The Hershey Bears have gotten contributions from up and down their lineup in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs. That held true to the very end, with one goal separating the Bears from a championship title on Monday in overtime. Hershey’s hero this time? Defensive specialist Matt Strome, who scored just his second of the playoffs to lift the Bears to their 13th Calder Cup title. The goal sent the record crowd of 11,013 into a frenzy and lifted the team to back-to-back championships for the third time in team history. Check out the gallery by The Calder Times photographer Carl Minieri!
Championship Caliber Duel
The two teams squared off in a battle worthy of the Calder Cup. Coachella Valley, facing elimination for the first time in the postseason, got on the board early. Ryan Winterton beat Hunter Shepard over the shoulder to put the Firebirds ahead only 1:37 into the game. The goal quieted the boisterous crowd a bit with Winterton’s sixth of the postseason.
Hershey responded only a few minutes later to get their fans on their feet. On a power play, the Bears would utilize a familiar formula to find the net. Hendrix Lapierre was able to spot Pierrick Dubé with just enough to get a shot off from the right circle. Dubé, who had seven power play goals in the regular season, buried the shot to even the score.
One game after Jimmy Huntington scored at the buzzer in the first period, the Bears hit pay dirt late in the same frame. This time, Lapierre got a piece of a shot from a point shot by Chase Priskie. The shot deflected up and past Chris Driedger with 36 seconds to spare. Suddenly, the Bears were ahead after 20 minutes.
Trading Tallies
The Firebirds, feeling the heat, continued their trend of strong play in the second period. In familiar fashion, they’d tie the game at two on a four-against-four situation. Devin Shore was able to get the puck past a Hershey defender to Marian Studenic down the wing. Studenic fired a perfect shot to the top corner for his fourth goal of the postseason.
Coachella Valley pulled ahead just a few minutes later on another goal by Ryan Winterton. The rookie forward had just one goal going into the Calder Cup Finals. In the six games of the final round, he had six goals and an assist in an outstanding performance. A third-round choice of Seattle in 2021, Winterton is a candidate for a promotion in the fall.
As they’ve done many times in the series, the Bears didn’t wilt and instead found an answer. Alex Limoges had the puck along the boards and outplayed the pressure. It took a split second for him to turn and find Dubé alone in the slot for his second of the game. At the second intermission, the teams were tied at three apiece. The next twenty minutes would be the biggest of the season for both clubs.
Dubé Dazzles
Halfway through the third, the Bears got the goal they needed. Forechecking pressure forced a Firebirds defender into a turnover to Limoges. He’d turn the puck to Dubé, who deked out Driedger for his third of the game. Playoff hat tricks are extremely rare, and the record crowd tossed their caps to the ice in recognition of his efforts. It’s the first Calder Cup Playoff hat trick since 2015 for the Bears, and the first Finals hat trick since Alexandre Giroux in 2009.
The Firebirds put a stop on the party with the clock winding down. Cale Fleury got alone in prime real estate and beat Shepard to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Strome Stars
The game went to sudden death overtime, but the suspense wouldn’t last long. Just over one minute into extra time, Riley Sutter stood his ground at the blue line to disrupt a breakout. Bogdan Trineyev was on the boards and helped force the puck away from a defender’s stick into the middle of the ice. Matt Strome stepped in and beat Driedger over the shoulder to win the game, series, and Calder Cup in one fell swoop.
Strome immediately shed gloves, stick, and helmet in celebration before his teammates mobbed him. The goal was only the second of the playoffs for Strome as he etched himself into Bears history. It’s the second straight year in which the Calder Cup was won by a Bears player scoring the winner in overtime.
“Suttsy, he’s been our best player all year,” Strome said about the goal. “I’ll be honest about that. He brought in so much. Great forecheck, it just popped to me in the slot and I just shot it. I blacked out after that, the rest is history.”
Sweeter by the Baker’s Dozen
Hershey’s championship mark the first time a team has gone back-to-back since the Bears last accomplished the feat in 2009 and 2010. This team and this era has now become on par with that one with this win. It’s a feat that most considered impossible, particularly with the parity of the league. The Bears played 13 games in 25 days in the final two rounds of the playoffs to complete the gauntlet. It’s only the second time Hershey has won the Calder Cup at home since 1980.
“It’s awesome winning at home,” Todd Nelson said. “To give back to the people of Hershey who support us all year long. They broke an attendance record tonight, it was an outstanding job by the people of Hershey.”
“We were expected to win this year. I think that’s where the pressure came from. Last year, we came out of nowhere a bit. This year, we had a target on our back and the guys got the job done.”
Nelson, who seemed to pull every string correctly in the playoffs, said having strong relationships with his players is a big key towards success.
“I have to build up the trust and respect with them. They have to understand that I have their back, it’s a two-way street. It’s about building relationships with the players, that’s the biggest thing. The job of a coach is to get the most out of your players, and that’s the way to it.”
Celebrate Good Times
The Bears are set to celebrate their Calder Cup win at Giant Center on Wednesday evening at 6:00 PM EST. It’ll be a quick summer as free agency kicks off one week after wrapping up this win. Hershey’s staff, along with the Washington Capitals, will be shaping the roster for next year’s title defense. It’ll be a fast turnaround with the 2024-25 season less than four months away.
Bears forward Hendrix Lapierre won the Jack Butterfield Trophy as the playoff MVP. Lapierre led the AHL in playoff scoring with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 20 games played. He had seven points (three goals, four assists) in six games of the Calder Cup Finals. Last season, Lapierre only had six points in the same amount of games in a massive step forward in his career.
