Photo: Eric Lord
On December 8, the Hershey Bears saw their nine-game winning streak come to a halt with a 4-1 road loss to the Syracuse Crunch. Two days later, the chocolate and white dropped a 3-1 decision to the Charlotte Checkers at the Giant Center. The two defeats marked the first losing week of the season for Hershey. How did the Bears respond? The chocolate and white responded by rattling off victories in their last eight games of the month to conclude December with an 11-2 record.
With the first three months of the season completed, Hershey sits where they finished the last campaign, on top of the American Hockey League (AHL). The defending Calder Cup champions lead the league with 54 points and 27 wins. With a record of 27-6, the Bears hold a 16 point advantage over second place Providence.
On the offensive end of the ice, Hershey received contributions from a lot of different players, with Mike Sgarbossa continuing to pace the chocolate and white. The center led the way with 10 assists and 12 points in December. Ethen Frank also amassed 12 points during the month. Pierrick Dube proved to be a goal-scoring machine in 2023’s final month, tallying nine times. Alex Limoges chipped in with nine points and Joe Snively and Garrett Roe added eight points each.
Goaltending continues to be a strength for the Bears. Clay Stevenson and Hunter Shepard have formed the best tandem in the AHL. Both netminders are in the top five int the league in the goals against average and wins. Stevenson prevailed in six of his seven starts in December and Shepard captured the win in five of his six starts.
Special teams were strong for Hershey in December. After struggling in November, the power play improved in the year’s final month. The chocolate and white converted on 33% of their power plays (12 for 36) and potted a power play marker in eight games. The unit did not go consecutive games without a goal during the month. Moving over to the penalty kill, the unit excelled. The Bears killed off 41 of the 45 power plays they faced and did not surrender a goal in 10 of the 13 games in December.
Forwards
Pierrick Dube (RW) – 22 – Undrafted
Dube lit the lamp on a consistent basis in December. The speedy winger found the back of the net nine times in 14 games. The Lyon, France native leads the Bears with 17 goals, and ranks second in the AHL in goals. Dube has five game-winning goals, the most on the team. That total is tied for the second most in the league. Two of those game winners came in December. On December 17, Dube netted the lone goal in a 1-0 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds. He took a feed from Aaron Ness and sped down the right wing. Dube let a slap shot go from the right circle that powered its way through the arm of Malcolm Subban. The other deciding tally was a third period marker against Providence on December 23. He also had the lone conversion in the shootout in a triumph over the Thunderbirds on December 22. The Frenchman has posted a point in 17 games this season. Hershey has won every game he has recorded a point in.
Monthly Score: 4.5
Ethen Frank (RW) – 25 – Undrafted
The second year winger continues to be one of the most productive players for the Bears. Frank produced 12 points in December to run his season point total to 27, the second most on the team. The Western Michigan product started the month strong with a hat trick versus Charlotte on December 2. He started by firing a one-timer past the blocker of Ludovic Waeber in the second period. Frank netted his second tally later in the second, elevating a shot over Waeber on a breakaway. The Papilion, Nebraska finished off his hat trick with an empty netter. On December 9, Frank recorded a four-point game against the Cleveland Monsters. He was involved in Hershey’s first four goals. Frank had the primary assist on Alex Limoges’ power play marker in the first and then tallied a power play goal of his own later in the frame when he deked Pavel Cajan and elevated a shot over the netminder’s glove. He added a pair of assists to complete his four-point night, which matched a career high. The Nebraskan registered another multi-point game in a 3-2 overtime win over Providence on December 13 when he assisted on the opening goal and the overtime winner. The assist on the overtime goal came after he stole the puck from Anthony Richard in the defensive end. Frank also potted the game winner against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on December 27. He is second on the team in points with 27 and in goals in with 14.
Monthly Score: 4.5
Ryan Hofer (LW/C) – 21 – Drafted 2022 (Sixth Round, 181st overall)
Hofer skated in seven of Hershey’s 14 games in December, but still finds it difficult to stay in the lineup. The rookie potted the lone goal in the Bears 4-1 loss in Syracuse on December 8. It was the second goal of the season for Hofer. Hershey has a deep forward corps and the Headingly, Manitoba native will continue to struggle to get playing time. It is a difficult situation for a rookie. He needs consistent playing time to establish himself as a professional. A short assignment to South Carolina might be beneficial.
Monthly Score: 2.0
Jimmy Huntington (C) – 25 – Undrafted
Through the first two months of the season, Huntington had seven points on the campaign. He equaled that total in December. The pivot twice had two-game assist streaks and dished out six helpers in the month. The Laval, Quebec native tallied his first power play goal of the season in Springfield on December 22. Stationed in front of the net, Huntington redirected a Lucas Johansen shot past Vadim Zherenko to put the Bears up 2-0 in the first period. He also assisted on Hershey’s opening goal earlier in the first. It was the fourth multi-point game of the season for Huntington. The one-time Milwaukee Admiral is a responsible two-way player. He is plus 11 on the season and is strong on faceoffs. Huntington has become a reliable penalty killer for unit that his tied for second in the Eastern Conference on the penalty kill.
Monthly Score: 3.5
Hendrix Lapierre (C) -21 – Drafted 2020 (First Round, 22nd overall)
Lapierre returned to Hershey on December 9 and played five games for the chocolate and white before being recalled to Washington. The second year center made an impact in those five games, amassing five points. Lapierre recorded three assists against Laval on December 16, his first AHL multi-point game of the season. He tallied a third period goal in his first game back in the lineup and then struck shorthanded against Charlotte on December 10. Lapierre’s play on the penalty kill was noticeably better than earlier in the season. He is more aggressive and his reading of the play has improved. The Gatineau, Quebec native is also positionally strong. Lapierre was called back up to Washington on December 19 and has played in the last six games for the Capitals. He scored a goal and had an assist against the New York Islanders on December 21, but has been held without a point in his last five contests.
Monthly Score: 3.5
Alex Limoges (LW/RW/C) – 26 – Undrafted
The former junior Capital enjoyed a productive month. Limoges had four goals and five assists in December to push his season point total to 24. He sits third on the Hershey scoring list and is also third on the team in assists with 15 and in goals with nine. The Penn State product posted three multi-point games during the month. Limoges started the month off with a pair of secondary assists in a 5-2 win over Charlotte on December 2. He picked up his third game-winning goal on December 0 versus Cleveland when his first period power play tally was all the offense the Bears needed in a 7-1 rout of the Monsters. Limoges recorded his third three-point game of the season against the Laval Rocket on December 16. He lifted a backhand from in front over Strauss Mann’s glove for a power play marker in the third period. The one-time Nittany Lion potted another goal with 4:32 remaining in regulation. Then, he unselfishly set up Garrett Roe for his first AHL hat trick with 30 seconds left when he could have gone for the hat trick himself.
Monthly Score: 4.0
Ivan Miroshnichenko (LW) – 19 – Drafted 2022 (First Round, 20th overall)
Miroshnichenko skated in the first eight games of December for the Bears before earning his first career recall to the NHL. The rookie winger began the month with a two-point game in Charlotte on December 1. He netted Hershey’s second goal in the first period when he pounced on a loose puck a slid it around the pad of Spencer Knight. The Russian also earned a secondary assist on Pierrick Dube’s second period power play goal. Miroshnichenko then went four games without a point. He snapped his drought with a goal in the first period against Providence. The winger snapped a wicked wrist shot from just above the right circle over Brandon Bussi’s glove to put Hershey ahead 1-0 in the first period. He again struck for a goal the next night when he tallied on the power play against Laval. Two days later, Miroshnichenko was summoned to the Washington Capitals. He played for games with Washington, going without a point, and was returned to the Bears on December 30.
Monthly Score: 3.5
Henrik Rybinski (C/RW) – 22 – Drafted 2019 (Fifth Round, 136th overall – Florida)
Rybinski returned to the lineup on December 17 after missing a month with upper body injury and played in the last six games of the month. That is his longest stretch of consecutive games of the season, as he has suited up for just 14 games thus far. Rybinski has had a hard time getting into a rhythm this season and has two points to his name. The second of those came on a secondary assist on Lucas Johansen’s first period goal in Rochester on December 29. He does contribute on the penalty kill when in the lineup. However, Rybinski could soon find himself a victim of a numbers game and end up as a healthy scratch.
Monthly Score: 2.3
Mike Sgarbossa (C) – 31 – Undrafted
“It is better to give than receive.” Mike Sgarbossa takes the old saying to heart. The Campbellville, Ontario native dished 10 assists in December to increase his season total to team high 26. He is tied for the AHL lead in assists with Chicago’s Matt Donovan. Sgarbossa also ranks second in the league in power play assists with 13. The veteran pivot had three multi-assist games in the month, giving him six such games on the season. He accomplished two of these in back-to-back games on December 13 and 16. The two helpers on December 13 were important ones. Sgarbossa set up Pierrick Dube’s power play goal in the third period that tied the game at two. He then backhanded a feed from his own zone to Vincent Iorio who potted the overtime winner. Since injuring his shoulder late in the 2021-22 season, Sgarbossa has struggled on faceoffs. However, he showed signs of improvement in this area in December and started to win more draws, especially on the power play. This has helped the power play turns things around after struggling in November. Overall, Sgarbossa leads the Bears with 32 points and is tied for third in the AHL in scoring.
Monthly Score: 4.5
Joe Snively (LW) – 28 – Undrafted
Snively is quietly having a solid season for Hershey. With Mike Sgarbossa, Pierrick Dube and Ethen Frank garnering most of the attention, the Northern Virginian keeps producing. He played 10 games for the chocolate and white in December and compiled eight points. It is the second straight month the winger has posted eight points. The Yale University product registered a two-point game in Charlotte on December 2. He set up Aaron Ness’ tying goal in the second period when he threaded a pass from the right circle to Ness in the left circle. Snively then tallied in the third when he redirected a Jimmy Huntington shot past Ludovic Waeber. He recorded a pair of power-play assists in the first period of a 6-0 win over Cleveland on December 9 for his second multi-point game of the month. The Herndon, Virginia native was recalled to Washington a few days later and skated in three games for the Capitals. He went scoreless in those three games and was returned to Chocolate Town. Snively played in the last five games of the month, collecting four points. He posted his third multi-point game of December versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on December 27. Snively had the primary assist on Ethen Frank’s game-winning goal and added a power play goal. The Yale alum is second on the team in assists with 17. The winger has 25 points on the campaign, the third most on the Bears.
Monthly Score: 4.3
Riley Sutter (C) – 24 – Drafted 2018 (Third Round, 93rd overall)
Through 33 games, Sutter has already set a career high for points with 13. He has equaled his career high in goals with five and is one off of equaling his career best mark of 9 assists. The pivot accomplished this without scoring a point in the first 14 games of the season. Sutter amassed six points in 2023’s final month. He recorded his fourth multi-point game of the season in Charlotte on December 1. The son of former NHLer Rich Sutter was involved in Hershey’s first two goals. He opened the scoring in the first period when he snapped a shot by the glove of Spencer Knight. Sutter then picked up a secondary helper on Ivan Miroshnichenko’s tally a few minutes later. He went on a five-game pointless streak before scoring his fifth goal of the season in the second period against Laval on December 16 with his parents in the stands. The Calgary, Alberta native deposited a rebound from a Chase Priskie shot past Strauss Mann. Sutter had three in assists in the last four games of December. The biggest contribution the center makes is not on offense. It is his penalty killing prowess. He is the lynchpin of the penalty kill. Simply put, Sutter is the best penalty killing forward on the roster. He is the first forward over the boards for head coach Todd Nelson when the Bears go shorthanded. Sutter is a major reason why the unit is among the top in the AHL.
Monthly Score: 4.0
Bogdan Trineyev (LW) – 21 – Drafted 2020 (Fourth Round, 117th overall)
The rookie winger played in 12 of Hershey’s 13 games in December. That is the most games he has played in a month. Trineyev was held without a point for the first 10 games, but finished December on a two-game point streak. He potted his first goal since November 17 on December 29 when he fired the puck into the empty net to seal a 4-2 victory It was the Russian’s fourth tally of the season. On December 30, he earned the primary assist when he turned from the inside of the left circle and found Matt Strome open in front. Trineyev has played better in his own end and is a responsible player. This is why he has found more consistent playing time. The winger is not going to score consistently at this point of his career, but he can still be relied on to go out a give a solid shift.
Monthly Score: 3.2
Defensemen
Hardy Haman Aktell (LD) – 25 – Drafted 2016 (Fourth Round, 108th overall – Nashville)
Haman Aktell is a strong puckhandler who does a good job exiting the defensive zone. He does not panic and makes good decisions when it comes to zone exits. There were times in the month when Haman Aktell ended up chasing the puck in his own end and this got him out of position on occasion. Overall, the rookie has been a reliable defenseman. He is a strong penalty killer and a been a solid contributor to the success of the unit. The Swede is a stay-at-home defenseman, but can contribute offensively from time to time. He recorded two assists in December, equaling his point total for the season coming into the month.
Monthly Score: 3.8
Vincent Iorio (RD) – 21 – Drafted 2021 (Second Round, 55th overall)
December was by far the best month of the season thus far for Iorio. He was better in every aspect of the game. The most noticeable area of improvement was defensively. Iorio still had a few “oh no what is he doing” moments, but they occurred less frequently than they did in the first two months of the decisions. He has begun to take what is open instead of trying to force passes. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native has chased the place less and been better positionally. Iorio has also raised his game on the penalty kill. He has been blocking shots and diving to clear pucks out. The improved defensive game has coincided with Iorio’s best month offensively. He scored two goals and added five assists for seven points in December. The second-year defenseman had four points coming into the month. Both of Iorio’s goals came against the Providence Bruins, including an overtime game winner on December 13. He came down the right wing on a two-on-one with Ethen Frank. Iorio looked in Frank’s directions, causing Trevor Kuntar to dive down to block a pass. Instead, he lasered a shot up and over the glove of Brandon Bussi to give Hershey a 3-2 triumph.
Monthly Score: 4.3
Lucas Johansen (LD) – 26 – Drafted 2016 (First Round, 28th overall)
After beginning the season with the Washington Capitals, Johansen was sent back to Hershey after clearing waivers on December 19. When a player comes down from the NHL, he can either pout and play poorly or play well to try to earn his way back up to the parent club. Johansen has gone the later route. He earned his first point of the season when Jimmy Huntington deflected his shot into the net for a second period power play goal in Springfield on December 22. The Vancouver, British Columbia native was held without a point in his next two contests. Johansen finished the month off with goals in back-to-back games. He opened the scoring in Rochester on December 29 when he wristed a shot over Devin Cooley’s blocker. The next night, the former first rounder scored as bizarre of a goal that one could see. In the left circle in his own zone, Johansen attempted to hit Garrett Roe with a feed along the boards at center ice. The puck deflected off of Lehigh Valley defenseman Ronnie Attard and went high into the air. The puck bounced in the crease and went through the five-hole of Cal Petersen, who had lost site of the puck. The fluky goal wound up the game winner in a 4-0 Hershey win. The defenseman also recorded a secondary assist on Matt Strome’s second period marker.
Monthly Score: 4.0
Dylan McIlrath (RD) – 31 – Drafted 2010 (First Round, 10th overall – New York Rangers)
McIlrath missed the last two games of the month with a lower body injury after playing the first 11 games of December. The Hershey captain posted a two-goal game against Providence on December 23. The two tallies came in a span of two minutes and 43 seconds in the second period. From just above the right circle, McIlrath lasered a shot into the top corner of the net to put the Bears ahead again 2-1 (goal came 32 seconds after Providence tied the game). He then ripped a shot from the right point to almost the exact spot of his first goal. The two-goal outing gives McIlrath three goals on the season. He went without a goal last regular season. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native is a strong penalty killer and is a big reason the unit is among the best in the AHL. McIlrath also continues to bring the physical game. He dropped Springfield’s Sam Bitten in a bout on December 17.
Monthly Score: 3.8
Chase Priskie (RD) – 27 – Drafted 2016 (Sixth Round, 177th overall)
In November, Priskie amassed eight points. He did not reach that total in December as he totaled four points. That is the same number of points he posted in October. On the season, Priskie has 16 points and is the top scoring defenseman on the Bears. His 14 assists is the fourth most on the team and is the most among Hershey defensemen. The Quinnipiac product has been moved down to the second power play unit, but still has five power play assists on the campaign. Defensively, Priskie was a minus player in three of his first four games of the month, but turned things around and was even or a plus player the rest of the December.
Monthly Score: 3.3
Goalies
Hunter Shepard (G) – 28 – Undrafted
Shepard lost his first start of December, but then rattled off five straight victories to close out 2023. He surrendered two goals or less in four of his last five starts and he made a season high 34 saves in the one start that he gave up three goals. Shepard recorded his first shutout of the season in a 1-0 win over Springfield on December 17. While the Minnesota-Duluth alum only made 18 saves in earning the shutout, several of those stops were on high end chances. In Springfield on December 22, he made 14 saves in a third period where the Bears were outplayed and then made three more stops in overtime to finish with a season best 34 saves. This does not include the three saves he made in the shootout. Shepard has 14 wins on the season, the third most in the AHL. He has won 14 of his 16 starts this season. The Coleraine, Minnesota native is fifth in the league with a 2.28 goals against average. Shepard was recalled to Washington on December 30 after an injury sidelined Charlie Lindgren. The reigning Calder Cup playoff MVP got the start against the Nashville Predators on the 30th. He made 34 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss.
Monthly Score: 4.5
Clay Stevenson (G) – 24 – Undrafted
Stevenson’s stellar campaign continued in December. He prevailed in six of his seven starts in the month and that was with the netminder missing a week due to illness. The Dartmouth College product turned aside 11 shots in the first period in Charlotte on December 1 and allowed the Bears to lead 2-0 after 20 minutes despite being outshot 11 to 5. He ended the night with 27 saves in a 4-2 Hershey win. One night later, Stevenson stopped 26 shots in the final two periods and ended with a then season high 34 saves in another victory. He made 21 saves in his next start against Cleveland and earned his fourth shutout of the season. Stevenson best outing came in the last game of the calendar year on December 30 in Lehigh Valley versus the Phantoms. The Bears were slow at the start and did not register a shot until there was 6:07 remaining in the first period. After outshooting Hershey 9 to 4 in the first, the Phantoms recorded the first eight shots in the second period. The Drayton Valley, Alberta native kept the game scoreless and permitted the Bears to take an unlikely lead after Lucas Johansen’s netted a fluky goal. Stevenson had 22 saves through 40 minutes and then stopped 15 more in the third period to earn his fifth shutout of the season in a 4-0 Hershey triumph. The Bears won despite being outshot 37 to 17 and that was due to the play of Stevenson. The netminder finished the month with a 1.73 goals against average and .942 save percentage in seven starts. He went 6-1 with two shutouts. For his play, Stevenson was named the AHL’s Goaltender of the Month. The Albertan is first in the AHL with a goals against average of 1.70. He also leads the league with a .937 save percentage and has an AHL best five shutouts. Stevenson is also fifth in the AHL in wins with 12.
Monthly Score: 4.7
By Eric Lord
