# 2023–24 Hershey Bears season

The 2023–24 Hershey Bears season was the franchise's 86th season in the American Hockey League (AHL), starting on October 14, 2023, and ending during the Calder Cup playoffs. They play their home games at Giant Center.
On April 2, 2024, the Bears clinched a playoff berth for the third consecutive season following a 1–0 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In that same game, they clinched their division.
The Bears finished the season as Atlantic Division champions, their second in franchise history, and Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy winners for the fourth time in franchise history, with a record-setting 111 points from 53 wins, 15 losses, and 5 shootout losses, their 53 wins also serving as a new AHL record under a 72 game season.
The Bears would win the Calder Cup in back to back years, beating the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 6 games.

## Standings

y– indicates team has clinched division and a playoff spot  x– indicates team has clinched a playoff spot  e– indicates team has been eliminated from playoff contention

### Division

| Eastern Conference | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | Pts% | GF | GA |
| y–Hershey Bears (WSH) | 72 | 53 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 111 | .771 | 229 | 151 |
| x–Providence Bruins (BOS) | 72 | 42 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 93 | .646 | 239 | 208 |
| x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT) | 72 | 39 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 87 | .604 | 211 | 194 |
| x–Charlotte Checkers (FLA) | 72 | 39 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 85 | .590 | 217 | 203 |
| x–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) | 72 | 34 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 78 | .542 | 204 | 219 |
| x–Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI) | 72 | 32 | 31 | 6 | 3 | 73 | .507 | 191 | 217 |
| e–Springfield Thunderbirds (STL) | 72 | 30 | 37 | 3 | 2 | 65 | .451 | 226 | 244 |
| e–Bridgeport Islanders (NYI) | 72 | 25 | 38 | 7 | 2 | 59 | .410 | 162 | 222 |

### Conference

| Atlantic Division | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | Pts% | GF | GA |
| y–Hershey Bears (WSH) | 72 | 53 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 111 | .771 | 229 | 151 |
| x–Providence Bruins (BOS) | 72 | 42 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 93 | .646 | 239 | 208 |
| y–Cleveland Monsters (CBJ) | 72 | 40 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 88 | .611 | 233 | 238 |
| x–Rochester Americans (BUF) | 72 | 39 | 23 | 7 | 3 | 88 | .611 | 234 | 239 |
| x–Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT) | 72 | 39 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 87 | .604 | 211 | 194 |
| x–Syracuse Crunch (TBL) | 72 | 39 | 24 | 4 | 5 | 87 | .604 | 220 | 203 |
| x–Charlotte Checkers (FLA) | 72 | 39 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 85 | .590 | 217 | 203 |
| x–Belleville Senators (OTT) | 72 | 38 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 82 | .569 | 209 | 211 |
| x–Toronto Marlies (TOR) | 72 | 34 | 26 | 10 | 2 | 80 | .556 | 249 | 220 |
| x–Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR) | 72 | 34 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 78 | .542 | 204 | 219 |
| e–Utica Comets (NJD) | 72 | 32 | 29 | 5 | 6 | 75 | .521 | 221 | 226 |
| x–Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI) | 72 | 32 | 31 | 6 | 3 | 73 | .507 | 191 | 217 |
| e–Laval Rocket (MTL) | 72 | 33 | 31 | 6 | 2 | 74 | .514 | 235 | 242 |
| e–Springfield Thunderbirds (STL) | 72 | 30 | 37 | 3 | 2 | 65 | .451 | 226 | 244 |
| e–Bridgeport Islanders (NYI) | 72 | 25 | 38 | 7 | 2 | 59 | .410 | 162 | 222 |

## Roster
### 2024 roster

Updated April 29, 2024.
| No. | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace | Contract |
| 1 | Garin Bjorklund | G | L | 22 | 2022 | Calgary, Alberta | Capitals |
| 36 | Andrew Cristall | RW | L | 19 | 2024 | Vancouver, British Columbia | Capitals |
| 26 | Logan Day | D | R | 30 | 2022 | Seminole, Florida | Bears |
| 18 | Pierrick Dube | RW | R | 24 | 2023 | Lyon, France | Capitals |
| 20 | Tyson Empey | F | L | 29 | 2023 | Swift Current, Saskatchewan | Bears |
| 28 | Ethen Frank | C | R | 26 | 2022 | Papillion, Nebraska | Capitals |
| 35 | Mitch Gibson | G | L | 25 | 2023 | Phoenixville, Pennsylvania | Capitals |
| 7 | Hardy Haman Aktell | D | L | 26 | 2023 | Kåge, Sweden | Capitals |
| 25 | Ryan Hofer | C | L | 22 | 2023 | Headingley, Manitoba | Capitals |
| 15 | Jimmy Huntington | C | L | 26 | 2023 | Laval, Quebec | Bears |
| 6 | Vincent Iorio | D | R | 22 | 2022 | Coquitlam, British Columbia | Capitals |
| 5 | Lucas Johansen | D | L | 27 | 2017 | Port Moody, British Columbia | Capitals |
| 29 | Hendrix Lapierre | C | L | 22 | 2022 | Gatineau, Quebec | Capitals |
| 4 | Nick Leivermann | D | L | 26 | 2023 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota | Bears |
| 12 | Alex Limoges | LW | L | 27 | 2023 | Boulder, Colorado | Capitals |
| 2 | Jake Massie | D | L | 27 | 2021 | St-Lazare, Quebec | Bears |
| 47 | Jon McDonald | D | L | 26 | 2023 | Livonia, Michigan | Bears |
| 42 | Dylan McIlrath (C) | D | R | 32 | 2021 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Capitals |
| 10 | Ivan Miroshnichenko | LW | R | 20 | 2023 | Ussuriysk, Russia | Capitals |
| 27 | Aaron Ness (A) | D | L | 34 | 2022 | Bemidji, Minnesota | Bears |
| 39 | Kevin O'Neil | RW | R | 26 | 2023 | Latham, New York | Bears |
| 34 | Dmitry Osipov | RW | R | 28 | 2023 | Moscow, Russia | Bears |
| 11 | Matthew Phillips | RW | R | 26 | 2024 | Calgary, Alberta | Capitals |
| 22 | Chase Priskie | D | R | 28 | 2023 | Pembroke Pines, Florida | Capitals |
| 65 | Garrett Roe | C | L | 36 | 2023 | Vienna, Virginia | Bears |
| 38 | Henrik Rybinski | RW | R | 23 | 2022 | Vancouver, British Columbia | Capitals |
| 30 | Hunter Shepard | G | L | 29 | 2020 | Cohasset, Minnesota | Capitals |
| 21 | Joe Snively | LW | L | 29 | 2019 | Herndon, Virginia | Capitals |
| 31 | Clay Stevenson | G | L | 25 | 2022 | Drayton Valley, Alberta | Capitals |
| 45 | Matthew Strome | LW | L | 26 | 2022 | Mississauga, Ontario | Bears |
| 24 | Riley Sutter | RW | R | 25 | 2019 | Calgary, Alberta | Capitals |
| 41 | Alexander Suzdalev | LW | L | 20 | 2023 | Khabarovsk, Russia | Capitals |
| 37 | Colin Swoyer | D | R | 26 | 2023 | Hinsdale, Illinois | Bears |
| 44 | Bogdan Trineyev | LW | R | 22 | 2023 | Voronezh, Russia | Capitals |
| 19 | Mike Vecchione (A) | RW | R | 31 | 2021 | Saugus, Massachusetts | Bears |

## Playoffs
### Game log

2024 Game Log – Playoffs :
Eastern Conference First Round vs. (A6) Lehigh Valley Phantoms: Bears won 3–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTStarting GoalieAttendanceSeriesRecap
1May 1Lehigh Valley1–6HersheyShepard8,0381–0Recap
2May 4Lehigh Valley2–4HersheyShepard10,5202–0Recap
3May 8Hershey0–2Lehigh ValleyShepard6,2402–1Recap
4May 11Hershey5–3Lehigh ValleyShepard7,0893–1Recap :
Eastern Conference Second Round vs. (A5) Hartford Wolf Pack: Bears won 3–0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTStarting GoalieAttendanceSeriesRecap
1May 16Hartford1–6HersheyShepard8,3841–0Recap
2May 18Hartford2–4HersheyShepard10,7142–0Recap
3May 22Hershey4–1HartfordShepard3,9543–0Recap :
Eastern Conference Finals vs. (N1) Cleveland Monsters: Bears won 4–3
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTStarting GoalieAttendanceSeriesRecap
1May 30Cleveland4–5HersheyOTShepard9,2290–1Recap
2June 1Cleveland2–3HersheyOTShepard10,5620–2Recap
3June 4Hershey6–2ClevelandShepard14,6750–3Recap
4June 6Hershey2–3ClevelandShepard12,8143–1Recap
5June 8Hershey1–5ClevelandShepard13,1593–2Recap
6June 10Cleveland3–2HersheyOTShepard9,5113–3Recap
7June 12Cleveland2–3HersheyOTShepard10,5204–3Recap :
Calder Cup Finals vs. (P1) Coachella Valley Firebirds: Hershey won series 4–2
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTStarting GoalieAttendanceSeriesRecap
1June 14Coachella Valley4–3HersheyShepard10,1540–1Recap
2June 16Coachella Valley2–5HersheyShepard10,5071–1Recap
3June 18Hershey2-6Coachella ValleyShepard9.0341-2Recap
4June 20Hershey3-2Coachella ValleyShepard10,0872-2Recap
5June 22Hershey3-2Coachella ValleyShepard10,0873-2Recap
6June 24Coachella Valley4-5HersheyOTShepard11,0134-2Recap :
Legend:        = Win        = Loss :