany's all-time leader in penalty minutes (1,061 entering Friday's game)…Albany D Matt DeMarchi was a member of the University of Minnesota's back-to-back 2002 & 2003 NCAA Championship teams…Rats D Bobby Allen and G Scott Clemmensen were teammates on Boston College's 2001 NCAA Championship squad.

6 Degrees of Separation: Albany D Ray Schultz, and Hershey LW Mathieu Darche were teammates last season in Milwaukee, were they were a part of the Admirals 2004 Calder Cup Championship.

Bears Alumni News: Former Bears LW Evgeny Lazarev ('98-'02), who signed with the Johnstown Chiefs (ECHL) a few weeks back, was released on Thursday…defenseman Ed Campbell, who started this season with Hershey, has resurfaced with the defending Calder Cup-Champion Milwaukee Admirals…former Bears D Tim Wedderburn (02/03), who was released by the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks earlier this season, was signed by the Chicago Wolves on Friday.

Coming Up: The Bears return to Central PA for 3 straight games at the Giant Center beginning Saturday when the Bridgeport Sound Tigers make their 1st visit of the season to Chocolatetown at 7:00 PM. It will be the first of eight meetings between the teams in the 2004/05 campaign.

The 7641 Sports' News 'N Notes team can be contacted via e-mail at: nnn@7641.com

Thursday November 18, 2004 at Norfolk (Posted 1:48 A.M. EST.)

Get Shorty

The Hershey Bears dropped their 3rd straight decision with a 2-1 loss to the Norfolk Admirals before 2,869 fans Wednesday evening at the Scope in Norfolk, VA. After the Bears took a 1-0 lead on Johnny Boychuk's 2nd goal of the season at the 5:45 mark of the 2nd period, the Admirals quickly rallied for 2 scores of their own, wiith Ajay Baines netting a power play goal (10:34 of the 2nd period), and Quintin Laing scoring the game-winner---a short-handed tally---less than 3 minutes after Baines' goal. The Bears (4-9-1, 9 points), are now 1-3 against the Ads this season, and remain in last place in the East Division, 6 points behind the 6th-place Binghamton Senators. Norfolk improved to 9-5-1-1, 20 points, and currently reside in 2nd place in the East Division, 4 points behind the front-running Philadelphia Phantoms.

Misc. Game Notes: Tom Lawson got the start for Hershey, and finished with 26 saves in dropping his record to 1-5-0 on the season…Adam Munro earned the victory for Norfolk, ending with 30 saves, and recording his 1st victory of the 2004/05 season…Bears C Martin Hlinka, out of the lineup since October 22nd with a shoulder injury, returned to the lineup…Chris Bala earned his 1st assist of the season on Boychuk's 2nd period goal…RW Carl Corazzini, who was obtained by the Bears this past Monday, missed Wednesday's contest to tend to personal matters. He is due to join to the team Friday night in Albany, when the Bears play the River Rats for the first of two meetings this weekend…D Jeff Finger returned to the Bears blueline after serving a 1 game suspension for his involvement in an off-ice altercation with the Providence Bruins' Jay Henderson last Friday. Ryan Steeves was a healthy scratch, and missed his first game since October 16th, which was the Bears 1st home game of the season. Laing's 2nd period game-winner was the 1st short-handed goal the Bears have allowed this season.

Coming Up: The Bears wrap up their 5-game road swing Friday night in Albany, NY, where they will faceoff against their divisional-rival River Rats at 7:00 PM at the Pepsi Arena. It will be the first meeting between the teams this season.

Tuesday November 16, 2004 (Posted 11:48 P.M. EST.)

O! Really…

Numerous reports are stating that the American Hockey League's next franchise will be located in…Omaha, Nebraska. According to various sources, the Calgary Flames will move their dormant AHL franchise in St. John, New Brunswick, to Omaha, where the team will play its home games at the Civic Auditorium (capacity 9,000+), starting in the 2005/06 season. Although Omaha currently fields a USHL team (Omaha Lancers), as well as a NCAA Division I program (University of Nebraska-Omaha), this will be the Cornhusker State's first venture into AHL hockey. No word on what division the unnamed franchise will be located, but a likely fit would be the Western Conference's West Division. If the AHL does expand to Omaha, it would mark the 30th franchise in the league, with the Dallas Stars-affiliated Iowa Stars set to debut next season.

***

On Wednesday, the Providence Bruins announced that center Patrice Bergeron will join Canada in time for next month's World Junior Championships, which will be played in North Dakota and Minnesota. Bergeron, 19, has 9 points in 10 games this season for the PBruins, after spending all of last season with Boston, where he scored 39 points in 71 games as an 18-year old rookie.

***

Jamie Lundmark is set to return to the Hartford Wolf Pack, after starting the season in Italy. Lundmark, 23, began the 04/05 campaign with HC Bolzano of the Italian League, where he was leading the team in scoring at the time of his departure. The 9th overall pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft has previously played in 101 AHL contests, all with Hartford. In addition to his AHL experience, he's also played in 111 career NHL games, all with the New York Rangers.

Monday November 15, 2004 (Posted 12:48 P.M. EST.)

Out with the old, in with the new…

On Monday, the Bears traded defenseman Darrel Scoville to the Providence Bruins for RW Carl Corazzini. With the trade of veteran Scoville, Hershey is now down to the maximum of 5 veterans on their roster (D Brett Clark, LW Mathieu Darche, C Eric Perrin, D Jamie Rivers, and C Andre Savage).

Scoville, 29, played in 7 games with Hershey this season, registering 0 points and 11 penalty minutes. Due to veteran limitations, he had been a healthy scratch for the last 3 games, and 5 out of the last 7 contests.

Providence will be Scoville's 4th AHL team, having previously played for Saint John ('98-'01), Syracuse ('01-'04), and Hershey (04/05).

Corazzini, 25, has suited up for 8 games with the PBruins this season, but has yet to register a point. Last season, he recorded 25 points (16 goals, 9 assists) in 62 games with Providence, and 2 goals in 12 contests for the Boston Bruins. The 5'10", 180 lb winger played 4 seasons ('97-'01) at Boston University, where he led the Terriers in scoring with 36 points in his senior season of 2000/01. During that same season of 00/01, he played alongside current Bears LW Frantisek Skladany. He leaves Providence having scored 53 points in 164 career games for the PBruins. Being that he has played in less than 260 professional games entering the 2004/05 season, Corazzini is not considered a "Veteran".

Saturday November 13, 2004 at Manchester (Posted 10:13 P.M. EST.)

Monarchs King Bears

The Atlantic Division-leading Manchester Monarchs easily disposed of the last-place Hershey Bears 5-0 in front of a sold out crowd of 9,916 fans Saturday night at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH. The Monarchs, who came into Saturday having allowed the least amount of goals scored in the AHL, showed why, as backup goalie Adam Hauser (4-0-0) shut the door on the Bears, stopping all 23 shots he faced. Yanick Lehoux led the way offensively for Manchester (10-1-0), finishing with 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists). Tom Kostopoulos would net 2 goals, including the game-winning tally, for the Monarchs, who are now 5-0 at home this season. It was the second straight loss for Hershey (4-8-1), who are in the midst of a current 5 game road swing.

Need to Know: Only 59 seconds into the opening frame, former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin Kostopoulos would get the Monarchs on the scoreboard first, getting ahead of the Bears "D" and putting the eventual game-winning score past Bears goalie Peter Budaj…exactly 13 minutes later, former AHL MVP Brad Smyth would make it a 2-0 Manchester advantage, firing in a shot off of a faceoff in the Bears zone…with Hershey RW Jeff Ulmer off for a high sticking penalty, Yanick Lehoux pocketed his 10th goal of the season at 9:13 of the 2nd period, giving the Monarchs a 3-0 lead…at the 18:03 point of the 2nd period, with Hershey's Dennis Bonvie serving a 5 minute major for high sticking, Manchester captain Chris Schmidt tipped in a power play tally, giving the Monarchs a 4-0 cushion…Kostopoulos, who started Manchester's offensive onslaught, would finish the evening's scoring, collecting his 6th goal of the season at the 9:39 mark of the 3rd period, giving the Monarchs a 5-0 advantage.

Misc. Game Notes: For the 5th consecutive game, Budaj (3-5-0) earned the nod in between the pipes for Hershey, ending with 30 saves…in light of Friday night's off-ice altercation in Providence, Bears D Jeff Finger was suspended by the American Hockey League for Saturday's game. Finger, who was escorted off the ice after a 2nd period fight with the PBruins' Jay Henderson, was involved in a scuffle with Henderson on the runway to the locker rooms…with Finger ineligible, Hershey went with only 17 skaters for the game. That number would dwindle down to 15, as the Bears lost RW Cody McCormick and D Johnny Boychuk midway through the 2nd period after each were issued game misconducts during a fracas with Monarchs LW Jeff Giuliano…for the 3rd consecutive contest, D Darrel Scoville was a healthy scratch for the Bears…Monarchs C Michael Cammalleri, who entered the contest tied with teammate Yanick Lehoux for 3rd in AHL scoring, extended his scoring streak to 7 games with a 1st period assist on Smyth's goal…Bears captain Brett Clark saw his 7 game point streak come to an end. Hershey LW Mathieu Darche had his 4 game scoring streak ended…Hershey D Dean Arsene, and Manchester RW George Parros fought at the 10:44 mark of the 2nd period…entering Saturday, Manchester was 2nd in the AHL lead with 16 power play goals, and finished the game 2-6 on the man advantage...coming into the game, amongst those who have played at least 8 games, the Monarchs had zero players who had a negative plus/minus rating…Manchester D Joe Rullier leads the AHL with a +12 rating… Hauser (4-0-0-0), previously shutout the Bears 3-0 last March 27th at Giant Center...it was the second time the Bears have been shutout this season (10/16 vs Norfolk).

Et Cetera: Manchester RW Brad Smyth has certainly got around during his 12 year professional career. During that time, the 95/96 AHL MVP has spent time in the NHL (Florida, Los Angeles, New York Rangers, Nashville, Ottawa), AHL (Springfield, Carolina, Hartford, Binghamton, Manchester), IHL (Cincinnati, Phoenix, Milwaukee), and ECHL (Birmingham). He even spent a season playing in Finland (Karpat), and was a member of the Hartford Wolf Pack's 2000 Calder Cup Championship team…Manchester goaltender Adam Hauser was a member of the University of Minnesota's 2002 NCAA Championship team…Monarchs D Mike Weaver was a member of the Chicago Wolves' 2002 Calder Cup Championship team…Manchester LW Jeff Giuliano was a member of Boston College's 2001 NCAA Championship squad…Monarchs RW Petr Kanko was a member of the Kitchener Rangers (OHL) Memorial Cup Championship team in 2003…Manchester, who leads the AHL in attendance with an average of 8,700+ fans a game at Verizon Wireless Arena, will host the AHL All-Star Game in February.

Coming Up: Hershey's fourth game of a 5-game road trip heads south to Norfolk, VA, where the Bears will play the Admirals Wednesday night at the Scope, beginning at 7:30 PM. The Bears are 1-2 against the Ads this season. The Hershey Bears Booster Club will hold its annual "Help the House" Night on Nov. 20 when Bridgeport visits Giant Center. Items to benefit the Ronald McDonald House in Hershey will be collected. Among the things needed are gift certificates for house and office supplies, single-serving packaged foods (chips, cereal, pudding), and local restaurant gift certificates. A full list of needed items can be viewed at the Booster Club's Website: http://hbbc.home.comcast.net

The 7641 Sports' News 'N Notes team can be contacted via e-mail at: nnn@7641.com

Friday November 12, 2004 at Providence (Posted 9:50 P.M. EST.)

Bruins Claw Bears

The Providence Bruins defeated the Hershey Bears 3-2 before an announced crowd of 7,024 Friday evening at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI. Brad Boyes led the way for Providence, finishing with 1 goal and 2 assists en route to the PBruins second consecutive victory over the Bears.

Need to Know: Near the midway of the 1st period (9:22 to be exact), Brad Boyes would get the Bruins on the board first, redirecting a Kevin Dallman shot through the "5 Hole" of Bears netminder Peter Budaj…with 2:39 remaining in the opening period, Andre Savage would net the equalizer for Hershey, taking a Mathieu Darche pass and roofing a shot over Bruins goalie Hannu Toivonen…with Providence's Martin Samuelsson sitting for a tripping penalty, Cody McCormick would slip a shot past Bruins goalie Peter Hamerlik, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead at the 15:16 mark of the 3rd period…only 28 seconds later though, Providence would tie the contest, with Dan Lacouture punching in his 2nd goal of the season…with under 7 minutes left in the 3rd period, Boyes took a shot on Lawson, picked up his own rebound, and fed it to David Gove in the slot, who put the eventual game-winner past Lawson, giving the PBruins their second lead of the game…Hamerlik would earn his 1st win of the season for Providence, finishing with 3 saves on 4 shots…Lawson suffered the loss for Hershey, ending with 20 saves on 22 shots faced.

Misc. Game Notes: Hershey D Jeff Finger, and Providence LW Jay Henderson were issued fighting majors with 4:19 left in the 2nd period. Finger threw 1 punch before Henderson went for a bear hug, tackling and landing on top of Finger. After both players were escorted off the ice, both benches emptied into the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms. Back on the ice, the 2 goaltenders---who were the only players on the ice---met and fought at center ice, with Budaj getting the upper hand and dropping Toivonen. With all of the mayhem to sort out, referee Harry Dumas suspended play with 4:08 remaining in the 2nd period. The teams had a brief timeout in between the 2nd and 3rd periods. Finger and Budaj were issued game misconducts for Hershey, while Henderson, Toivonen, and Brendan Walsh were handed game misconducts for Providence…with the goaltenders tossed from the game, Tom Lawson took Budaj's place in net for Hershey, while Peter Hamerlik assumed Toivonen's spot between the pipes for Providence…for the 4th straight game (and 3rd consecutive against Providence), Budaj got the start for the Bears, finishing with 20 saves before his early exit...Toivonen, who was in net for last weekend's games in Hershey, ended with 15 saves in his 6th consecutive start for Providence…with an assist on McCormick's goal, Bears captain Brett Clark extended his point streak to 7 games…although his goal scoring streak ended at 3 games, Darche extended his point streak to 4 games. In those 4 contests, Darche has recorded 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists)…the battle of heavyweights took place with 1:24 left in the 1st period, with Bruins RW Colton Orr and Bears RW Dennis Bonvie dropping the gloves at center ice. The fight did not last long though, as Orr dropped Bonvie with one punch. To his credit, Bonvie immediately sprung to his feet in defeat.

Et Cetera: The Bears finished 1-6 on the power play, and have now gone 2-33 on the power play on the road this season…the Bears allowed a season-high 22 shots in the 3rd period. Their previous high was allowing 18 shots in the 2nd period against Norfolk on October 16th…the Bears, who remain the East Division cellar dwellers, still have yet to win back-to-back games this season…Hershey killed a 5 on 3 short-handed situation for 58 seconds during the 2nd period. Coming into Friday, Hershey had allowed only 1 power play goal on the road…the Bears went with a New England flavor to start at the forward positions, with Andre Savage (former Providence Bruin), Frantisek Skladany (Boston University), and Ryan Steeves (Yale University) all getting the nod up front…former Bears captain Brent Thompson started on defense for Providence…for the second straight game---and fourth out of the last six---D Darrel Scoville was a healthy scratch for the Bears…Hershey C Martin Hlinka missed his 9th straight game with a shoulder injury sustained October 22nd at Binghamton…before the start of the contest, both teams observed a moment of silence in honor of former PBruin Sergei Zholtok, who passed away in his native Latvia last week at age 31…with the loss, the Bears are now 1-2 against the PBruins this season. The two teams meet one more time this season---Sunday, December 5th in Providence. Providence finished 0-6 on the power play. Coming into Friday's game, Providence led the AHL with a 25.5 power play percentage…C Kris Vernarsky was released earlier in the week by Providence.

Coming Up: The Bears will next travel to Manchester, NH, where they'll faceoff against the Monarchs Saturday night at the Verizon Wireless Arena at 7:35 PM. It is the only time the Bears travel to the Granite State this season.

The 7641 Sports' News 'N Notes team can be contacted via e-mail at: nnn@7641.com

Wednesday November 10, 2004 at Hartford (Posted 9:41 P.M. EST.)

Bears defeat Hartford 4-1, hand Wolf Pack 1st loss of season

Facing the AHL's top team, the Hershey Bears thumped the previously-undefeated Hartford Wolf Pack 4-1 before 3,077 fans Wednesday night at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, CT. Eric Perrin, Mathieu Darche, Marek Svatos, and Dennis Bonvie each had 2 points, with Chris Bala netting the game-winning goal for the victorious Bears (4-6-0-1).

Need to Know: With just under 8 minutes into the 1st period, the Bears would get on the scoreboard first, with Mathieu Darche firing a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle past a screened Wolf Pack netminder Jason LaBarbera…4 minutes later, Bryce Lampman would even the contest for Hartford, crashing the crease and punching in a rebound past Bears netminder Peter Budaj…a little more than 1 ½ minutes later, Hershey would regain the lead, as Chris Bala, who had not scored since opening night, pocketed the game-winner on a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle, making it a 2-1 Bears advantage…with 1:16 remaining in the opening period, Andre Savage, who had been a healthy scratch the last 2 games, scored his 2nd of the season, backhanding a shot past LaBarbera…Wolf Pack backup goaltender Steve Valiquette entered the game at the onset of the 2nd period, replacing LaBarbera in net…at 5:36 of the middle frame, on an odd-man rush with Eric Perrin, Marek Svatos would notch his 3rd goal of the season, netting a top right corner shot past Valiquette, making it 4-1 Hershey.

Misc. Game Notes: Budaj, who made his 3rd straight start in net, earned his 3rd win of the season, finishing with 28 saves…Wolf Pack netminder and 03/04 AHL MVP LaBarbera, who entered Wednesday's contest leading the AHL in GAA (0.82), and save percentage (.971%), suffered his 1st loss of the season, surrendering 3 goals on 10 shots in the 1st period…Valiquette, who came in for "Mop-up Duty", ended with 11 saves for Hartford…Perrin had his second straight multi-point game for Hershey…Bonvie, who finished with 2 assists, had his first multi-point game of the season…Bears captain Brett Clark has earned at least 1 assist in 8 of 11 games this season…the 3, 1st period goals were a season high for the Bears…midway through the 2nd period, Hershey RW Cody McCormick and Hartford D Craig Weller dropped the gloves near center ice, with each throwing numerous right-hand punches before both lost their balance, with Weller landing on top of McCormick. It was the second fighting major of the season for McCormick, having previously fought Norfolk's Anton Babchuk on opening night…at 8:23 of the 3rd period, Hartford's Steve MacIntyre and Hershey's Bonvie were handed 5 minute fighting majors, after MacIntyre had pasted Bears D Jamie Rivers with a big hit. The "Fight" was nothing more than a glorified wrestling match…D Darrel Scoville was a healthy scratch (Veteran) for the Bears…with heavyweights Trevor Gillies and Martin Grenier injured, 6'6'' d-man MacIntyre, was recalled from the ECHL's Charlotte Checkers…coming into the game, Hartford had allowed a league-low 9 goals, with a previous game-high of 2 goals allowed against Bridgeport on October 23rd…Bears LW Frantisek Skladany got called for his first penalty of 04/05, leaving Bala and Mikko Viitanen as the only current Bears skaters who have not been whistled for a penalty yet this season…before the game, it was announced that Hartford defensemen Maxim Kondratiev and Fedor Tyutin would be leaving the team this Sunday (11/15), and returning home to play the remainder of the season in their native Russia.

Et Cetera: The second half of the 7th round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft produced 3 Wolf Pack members: Layne Ulmer (taken 209th overall by Ottawa), Alexandre Giroux (213th by Ottawa), and Jeff MacMillan (215th by Dallas). The latter half of that same round produced former Bears Greg Barber (207th by Boston) and Radim Vrbata (212th by Colorado)…coming into Wednesday's game, Hartford Enforcer Trevor Gillies had racked up 1,500+ career penalty minutes in 324 career pro games, spanning 5 AHL (Lowell, Worcester, Providence, Springfield, Hartford), and 5 ECHL teams (Mississippi, Greensboro, Augusta, Richmond, Peoria) over 6 seasons…in his 7-year pro career, Wolf Pack goalie Steve Valiquette has spent time in net for 6 different AHL clubs (Lowell, Providence, Springfield, Bridgeport, Toronto, Hartford). During that time, he's also played 9 career NHL games between the New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Rangers…Hartford captain Ken Gernander has spent the last 11 seasons in the New York Rangers organization, including the club's move from Binghamton to Hartford in 1997.

6 Degrees of Separation: Wolf Pack Head Coach Ryan McGill spent parts of 2 seasons as a player in Hershey ('91-'93)…Hartford Dominic Moore, brother of former Bears RW Steve Moore, played with Hershey LW Chris Bala during the 2000/01 season at Harvard…Wolf Pack C Layne Ulmer is the younger brother of Bears RW Jeff Ulmer…Hartford C Giroux played with Bala during the 01/02 (Grand Rapids) & 02/03 (Binghamton) seasons…Hartford's Weller played with the Bears' Dean Arsene and Marek Svatos with Kootenay of the WHL…Hartford C Jeff Hamilton, who led the AHL with 43 goals for Bridgeport last season and was a scratch Wednesday night, played with Bears C Ryan Steeves during the 00/01 season at Yale…Wolf Pack C Blair Betts, who was also scratched, was a teammate of Hershey D Darrel Scoville during the 00/01 season with Saint John, when the Flames defeated Wilkes-Barre for the Calder Cup Championship.

Coming Up: The Bears continue their 5 game road swing this Friday in Providence, Rhode Island, where they'll face off against the Bruins from the Dunkin Donuts Center at 7:05 PM.

Monday November 8, 2004 vs. Providence (Posted 1:27 A.M. EST.)

Same Score, Different Winner

After the Bears bested Providence by a 4-3 shootout score on Saturday evening, the Bruins returned the favor, coming back and downing Hershey 4-3 before 10,158 fans Sunday evening at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. Patrice Bergeron would lead the way for the PBruins, netting 2 goals (including the game winner) and 1 assist. Eric Perrin pocketed 2 power play goals in the Bears defeat.

Need to Know: Perrin, fresh off of netting the shootout-clinching goal Saturday evening, got the Bears on the board first, scoring a power play goal 5 ½ minutes into the 1st period…just a minute later though, Providence's Bergeron would tie the score at 1-1 on an unassisted tally, thanks in part to a Hershey turnover…with a little under 9 minutes remaining in the opening period, Mathieu Darche would net his 3rd goal in 2 nights (his 5th overall), once again giving the Bears a lead at 2-1…the same scenario that occurred earlier in the period would take place again, as the Bruins would quickly tie the game a minute and a half later, with Dan Lacouture scoring his 1st goal of the season…just 47 seconds into the middle period, with the PBruins' Jay Henderson sitting for a hooking penalty, Perrin would net his 2nd power play goal of the contest, giving the Bears their third lead of the game…the game would remain 3-2 Hershey until 52 seconds into the 3rd frame, when Andy Hilbert would score his AHL-leading 5th power play goal on a 5 on 3 Providence advantage, knotting the score at 3-3…15 seconds into a Jeff Finger holding penalty, Bergeron would notch his 2nd tally of the game with 14:41 remaining in the final period, giving the Bruins their first lead of the game at 4-3. The lead would stand for Providence, as the Bears were unable to capitalize on an Andy Hilbert roughing penalty midway through the period, and could not get another shot past Bruins goaltender Hannu Toivonen.

Misc. Game Notes: Toivonen, who was in net for Providence Saturday night, was back in goal Sunday evening, earning the win and finishing with 28 saves…Peter Budaj, who was also in net for the victorious Bears on Saturday, earned the start on Sunday and ended with 31 saves, dropping his record to 2-4 on the season…for the second straight game, C Andre Savage was a healthy scratch for Hershey…the Bears debuted new 3rd-style jerseys.

Et Cetera: The Bears have yet to win back-to-back games this season…Providence won their 1st game on the road this season, after going winless in their 5 previous away contests.

Coming Up: The Bears will embark on a 5 game road trip, beginning Wednesday night in Hartford, CT against the undefeated Wolf Pack…the Bears next home game is Saturday, November 20th, when they take on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 7:00 at the Giant Center.

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron netted 2 goals, including the game-winner, as Providence defeated the Hershey Bears 4-3 Sunday night. Bergeron also added an assist, earning 1st Star of the Game honors.

Sunday November 7, 2004 vs. Providence (Posted 12:59 A.M. EST.)

Bears Win Shootout Duel

The Hershey Bears downed the Providence Bruins 4-3 in shootout fashion before 6,037 charged-up fans Saturday night at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA. Mathieu Darche led the way for the Bears, scoring 2 goals and adding 1 assist en route to Hershey's 2nd-straight home win.

Need to Know: Providence's Keith Aucoin kicked off Saturday's scoring, registering his 1st goal of the season midway through the opening period on a shot from the right faceoff circle…with the PBruins' Brad Boyes off for hooking, and Martin Samuelsson sitting for slashing, the Bears would even the score, with Jamie Rivers netting his 1st goal of the season with just under 11 minutes remaining in the 2nd period…5 minutes later, with Hershey's Marek Svatos in the penalty box for slashing, Boyes would give the Bruins a 2-1 lead on a slapshot from the right faceoff circle, roofing the puck over Bears goalie Peter Budaj…a little over a minute later, Hershey's Mathieu Darche would tie the contest at 2-2, thanks in part to a Providence turnover courtesy of a punishing Dennis Bonvie check to a Bruins defenseman…just under 5 minutes into the 3rd period, Darche would strike again, punching in a rebound through Providence netminder Hannu Toivonen, giving the Bears a 3-2 edge…at 11:11 of the 3rd, a helmetless Keith Aucoin would pocket his 2nd tally of the game, standing at the doorstep and getting one past Budaj, evening the contest at 3-3…with both teams unable to score during the last portion of the 3rd period, as well as the overtime period, the first-ever shootout at Giant Center ensued…Providence Head Coach summoned Patrice Bergeron as the 1st shooter, and Bergeron proceeded to go with a forehand shot, which was denied by Budaj…as his 1st shooter, Bears Head Coach Paul Fixter called upon Marek Svatos, who promptly found his mark, beating Toivonen to give Hershey a 1-0 lead in the shootout…next up for the PBruins was LW Andy Hilbert, who would tie the shootout score at 1-1 after his shot beat Budaj stick-side…second in line for the Bears was LW Darche, who had netted 2 goals in regulation. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to capitalize on his shootout chance, with Toivonen stonewalling Darche's stick-side attempt…C Aucoin, who had also scored 2 goals in regulation, was the Bruins 3rd shooter, but his glove-side try failed…Eric Perrin would be the Bears 3rd shooter, and his glove-side attempt would find it's mark, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead in the shootout…Bruins alternate captain Brad Boyes would shoot 4th, but his shot was thwarted by a Budaj pad save…D Jamie Rivers would try his hand as the Bears 4th shooter, but was unsuccessful as his backhand attempt would be turned away by Toivonen's left pad…Yorick Treille was Providence's last hope in the shootout, but his glove-side attempt was rejected by Budaj, giving the Bears a 4-3 victory.

Misc. Game Notes: Budaj (2-3-0), who finished with 31 saves, has been in net for both Bears shootout wins this season…Toivonen ended with 33 saves in the Bruins' defeat…Svatos and Perrin are both 2-2 in the shootout attempts this season…with the shootout loss, Providence has still yet to win a game on the road this season...C Cody McCormick donned an "A" as a Bears alternate captain…Bears C Andre Savage was a healthy scratch…coming into the game, Hershey ranked last in the AHL in goals scored (12).

Et Cetera: Bergeron, who at 19 is the youngest player in the AHL, spent the 2003/04 season with Boston, registering 39 points in 71 games…Providence Co-Captain Jay Henderson is one of only 4 players to ever win Calder Cup championships with 3 different AHL teams (Providence in 1999, Houston in 2003, and Milwaukee in 2004)…LW Dan Lacouture was signed by Providence earlier this week. He began his pro career with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 97/98, and has spent all or parts of the last 5 seasons in the NHL with Edmonton, Pittsburgh, and New York Rangers…Aucoin, who led the PBruins with 74 points in the 2002/03 season, was signed this past Tuesday by Providence.

6 Degrees of Separation: PBruins Co-Captain Brent Thompson spent all or parts of 3 seasons in Hershey (2000-2003), and is a former Bears captain…Providence LW Pat Leahy spent part of the 2001/02 season with the Bears…Bruins C David Gove played with current Bears Chris Bala and Jeff Ulmer during the 01/02 season with Grand Rapids…The Bears' Dennis Bonvie (2001/02), Cail MacLean (01/02), and Andre Savage ('98-'01, 03/04) all have spent time in a PBruins uniform.

Coming Up: The Bears are back home again Sunday night at 5:00 PM at the Giant Center to finish their weekend home set against Providence.

Providence's Keith Aucoin celebrates as his 2nd goal of the game gets by Bears goalie Peter Budaj, tying the game at 3-3 in the 3rd period.

Hershey center Ryan Steeves (left) and Providence defenseman Jayme Filipowicz get their sticks up during 2nd period action.

Eric Perrin's shot gets by Providence goaltender Hannu Toivonen, giving the Bears a 2-1 shootout lead.

Friday November 5, 2004 at Philadelphia (Posted 10:06 P.M. EST.)

14 and Counting…

The Hershey Bears allowed 4 unanswered goals, and dropped a 4-1 decision to the Philadelphia Phantoms before 5,391 fans Friday evening at the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA. The win was the Phantoms 14th straight over the Bears, dating back to last season. Philadelphia also continued another streak, winning their 6th straight game. Dennis Seidenberg and Joey Hope lead the way for the Phantoms, each netting a goal and an assist in Philly's victory.

Need to Know: Marek Svatos would quickly get the Bears on the scoreboard first, netting his 2nd goal of the season from a rebound off of a Brett Clark shot 25 seconds into the 1st period…2:46 into the middle period, Joey Hope would notch his 1st professional goal for Philadelphia, tying the game at 1-1…a little more than 2 minutes later, with Hershey's Jamie Rivers in the penalty box for a tripping penalty, Dennis Seidenberg blasted a shot---the eventual game-winner---past Bears netminder Tom Lawson, giving the Phantoms a 2-1 advantage…with a 3-on-1 odd-man rush with under 6 minutes remaining in the 3rd period, Ryan Ready netted his 2nd goal of the season, giving the Phantoms a 3-1 lead…with 52 seconds left in the 3rd stanza, Ben Eager solidified the win for Philly, netting an empty-net goal, giving the Phantoms a 4-1 advantage…Patrick Sharp earned an assist on Ready's goal, and has now scored a point in 10 consecutive contests, dating back to last season…Lawson took the loss for Hershey, finishing with 26 saves…Philly's Antero Niittymaki earned the victory for Philadelphia, ending with 23 saves. He is now 8-0 in his career against Hershey…Philadelphia, the AHL's top power play team, finished 1-3 on the man advantage...the Phantoms also showed why they lead the AHL in allowing the least average shots against per game (currently allow 25.57 shots/game), allowing the Bears only 24 shots on goaltender Niittymaki.

Misc. Game Notes: Rivers made his Bears debut after signing a tryout contract on Wednesday, sporting jersey #21. Several notable Bears have donned that uniform number in the past, including: Steve Brule, Kelly Fairchild, Mike Gaul, Mike Stothers, and Red Sullivan…Dean Arsene, who can normally be found on the Bears blueline, switched to forward for the game, and played on Hershey's 4th line…D Darrel Scoville, 1 of the 6 eligible veterans on the Bears roster, was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Each AHL team can dress only 5 veterans and 1 exempt veteran…Arsene and Phantoms LW Riley Cote fought 3:20 into the 1st period. With 2 ½ minutes left in the same period, Arsene would drop the gloves with Philly RW Mark Murphy…Bears RW Dennis Bonvie went toe-to-toe with Phantoms LW Josh Gratton immediately following Seidenberg's 2nd period goal. It was the 2nd time they have fought each other this season, with Gratton earning the "W" this time around--according to most judges in attendance…Phantoms enforcer Todd Fedoruk was scratched due to an injury suffered Wednesday night against Cincinnati…before allowing Seidenberg's 2nd period power play goal, the Bears had killed off their previous 14 short-handed situations on the road this season…the Bears finished 0-8 on the power play…the Phantoms managed only 4 shots on goal in the 1st period.

Etc: Before Friday's game, the Phantoms were among 4 teams tied for 1st place in the East Division (Philly, Norfolk, Albany, Wilkes-Barre)…the Phantoms are the only team in the East Division to have not lost at home this season...Eager, the 23rd overall pick in the 2002 NHL Draft by Phoenix, amassed 795 penalty minutes in his 4 seasons with the Oshawa Generals (OHL)…former Bears LW Larry Courville (2001/02) signed with the Reading Royals of the ECHL on Thursday…former Bears RW Sheldon Keefe (2003/04) tore his ACL earlier this week, and will miss the rest of the season for the Utah Grizzlies.

Coming Up: The Bears return to Hershey to take on the Providence Bruins on Saturday and Sunday at the Giant Center. Saturday's game starts at 7:00 PM, while Sunday's contest begins at 5:00 PM. These will be the PBruins only visits to Chocolatetown this season.

Wednesday November 3, 2004 (Posted 2:06 P.M. EST.)

Bears Sign NHL Veteran Rivers

On Wednesday, the Hershey Bears announced that they have signed veteran blueliner Jamie Rivers to a tryout contract. Rivers, 29, has recorded 56 points in 390 career NHL games between the St. Louis Blues, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Detroit Red Wings. Over the course of his 10 year professional career, he has also played in 190 career AHL games with Worcester, San Antonio, and Grand Rapids. In his 1st pro season of 1995/96, Rivers was an AHL All-Star with the Worcester Icecats, and played for Team USA at the 1996 AHL All-Star Game, which was held at HersheyPark Arena. He is expected to be in the lineup when the Bears travel to Philadelphia to take on the Phantoms Friday evening at 7:05.

With the addition of Rivers, the Bears roster stands at 22 players. His addition also takes Hershey one over the veteran limit of 5 players, excluding the one exemption each AHL team is given at the start of each season. The AHL defines Veterans as those players, who, at the start of the season, have played in at least 260 career regular season contests in the NHL, AHL, IHL, or any elite European league.

The current Hershey veterans are D Brett Clark, LW Mathieu Darche, C Eric Perrin, RW Andre Savage, and D Darrel Scoville. The Bears exemption for this season is RW Dennis Bonvie. According to the AHL, exempt players are those who have played in at least 400 career AHL contests prior to the start of the season.

Tuesday November 2, 2004 (Posted 11:41 P.M. EST.)

Bears Farm Out 2

On Tuesday, the Bears assigned left wing Sergei Klyazmin to the Colorado Eagles of the Central Hockey League (CHL). Klyazmin, 22, recorded 0 points in 7 games this season with the Bears. He missed the 2003/04 season due to injury, and had previously suited up for 8 games with Hershey during the 02/03 season, before going down with a knee injury. With Colorado, he'll join Avalanche prospects Tyler Weiman and David Svagrovsky, who joined the Eagles after spending time this season in Hershey's training camp.

Also on Tuesday, the Bears assigned defenseman Tomas Slovak to the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League (UHL). Slovak, 21, made his 2004/05 debut this past Sunday against Norfolk, registering 2 penalty minutes. He had missed the first 6 games of this season due to a facial injury he suffered during the preseason. Last season, Slovak played 42 games with Hershey, recording 11 points. He also played 20 contests with the Reading Royals (ECHL), finishing with 10 points.

The Bears roster currently stands at 21 players.

Tomas Slovak, seen here in action last season against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, was assigned to the Quad City Mallards of the UHL on Tuesday.

Sergei Klyazmin, shown here this past Sunday against Norfolk, was assigned to Colorado of the CHL on Tuesday.

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