HERSHEY, Pa. (WHTM) – The Hershey Bears will begin their defense of the Calder Cup tonight against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The game will take place on home ice for the Bears at GIANT Center and marks the first of the best-of-five series in the Atlantic Division Semifinals.

This is the sixth postseason the two teams have met, dating back to 1997. Hershey owns a 14-11 playoff record against the Phantoms. However, since the Phantoms relocated from New York to Allentown, Pennsylvania this will be just the second time the two have met in the playoffs.

The Bears

The Hershey Bears ended the season on a high, completing the campaign with their best regular season points percentage ever. They owned a 53-14-0-5 (.771) record, earning the second-most wins in a season in franchise history and setting a new AHL record for the most wins in a 72-game schedule.

Hershey finished on top for the regular season, which earned them a first-round bye.

The Bears are led by Ethen Frank in scoring (29 goals) and power-play goals (13) and Joe Snively in assists (45) and points (59).

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Goalkeeper Hunter Sheppard, who won the AHL’s outstanding goaltender award for the 2023-24 season, has 27 wins with a 1.76 GAA and .929 SV%.

Behind the bench, Head Coach Todd Nelson earned the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award for the American Hockey League’s outstanding coach for the first time in his tenure. Nelson is eight in AHL history with 406 regular-season victories and owns a postseason AHL coaching record of 56-37.

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The Phantoms

Lehigh Valley is coming off a first-round sweep of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Phantoms took game one 2-1 and earned an overtime 5-4 victory in game two to win the franchise’s first postseason series victory since 2018.

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Lehigh Valley finished the season 6th in the Atlantic Division, going 32-31-6-3 with 73 points.

Right winger Cooper Marody was the leader in the regular season with 56 points followed by forward Tanner Laczynski with 44 points. Goalie Cal Petersen had 10 wins with a 2.82 GAA and 0.897 SV%.

Phantoms Head Coach Ian Laperrière will be making his second appearance in the postseason as the coach of Lehigh Valley. Laperrière has led the Phantoms for three seasons, owning a 3-2 playoff record.

Hershey Bears crowned AHL’s Regular-Season Champions

Series Schedule

The series schedule is as follows:

• Wednesday, May 1 at 7 p.m. – Hershey vs. Lehigh Valley (the first 6,000 fans in attendance will receive a Bears cowbell)

• Saturday, May 4 at 7 p.m. – Hershey vs. Lehigh Valley

• Wednesday, May 8 at 7:05 p.m. – Hershey at Lehigh Valley

• (If necessary) Saturday, May 11 at 7:05 p.m. – Hershey at Lehigh Valley

• (If necessary) Sunday, May 12 at 7 p.m. – Hershey vs. Lehigh Valley

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