Photo: Eric Lord
The Hershey Bears began their quest to be the second team in American Hockey League (AHL) history to win three consecutive Calder Cups with a strong opening month of October. The Chocolate and White split their first four contests of the season and then went on a four-game winning streak. Todd Nelson’s charges closed out the month with a loss to Lehigh Valley.
The Bears posted a 6-2-1-0 record and rank first in the Atlantic Division with 13 points. Hershey is a perfect 4-0 on the road, coming from behind in three of those contests.
The Chocolate and White have a new captain with veteran defensemen Aaron Ness being given the honor by Head Coach Todd Nelson. He replaces Dylan McIlrath, who is with the Washington Capitals.
The power play has been a weapon for the Bears. Hershey has converted 11 times in 45 chances for a percentage of 24.4, good for the fourth-best percentage in the AHL. The unit was first in the league with the man-advantage until going scoreless in their last two games of the month. Only Charlotte scored more times with the man-advantage. Eleven different players have recorded a point on the power play. Veteran defenseman Brad Hunt has given the unit a different look with his quick shot and fast movement of the puck. Mike Sgarbossa and Alex Limoges each have four power play assists. Ivan Miroshnichenko has tallied three times on the power play.
The Hershey penalty kill also started well. The unit surrendered three power-play goals in 32 times shorthanded. The penalty kill ranks fourth in the league with, staving off 90.6 percent of the power plays they have faced.
Offensively, the Bears have been paced by Ethen Frank and Ivan Miroshnichenko. Both wingers totaled 10 points in October. Frank leads the way with seven goals and Miroshnichenko has tallied six markers. Alex Limoges and Mike Sgarbossa have added nine points each. Sgarbossa has dished out a team-best eight assists. Limoges’ six helpers trails only Sgarbossa.
On the other end of the ice, Hunter Shepard is continuing to do Hunter Shepard things. The netminder won five of his six starts and has been a wall in net for Hershey. Shepard is again among the league leaders in wins, goals against average and save percentage.
(Scoring: 1 = poor, 5 = excellent, 2.5 = average)
Forwards
Pierrick Dube (RW) – 23 – Undrafted
The speedy winger is off to a bit of a slow start, offensively. Dube tallied once in October and has not scored a goal at even strength. He elevated a shot over the glove of Spencer Martin from the slot against Chicago on October 19. The power play marker gave the Bears a 2-1 advantage. Dube also picked up the primary assist on Hershey’s first goal that night, scored by Alex Limoges. Two of the Frenchman’s four points have come on the power play. The Lyon, France native is getting chances, but simply is not burying them at the moment. He is second on the team in shots with 28, but has only converted one of those attempts.
Monthly Score: 2.8
Ethen Frank (RW) – 26 – Undrafted
After a disappointing training camp with the Washington Capitals, Frank came back to the Bears on a mission. He started the season with a bang, recording a hat trick against the Cleveland Monsters on opening night. The first two goals were one-timers from the left circle on the power play. The goal Frank scored to complete his hat trick was more of the greasy variety, putting home a rebound of a Mike Vecchione shot. The Western Michigan product added another three-point game on October 20 versus the Chicago Wolves. Frank tallied the initial goal in the first period when he intercepted a backhanded clearance attempt from Aleksi Heimosalmi at the right point. He cut into the high slot and unleashed a wrist shot by the glove of Yaniv Perets. The native of Papillion, Nebraska then picked up a secondary assist on Brad Hunt’s second period power play goal. Frank completed his three-point night by beating Perets over the glove. Hershey is 4-0 in games where Frank scores a goal. He is tied for the AHL lead in game-winning goals with three. The Nebraskan is the top goal scorer on the team with seven and is tied for the team scoring lead with 10 points.
Monthly Score: 4.7
Zac Funk (RW) – 21 – Undrafted
The rookie winger has found it difficult to crack a deep Hershey lineup. Funk skated in one game for the Chocolate and White in October. His debut came in Providence on October 27, where he played on the fourth line. He fired one shot and was held off the scoresheet. Funk did earn a 10-minute misconduct after an altercation with Providence’s Marc McLaughlin.
Monthly Score: Incomplete
Ryan Hofer (LW) – 22 – Drafted 2022 (Sixth Round, 181st overall)
Hofer has been part of a revolving door on the wings of Riley Sutter on the fourth line. He got the call three times. The second year forward has yet to make much of an impact. Hofer has no points and has taken two shots.
Monthly Score: 2.0
Alex Limoges (LW) – 27 – Undrafted
The Northern Virginian came out of the gates strong in October. Limoges has been a playmaker from the wing. He began the season with three helpers on opening night against Cleveland and his first five points of the campaign were assists. The Penn State product netted his first goal of the season against Chicago on October 19 when he swept home a loose puck after Pierrick Dube banked it off Spencer Martin. His first multi-goal contest of the season came in Springfield on October 26. Limoges kickstarted the Hershey comeback after the Bears fell behind by two early when he redirected a Dube feed over the leg of Vadim Zherenko for a 5-on-3 power play tally. He added an insurance marker in the third period. On the season, Limoges had three goals and six assists. He is second on the team in assists with six and is tied for third in scoring with nine points. Limoges is also has four power play assists, which is tied for the most on the Bears.
Monthly Score: 4.5
Ivan Miroshnichenko (LW) – 20 – Drafted 2022 (First Round, 20th overall)
After being held scoreless on opening night, the Russian sniper has taken off. Miroshnichenko struck for a hat trick in the second game of the season against Cleveland. The first score came on a power play when the winger put a low shot past the right pad of Zach Sawchenko to bring the Bears within one. He potted two more in the third period in an attempt to rally Hershey from a three-goal deficit. It was Miroshnichenko’s first North American hat trick. He potted the game-winning tally in Bridgeport on October 16. Miroshnichenko took a diagonal pass from fellow countryman Bogdan Trineyev and wired a shot over Magnus Hogberg from the left circle. The Ussuriysk, Russia native posted a pair of power play points in a 5-0 win over Chicago on October 20. He netted a power play goal in the first and then assisted on Brad Hunt’s second period power play marker.
Miroshnichenko registered his third multi-point game of the month on October 26 in Springfield. He had secondary assists on goals by Alex Limoges and Aaron Ness. The winger ended the month tied atop the team scoring list with 10 points. He is second on the Bears with six goals.
Monthly Score: 4.7
Luke Philp (C) – 28 – Undrafted
The Canmore, Alberta native was felled by a lower body injury early in the second game of the season on October 13, and has not played since. He did contribute a goal and assist in the season opening 7-3 win over Cleveland. Philp started the campaign centering a line with Pierrick Dube and Alex Limoges.
Monthly Score: Incomplete
Henrik Rybinski (C) – 23 – Drafted 2019 (Fifth Round, 136th overall – Florida)
Rybinski has found good chemistry on Hershey’s third line with Ivan Miroshnichenko and Bogdan Trineyev. The pivot’s first three points of the season were assists. His lone goal of the month came in Providence on October 25. Rybinski backhanded a shot over the left shoulder of Michael DiPietro in the second period. The tally would hold up as the game-winner in a 2-1 win for the Bears. He has five points thus far. The native of Vancouver, British Columbia is an important part of the penalty kill. He often is part of the second pair of forwards on the kill. He does a solid job of thwarting the attacks by clogging lanes to the net and also uses his stick to break up chances.
Monthly Score: 3.3
Mike Sgarbossa (C) – 32 – Undrafted
The veteran center simply produces when he is in a Hershey uniform. Sgarbossa amassed nine points in seven games played in the season’s opening month. He recorded a point in six of the seven games he played. The Campbellville, Ontario native has posted three two-assist games in October. The first came on opening night when he assisted on both Ethen Frank power play goals. Sgarbossa also had two helper nights against Chicago on October 20 and in Springfield on October 26. His lone goal was the game-winning tally in Bridgeport on October 16. He leads the team in assists with eight and is tied for the most power assists with four. The pivot has been a big part of the team’s power play success. Sgarbossa was recalled to Washington on October 28.
Monthly Score: 4.5
Spencer Smallman (C/RW) – 28 – Drafted 2015 (Fifth Round, 138th overall – Carolina)
A healthy scratch on opening night, Smallman has suited up for every game since. He started on the wing, but moved to center the second line after Luke Philp was injured. The Summerside, Price Edward Island native is yet to find his stride. He is starting to develop chemistry with linemates Alex Limoges and Pierrick Dube, but it is a work in progress. Smallman has struggled some with the defensive responsibilities of being a center. His best game came in Springfield on October 26. He sent a backhanded feed to Chase Priskie in front for a power play goal in the second period. Smallman picked up his second assist of the game later in the second period when he again had a helper on another Priskie power play tally.
Monthly Score: 2.5
Riley Sutter (C) – 25 – Drafted 2018 (Third Round, 93rd overall)
Sutter is now part of the leadership corps, wearing the “A” for home games. The pivot is off to a slow start, offensively, but he does not have to score to provide value to the Bears. He remains the team’s top penalty killing forward and is consistently the first forward sent over the boards when Hershey is shorthanded. Sutter does every aspect of penalty killing well. He blocks shots and clogs lanes. The Calgary, Alberta native also gets his stick in the right position to break up passes and pushes from the power play. Another key part of Sutter’s success on the penalty kill, as well as at even strength, is his ability to win faceoffs. Sutter is the best faceoff center on the team. Offensively, the son of former NHLer Ron Sutter has one goal.
Monthly Score: 3.3
Alex Suzdalev (LW) – 20 – Drafted 2022 (Third Round, 70th overall)
The Russian rookie has had a hard time getting into the lineup with Hershey’s deep forward corps. Suzdalev made his AHL and Hershey debut on October 26 in Springfield. He earned two penalty minutes and did not register a shot. The winger needs more consistent playing time to help his development, but will find it difficult to get that with the Bears. He was re-assigned to South Carolina at the end of the month.
Monthly Score: Incomplete
Bogdan Trineyev (LW) – 22 – Drafted 2020 (Fourth Round, 117th overall)
The second year winger continues to develop well. After compiling 16 points in 63 games as a rookie, Trineyev posted three goals and two assists in the opening month of the season. He opened his scoring ledger on opening night. With the game tied at two in the second period, Trineyev drove up the left wing and cut to the middle. He used Ole Julian Bjørgvik-Holm as a screen and snapped a wrist shot over the glove of Jet Greaves. The Russian registered his first multi-point contest of the campaign in Bridgeport on October 16. He opened the scoring in the second period by firing a shot over the Magnus Hogberg’s blocker. Trineyev then set up Ivan Miroshnichenko for the game-winner in third period. His final goal of the month came on October 20, when he tipped in pass from Miroshnichenko in the second period. Trineyev is a strong, two-way forward. He is responsible in his own end and makes good decisions with the puck. The winger also is a part of the penalty kill. Trineyev is most often paired with Henrik Rybinski and the duo are usually the second set of forwards deployed when shorthanded by head coach Todd Nelson.
Monthly Score: 3.8
Defensemen
Ethan Bear (RD) – 27 – Drafted 2015 (Fifth Round, 124th overall – Edmonton)
Bear’s first game as a Hershey Bear got off to a bit of a shaky start. He fought the puck early and had several turnovers. The one-time Edmonton Oiler then settled in and started to find his game. In the third period against Cleveland on opening night, Bear netted his first goal as a member of the Hershey organization. He brought the puck up the left wing on a three-on-one rush. He fed to Luke Philp who tapped the biscuit to Alex Limoges in the right circle. Limoges gave the puck back to Philp in the middle. Philp tried to drag the puck around a defender, but the disc ended up fluttering in on Jet Greaves. Greaves sticked the disc away, but Bear put home the rebound. The Ochapowace, Saskatchewan native was held off the scoresheet in his net four contests, but recorded an assist in his last three games of October. This included the primary assists on both Henrik Rybinski’s game-winner in Providence on October 25 and Ethen Frank’s deciding tally in Providence on October 27. Since the first game jitters, Bear has been steadier in his own end and has not been a minus player in any of his eight games. He plays on the second power play unit and also kills penalties.
Monthly Score: 3.4
Hardy Haman Aktell (LD) – 26 – Drafted 2016 (Fourth Round, 108th overall – Nashville)
The Swedish blue liner started the season well, picking up a pair of helpers on opening night. Haman Aktell had the primary assist on Bogdan Trineyev’s second period marker and also earned an apple on Ethen Frank’s third period tally. The Swede recorded one more assist during October. Defensively, Haman Aktell has shown growth. Gone are the poor decisions and bad passes from the end of last season and the postseason. He is playing simpler and not forcing passes. Occasionally, he still gets beat to the outside. Unfortunately for Haman Aktell, his good start was interrupted by a lower body injury he suffered in Providence on October 25. He missed the final three games of the month.
Monthly Score: 3.2
Vincent Iorio (RD) – 21 – Drafted 2021 (Second Round, 55th overall)
Iorio has shown a maturity in his play thus far that has not been seen in his career up until this point. He is playing with more confidence. His play in his own end has been smarter and his decision making process has improved. Iorio has been playing on the second defense pairing with Brad Hunt. The experience of Hunt has brought a steadiness to Iorio’s game. The duo work well together and this extends to the penalty kill. Offensively, the native of Coquitlam, British Columbia scored the first goal of the season on October 12 versus Cleveland. Iorio took a feed from Aaron Ness. From the right point, the blue line wristed a shot through an Ivan Miroshnichenko screen and by the glove of Jet Greaves. He has two assists on the season, including the secondary helper on Ivan Miroshnichenko’s game winner in Bridgeport on October 16. He was recalled by the Capitals on November 2.
Monthly Score: 3.6
Chase Priskie (RD) – 28 – Drafted 2016 (Sixth Round, 177th overall)
Hershey’s top scoring defenseman from last season continues to provide offense for the Chocolate and White. Priskie’s five points is the most by any defenseman on the team and is two goals is also the best among the Bears’ blue liners. He is tied for second in the AHL in goals by a defenseman and is tied for sixth in defensemen scoring. Priskie recorded his first point on opening night with the primary apple on Ethen Frank’s first goal. His biggest output came in Springfield on October 26 when the Pembroke Pines, Florida native tallied twice on the power play. Priskie’s marker came when he shoveled a Spencer Smallman feed over the Vadim Zherenko’s left pad to tie the game at two in the second period. Later in the period, Garret Roe found Priskie as he was cutting towards the net. The blue liner lasered his shot above the blocker of Zherenko to give the Bears a lead they would never relinquish.
Monthly Score: 3.6
Goalies
Mitchell Gibson – 25 – Drafted 2018 (Fourth Round, 124th overall)
The Phoenixville, Pennsylvania native was summoned to the Bears after Clay Stevenson went down with an upper body injury. Gibson served as the backup to Hunter Shepard for three games since his callup. He was given one start in Springfield on October 26. The Harvard product was solid in net. He was under siege at the start as the Thunderbirds controlled the game early. Gibson surrendered two goals in the first, but made several strong saves to keep Hershey in the contest. He stopped Greg Miereles from point blank range by getting a glove on his shot with 2:20 elapsed in the first period, but his teammates could not clear the puck out and the Thunderbirds scored on the rebound. Gibson made 14 saves in the first period and the Bears rallied for a 6-2 victory. He ended with 26 saves and a win.
Monthly Score: 3.2
Hunter Shepard – 28 – Undrafted
The reigning AHL Goaltender of the Year is excelling once again. Shepard started six games and won his first five starts. The five victories gives him 60 in his Hershey career and that places him in a tie with Dave Parro for 14th in franchise history. He surrendered two goals or fewer in five of his six appearances. The Minnesota-Duluth alum’s best stretch came in a three game span from October 20 to the 27. First, Shepard turned aside 26 shots, including 13 in the second period, and blanked the Chicago Wolves 5-0 on October 20. In his next start in Providence on October 25, the netminder delivered his best performance of the season. With the Bears up 2-1 late in the second period, the Coleraine, Minnesota native kept his team in the ascendancy with a trio of high end saves. First, he kicked out Brett Harrison’s shot from the right circle with his left pad. Patrick Brown sent the rebound towards the net, but Shepard came over and kept Brown’s attempt out with his glove. Brown then tried again to put the biscuit in, but Shepard once more found a way to keep it out. The Hershey netminder came up big again in the third period with around two minutes and 28 seconds remaining. Fabian Lysell wired a shot from the left circle. Shepard slid over to deny Fabian Lysell’s bid from the left circle to keep the Bears in front. He was not done and made another important save with his blocker on Brown with 1:01 still to be played in the third. In the end, the Minnesotan stopped 38 shots in a 2-1 win. Two nights later, Shepard stymied Providence again, saving 24 of 25 shots in another 2-1 Hershey victory. He was especially busy in the third period, where he saw 12 shots. Shepard is tied for second in the AHL in wins with five. He has posted a 1.51 goals against average and has a save percentage of .949.
Monthly Score: 4.8
Clay Stevenson – 25 – Undrafted
The start of the 2024-25 season has been a bit rough for Stevenson. He is winless in two starts and then missed the final four games of the month with an upper body injury. The Dartmouth College product gave up five goals in his first start against Cleveland on October 13. Not all of those goals were on him, but Stevenson probably would like a few of them back. He left too big of a rebound on the first goal of the night, allowing Roman Ahcan to convert the second chance for the opening tally. In the second period, Luca Del Bel Belluz banked a puck off of his back from below the goal line. The Drayton Valley, Alberta native played better in his second start against Chicago on October 19. He made 31 saves on 34 shots faced and really did not have much of a chance on any of the three goals he surrendered in a 3-2 overtime loss. Stevenson was unable to build on the improved performance because of an upper body injury that kept him out for the remainder of the month.
Monthly Score: 2.5
By Eric Lord
