Hershey Bears facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hershey Bears
City	Hershey, Pennsylvania
League	American Hockey League
Conference	Eastern
Division	Atlantic
Founded	1932 (T-SHL/EAHL) 1938 (IAHL/AHL)
Home arena	Giant Center (2002–present)
Colors	Chocolate, tan, cocoa, white
Owner(s)	Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company
General manager	Bryan Helmer (de facto – VP of Hockey Operations)
Head coach	Derek King
Captain	Aaron Ness
Media	The Patriot-News WFVY WHTM-TV (ABC27) WHP-TV (CBS21) WGAL-TV (NBC8) WPMT-TV (FOX43) AHL.TV (Internet)
Affiliate(s)	Washington Capitals (NHL) South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL)
Franchise history
1932–1933†	Hershey B'ars (T-SHL)
1933–1934†	Hershey Chocolate B'ars (EAHL)
1934–1936†	Hershey B'ars (EAHL)
1936–1938†	Hershey Bears (EAHL)
1938–1939†	Hershey Cubs (EAHL)
† —Non-AHL franchises operated by the Hershey Hockey Club
1938–present	Hershey Bears (IAHL, AHL)
Championships
Regular season titles	9 (1942–43, 1957–58, 1980–81, 1985–86, 1987–88, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2021, 2024)
Division Championships	20 (1938–39, 1943–44, 1946–47, 1951–52, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1975–76, 1980–81, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1993–94, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2021, 2024, 2025)
Conference Championships	25 (1940–41, 1941–42, 1944–45, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1996–97, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2015–16, 2023, 2024)
Calder Cups	13 (1946–47, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1987–88, 1996–97, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2023, 2024)
Current uniform
Current season

The Hershey Bears are a super cool professional ice hockey team from Hershey, Pennsylvania. They have been playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) since the 1938–39 season. That makes them the team that has played the longest in the same city in the league!

The Bears are like a training ground for the Washington Capitals of the NHL. Many players start with the Bears before moving up to the NHL. Since the 2002–03 season, the Bears play their home games at the amazing Giant Center. Before that, they played at Hersheypark Arena for many years.

Guess what? The Bears have won the Calder Cup 13 times! That's more than any other team in the AHL. Their most recent win was in 2024.

The famous chocolate maker, Milton S. Hershey, started the "Hershey Hockey Club" way back in 1932. This club helps manage the hockey teams in Hershey. Today, it's called the Hershey Bears Hockey Club and is part of the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company.

A legendary hockey player named Gordie Howe, also known as "Mr. Hockey," once said that "Everybody who is anybody in hockey has played in Hershey." That shows how important this team is in the world of hockey!

The Start of Hershey Hockey

Hershey Ice Palace 1932 amateur hockey program

Hockey in Hershey began with college teams playing games in 1931. The first big game was on February 18, 1931, at the Hershey Ice Palace. These games became very popular!

Milton Hershey, who made the famous chocolates, and his friend John B. Sollenberger decided to bring professional hockey to Hershey. In 1932, Mr. Hershey created the Hershey Hockey Club. This club is one of the oldest professional hockey organizations in North America!

The first team was called the Hershey B'ars. They played in a league with teams from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Atlantic City. Later, they were called the "Chocolate B'ars" and then just "B'ars." In 1936, they finally became the "Hershey Bears." This name stuck because people thought "B'ars" sounded too much like an advertisement.

In 1936, the Bears moved to the new Hersheypark Arena. This arena was much bigger and better! The Bears played many games there until 2002. Now, the Hersheypark Arena is used for practice.

The Bears won their first championship in 1937 in the EAHL. They even played in an international tournament that year!

The 1932–33 Hershey B'ars at the Ice Palace, Hershey's first pro hockey team (Tri-State Hockey League)

Joining the Big League: The IAHL

Newspaper clipping about the Hershey Bears joining the IAHL

In 1938, two hockey leagues, the Canadian-American Hockey League and the International Hockey League, joined together. They formed a new league called the International-American Hockey League (IAHL). This league later became the AHL in 1940.

The Hershey Bears Hockey Club was invited to join this new league! This was a big step for the team. The Bears were already champions in their old league. They started playing in the IAHL in 1938.

Hershey Hockey Club program and guide (1938–39)

A player named Henry J. "Hank" Lauzon was the first to sign with the new Bears. Their coach, Herb Mitchell, led them for the first three seasons. The Bears did great in their first IAHL season, winning their division!

They won their very first Calder Cup in 1947. This was a huge achievement! They beat the Cleveland Barons and then the Pittsburgh Hornets to become champions.

A talented player named Arnie Kullman joined the Bears in 1948. He played almost his entire career with Hershey. He scored many points and played in many games for the team.

The Bears in the 1950s and 1960s

Arnie Kullman (1948–60)

In the 1950s, famous coaches like Johnny Crawford and Murray Henderson led the Bears. In 1954, George "Red" Sullivan became the league's MVP. He set a scoring record that lasted for almost 30 years!

Even Don "Grapes" Cherry, who later became a famous TV personality, played for the Bears in the 1950s.

A very important person for the Bears was Frank Mathers. He joined in 1956 and stayed with the team for 35 years! He was a player, coach, and general manager. Under his leadership, the Bears won over 1,500 games and six Calder Cups.

From left to right: Don Cherry, Frank Mathers, and Mike Nykoluk. All joined the Bears in the 1950s

The Bears won back-to-back Calder Cups in 1958 and 1959! They had amazing players like Willie Marshall and Dunc Fisher.

In 1958, Mike Nykoluk joined the team. He played for 14 years and became one of the Bears' all-time leading scorers. His jersey number eight was the first to be retired by the team.

The Calder Cup returned to Hershey in 1969. The team had great players like Barry Ashbee, Ralph Keller, and Mike Nykoluk. They won their division three times in a row before winning the championship!

The Bears in the 1970s and 1980s

After 17 years, Frank Mathers stopped coaching in 1973 to focus on being the general manager. Chuck Hamilton, a former Bears player, took over as coach. In his first season, he led the team to their fifth Calder Cup in 1974!

The Bears won their sixth Calder Cup in 1980 with player/coach Doug Gibson. Even though they had a tough regular season, they surprised everyone by winning the playoffs!

Bears locker room at HersheyPark Arena

In 1981, the team had its best regular season yet, scoring 357 goals! Mark Lofthouse won the AHL's scoring title. A young player named Tim Tookey also joined the team. He would become one of the Bears' top scorers ever.

From 1985 to 1996, the Bears worked closely with the Philadelphia Flyers. Coach John Paddock led the team to average 45 wins a year. They won their seventh Calder Cup in 1988.

HersheyPark Arena

In 1986, rookie goalie Ron Hextall set a team record with three shutouts at home. He was named AHL Rookie of the Year and best goalie. He later became a star in the NHL!

Flyers Ron Hextall was the AHL Rookie of the Year as a Bear in 1985–86.

Tim Tookey had an amazing season in 1987, setting a team record with 124 points! He also won the league's MVP award.

In 1988, the Bears celebrated their 50th season. They won a record 50 regular-season games. They also swept all their playoff series, winning 12-0, to claim their seventh Calder Cup! It was an incredible year for the team.

Modern Era Success

The Washington Capitals became the Bears' NHL partner again in 2005. Since then, the Bears have been very successful. They have played in 22 Calder Cup Finals, which is a league record!

The Bears won back-to-back Calder Cups in 2009 and 2010. These were their 10th and 11th championships! In 2010, they made history by winning a series after being down 0-2.

On December 20, 2006, the Bears played their 5,000th regular-season game. They won 7-4 against the Albany River Rats. In 2007, they played their 500th playoff game at the Giant Center.

In 2010, the Bears set a new club record with 12 straight wins. They also set an AHL record with 24 consecutive home victories!

2006 Calder Cup Championship

In 2006, the Hershey Bears, led by new coach Bruce Boudreau, returned to the playoffs. They won their first two series easily. In the Eastern Conference finals, they had a tough battle against the Portland Pirates. The Bears won Game 7 in overtime with a goal from Eric Fehr!

On June 15, 2006, the Bears won their ninth Calder Cup. They defeated the Milwaukee Admirals 4-2 in the finals. This tied them with the Cleveland Barons for the most AHL playoff titles.

Tenth and Eleventh Championships

The Bears almost won again in 2007, but lost in the finals. After a tough season in 2008, they bounced back in 2009. They swept the Philadelphia Phantoms in the first round. Then they overcame a 3-2 deficit to beat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

They went on to defeat the Manitoba Moose in the finals, winning their league-record tenth Calder Cup!

For the 2009–10 season, Mark French became the head coach. The Bears had an amazing season, winning a franchise-record 12 games in a row. They also had a 24-game win streak at the Giant Center. They won 60 games, breaking the old AHL record! The Bears rallied from a 2-0 deficit against the Texas Stars to win their 11th Calder Cup. This was their second championship in a row!

Recent Seasons and Championships

The Bears made the playoffs in 2011, 2012, and 2013, but were eliminated early. They missed the playoffs in 2014. In 2016, they reached the Calder Cup finals but were swept by the Lake Erie Monsters. Chris Bourque was named the league's MVP and top scorer that season.

The Bears won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy in 2021 for having the best regular season. However, no playoffs were held that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs, the Bears made an incredible comeback. They were down 2-0 in the finals but won four straight games to beat the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 7 games! This was their 12th Calder Cup.

The 2023–24 season was record-breaking for the Bears. They set a league record with 53 wins in a 72-game season. They also had a franchise record in total points with 111. They went on to win their 13th Calder Cup in 2024, defeating the Cleveland Monsters and then the Coachella Valley Firebirds again in the finals!

Team Information

Logos and Uniforms

The Hershey Bears' colors are dark brown, medium brown, tan, and white. People often call them "chocolate and white" because of The Hershey Company!

The main logo shows a brown bear roaring, standing on a hockey stick. The team name "Hershey Bears" is also part of the logo.

Before 2002, the Bears wore simpler uniforms with chocolate brown and white. Their old logo was a skating bear in a white shield. When they moved to the Giant Center, they changed their colors to burgundy, black, gold, and silver. Their logo then featured a maroon bear swatting a puck.

In 2007, the team updated their uniforms again. They brought back some "old school" designs. In 2012, they changed their uniforms to white jerseys with chocolate brown and tan stripes for home games. Their away jerseys are chocolate brown with white shoulders.

The current uniforms are similar to the 2012-13 jerseys. They feature the Washington Capitals eagle logo on one shoulder.

Mascot

The official mascot of the Bears is a friendly brown bear named "Coco." Coco wears a Bears jersey, a white helmet, and skates. He first appeared on October 14, 1978, at the Hersheypark Arena.

Teddy Bear Toss Event

Since 2001, the Hershey Bears host a special charity event called the teddy bear toss every year. It usually happens around Christmas time. Fans throw teddy bears onto the ice after the Bears score their first goal! All the bears are collected and given to children in need.

The Hershey Bears have broken the world record for the teddy bear toss several times! In 2025, they set a new world record with 102,343 teddy bears. The most recent count in 2026 was 81,796 bears. It's an amazing sight to see!

Teddy Bear Toss Numbers

Season Records

This is a partial list of the past five seasons completed by the Bears. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Hershey Bears seasons

Players

Current Roster

Updated April 14, 2026.

#	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
2		Allen, CamCam Allen	D	R	21	2025	Toronto, Ontario	Capitals
7		Belpedio, LouieLouie Belpedio	D	R	29	2025	Skokie, Illinois	Capitals
43		Bitten, SamSam Bitten	C	L	26	2025	Ottawa, Ontario	Bears
1		Bjorklund, GarinGarin Bjorklund	G	L	23	2022	Calgary, Alberta	Capitals
92		Bongiovanni, WyattWyatt Bongiovanni	C	L	26	2026	Birmingham, Michigan	Capitals
5		Chesley, RyanRyan Chesley	D	R	22	2025	Mahtomedi, Minnesota	Capitals
20		Cristall, AndrewAndrew Cristall	LW	L	21	2025	Vancouver, British Columbia	Capitals
19		Cruikshank, GrantGrant Cruikshank	C	L	27	2024	Delafield, Wisconsin	Bears
14		Funk, ZacZac Funk	LW	L	22	2024	Vernon, British Columbia	Capitals
35		Gibson, MitchMitch Gibson	G	L	26	2023	Phoenixville, Pennsylvania	Capitals
48		Gucciardi, DavidDavid Gucciardi	D	L	23	2025	Toronto, Ontario	Capitals
33		King, D. J.D. J. King	D	L	25	2026	Scottsdale, Arizona	Bears
23		Leason, BrettBrett Leason	RW	R	26	2025	Calgary, Alberta	Capitals
13		Mateiko, EriksEriks Mateiko	LW	L	20	2025	Jelgava, Latvia	Capitals
47		McDonald, JonJon McDonald	D	L	27	2023	Livonia, Michigan	Bears
15		Milano, SonnySonny Milano	LW	L	29	2025	Massapequa, New York	Capitals
34		Muggli, LeonLeon Muggli	D	L	19	2025	Cham, Switzerland	Capitals
32		Nachbaur, JustinJustin Nachbaur	LW	L	26	2024	Cross Lake, Manitoba	Bears
27		Ness, AaronAaron Ness (C)	D	L	35	2022	Bemidji, Minnesota	Bears
12		Rybinski, HenrikHenrik Rybinski	RW	R	24	2022	Vancouver, British Columbia	Capitals
6		Schueneman, CoreyCorey Schueneman	D	L	30	2025	Milford, Michigan	Capitals
11		Smallman, SpencerSpencer Smallman (A)	RW	R	29	2024	Summerside, Prince Edward Island	Capitals
37		Smith, DaltonDalton Smith	LW	L	33	2024	Oshawa, Ontario	Bears
45		Strome, MatthewMatthew Strome (A)	LW	L	27	2022	Mississauga, Ontario	Bears
41		Suzdalev, AlexanderAlexander Suzdalev	LW	L	22	2023	Khabarovsk, Russia	Capitals
44		Trineyev, BogdanBogdan Trineyev	LW	R	24	2023	Voronezh, Russia	Capitals
30		Vikman, JesperJesper Vikman	G	L	24	2026	Stockholm, Sweden	Capitals
4		Webb, ReillyReilly Webb (PTO)	D	R	26	2026	Stoney Creek, Ontario	Bears
56		Gaffney, AlexAlex Gaffney (ATO)	C	L	23	2026	West Orange, New Jersey	Bears
22		Rodzinski, RomainRomain Rodzinski (PTO)	D	L	23	2026	Lasaunne, Switzerland	South Carolina Stingrays

Retired Numbers

From left to right: Frank Mathers, Mike Nykoluk, and Willie Marshall, some of the players to have their numbers retired (3, 8, and 16, respectively)

Team Captains

Hockey Hall of Fame Members

• Emile Francis (goaltender, 1943–44), enshrined 1982 (builder)
• Frank Mathers (defenseman/coach, 1956–1962; coach, 1962–73; general manager/president, 1973–1991), enshrined 1992 (builder)
• Craig Patrick (defenseman, 1977–78), enshrined 2001 (builder)
• Walter "Babe" Pratt (defenseman, 1946–48), enshrined 1966 (player)
• Jim Rutherford (goaltender, 1971–72), enshrined 2019 (builder)
• Ralph "Cooney" Weiland (coach, 1941–1945), enshrined 1971 (player)

AHL Hall of Fame Members

• Willie Marshall, C, 1956–63, Elected 2006
• Frank Mathers, D, 1956–62; Coach, 1956–73 and 1984–85; President/GM 1973–91. Elected 2006
• Mike Nykoluk, C, 1958–72, Elected 2007
• Gilles Mayer, G, 1956–59, Elected 2007
• Tim Tookey, C, 1980–81, 1985–87, and 1989–95, Elected 2008
• Bruce Boudreau, Coach, 2005–07, Elected 2009
• Mitch Lamoureux, C, 1986–89, 1993–95, and 1997–99, Elected 2011
• John Paddock Coach, 1985–89, Elected 2011
• John Stevens, D, 1986–90, Elected 2012
• Frederic Cassivi, G 1999–02 and 2005–08, Elected 2015
• Bryan Helmer, D, 2008–10, Elected 2017
• Doug Yingst, Executive, 1982–2016, Elected 2017
• Don Biggs, C, 1987–90, Elected 2018
• Keith Aucoin, C, 2008–12, Elected 2022
• David Creighton, C, 1948–49 and 1950–52, Elected 2022
• Dennis Bonvie, C, 2003–05, Elected 2024
• Gerry Ehman, C, 1958–59, Elected 2024
• Dunc Fisher, RW, 1952–60, Elected 2025
• Chris Bourque, RW, 2005–10, 2011-12, and 2015-18, Elected 2026
• Alexandre Giroux, RW, 2006–10, Elected 2026
• Wendell Young, RW, 1987–88, Elected 2026

Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame Members

Since 2012, the Hershey Bears have honored people who made amazing contributions to hockey in Hershey. Their Hall of Fame is at the Giant Center.

Individual Award Winners

Les Cunningham Award (league MVP)

• George Sullivan: 1953–54
• Mike Nykoluk: 1966–67
• Tim Tookey: 1986–87
• Jean-Francois Labbe: 1996–97
• Alexandre Giroux: 2008–09
• Keith Aucoin: 2009–10
• Chris Bourque: 2015–16

John B. Sollenberger Trophy (leading point scorer)

• George Sullivan: 1953–54
• Willie Marshall: 1957–58
• Jeannot Gilbert: 1968–69
• Jean-Guy Gratton: 1975–76
• Mark Lofthouse: 1980–81
• Tim Tookey: 1986–87
• Christian Matte: 1999–00
• Alexandre Giroux: 2008–09
• Keith Aucoin: 2009–10
• Chris Bourque: 2011–12, 2015–16

Jack A Butterfield Trophy (playoffs MVP)

• Tim Tookey: 1985–86
• Wendell Young: 1987–88
• Mike McHugh: 1996–97
• Frederic Cassivi: 2005–06
• Michal Neuvirth: 2008–09
• Chris Bourque: 2009–10
• Hunter Shepard: 2022–23
• Hendrix Lapierre: 2023–24

Willie Marshall Award (leading goal scorer)

• Alexandre Giroux: 2008–09, 2009–10

Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (rookie of the year)

• Ron Hextall: 1985–86
• Ilya Protas: 2025–26

Eddie Shore Award (best defensemen)

• Marc Reaume: 1962–63
• Dave Fenyves: 1987–88, 1988–89

Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award (best goaltender)

• Wendell Young: 1987–88
• Frederic Chabot: 1993–94
• Jean-Francois Labbe: 1996–97
• Hunter Shepard: 2023–24

Hap Holmes Memorial Award (goalies with lowest goals against average)

• Bob Perreault: 1958–59
• Andre Gill: 1966–67
• Jean-Francois Labbe: 1996–97
• Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson: 2023–24

Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award (coach of the year)

• Frank Mathers: 1968–69
• Chuck Hamilton: 1975–76
• Doug Gibson: 1979–80
• John Paddock: 1987–88 (shared award with Mike Milbury)
• Spencer Carbery: 2020–21
• Todd Nelson: 2023–24

Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award (sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey)

• Tony Cassolato: 1980–81
• Tim Tookey: 1993–94
• Mitch Lamoureux: 1998–99

AHL First Team All-Star

AHL Second Team All-Star

Head Coaches

Asterisk (*) denotes number of Calder Cups won