The Hershey Bears and the Charlotte Checkers will duke it out to be the top team in the Atlantic Division. Hershey and Charlotte finished first and second, respectively, in the division during the regular season. The two teams played each other eight times in the regular season but none since late February. It figures to be a series that could go the distance between two very evenly matched groups.
Evenly Matched Rivals
It’s a fine line between the two teams, who enter the series on very similar footing. Both teams advanced to the Atlantic Division Finals on the back of wins in decisive Game Fives. Charlotte won two games on the road to start the series before seeing two losses by 3-2 final scores. The Checkers dominated Game Five by a 30-8 shot count and outlasted a late scare from Providence to take the win.
Hershey, meanwhile, took the series lead in Game One against Lehigh Valley but got pushed to a 2-1 series deficit. The Bears found their offense in Game Four and held the Phantoms back in Game Five. All of the AHL’s top teams in each division emerged to the final eight active clubs in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Bears and the Checkers met eight times in the regular season. However, it’s been nearly three months since their last encounter. Both teams claimed four wins, three of which took place on the road for each club. Hershey took the last game back on February 23 by a 2-0 final score. Four games of the season series were decided by one goal, with two of those going beyond regulation.
Further adding to the closeness of the series, the teams were separated by only two points in the regular season. Both teams collected 44 wins, with Hershey gaining the edge by virtue of two more points beyond regulation. The two teams even scored the exact same number of goals with 235.
Checkers Checking In
Charlotte’s top scorer in the regular season is the top player to watch in this series. John Leonard finished tied for second in the AHL with 36 goals and tenth overall in points with 61. Other top contributors include defender Trevor Carrick, who finished fifth overall among defenders in assists with 37. Defenseman Matt Kiersted is not far behind with 28 helpers in the regular season.
Kaapo Kahkonen will continue to get the nod in goal for Charlotte. The netminder has had a whirlwind season in 2024-25, his first in the AHL since 2019-20. Charlotte’s NHL affiliate in Florida acquired him in a trade from Winnipeg for Chris Driedger. Kahkonen has played in games for three different AHL teams this season and has not played any games against Hershey.
This series has an unusual format, with two different sets of back-to-back games (if necessary). Fortunately, Charlotte’s backup goaltender Ken Appleby ranks tied for the AHL lead with a 1.96 goals against average. Appleby completed his ninth season of AHL action with 143 games under his belt. An oddity of his tenure is that he has just half a game of Calder Cup Playoff experience under his belt. In any case, he’s a trustworthy netminder should the Checkers call upon him.
Among other noteworthy Charlotte skaters, Rasmus Asplund hit the 20 goal mark. Kyle Criscuolo and Oliver Okuliar were one goal short with 19 tallies in the regular season. The Checkers have nine different scorers with double digit figures in goals scored.
Bears Brawlers
The Bears don’t have a defined top scorer quite like the Checkers, but that makes them more dangerous. Hershey got goals from skaters up and down their lineup to defeat Lehigh Valley. Hershey is currently without the services of leading scorer Ethan Bear, who is an extra for NHL Washington. However, if the Capitals are eliminated on Thursday, there’s a chance Bear could be returned in time for the series to start. Bear led the Bears with 46 points, his 36 assists ranking just behind Carrick in the league lead.
Ivan Miroshnichenko led the Bears in the regular season in goals with 23. Mike Vecchione and Pierrick Dubé each have 19, while Alex Limoges is not far behind with 17. However, Hershey’s success is credited by depth contributions like Riley Sutter and Matt Strome. Others, like Hendrix Lapierre, Chase Priskie, and Spencer Smallman have all chipped in key points. Hershey’s offense can roll in waves and be the difference in winning and losing.
Hershey’s goaltending situation will be important to watch. Todd Nelson utilized both Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson in the first round. The Bears’ bench boss did not rule out utilizing both goalies with the short turnaround between games. Hershey’s tandem took a statistical hit after finishing so strong a year ago. However, with Shepard leading the Bears to back-to-back championships, it’s hard to doubt his ability to do it again.
Keys to Victory
Special teams will be a key factor in this series, and success at both end of the ice will be essential. Charlotte had the AHL’s top penalty kill percentage in the regular season as well as a strong power play. Hershey posted solid numbers in both categories, too. So far, Hershey has more power play goals with four to just one for Charlotte. The penalty kill units have performed well as a key factor in both teams advancing to this point.
Tallying the first goal has been a common thread between the two teams and will continue to be a key in this series. Charlotte scored the first goal in all five of their games, while Hershey won each time they opened the scoring. Anything can and will happen in the playoffs, but with two masterful defensive teams, getting off on the right footing is essential. Hershey had a memorable comeback win in the regular season series.
A clean but strong effort will be required to win this series. It’s likely the teams will find their hatred for each other quickly, but staying cool and focused will be important. Imposing their will on the game, especially early in Charlotte, will be essential towards success in a short series.
Another important aspect of the series is the format. Due to the distance between the teams, the series will start in Charlotte for two games before shifting to Hershey. The last meeting between the teams in 2023 followed a similar format. At that time, the Bears won both games and needed four to take the series. The first two games will be essential to get wins before as many as three games will be needed in Hershey. It’s important to get ahead and not fall behind in such a shift.
