Joe Szymanski

Szymanski: Bears Break Losing Streak, Knock-Off IceHogs 5-4

Hershey, stuck in the midst of a four game losing streak, came into their first game of 2026 against an unfamiliar opponent. The Rockford IceHogs came to town for the first of four matchups between the two teams this year, with the matchup today the first of two this weekend.

The Bears forward corps saw the biggest shakeup from both players coming in and lines being shaken up from Wednesday’s loss to Lehigh Valley. The defense stayed the same from Wednesday.

Those changes see Graeme Clarke, fresh back in from playing for Canada in the Spengler Cup, return to the lineup, coming in for Alex Suzdalev. The rest of the changes came from a shakeup of the lines. The fourth line of Smith-Cruikshank-Bitten stayed together, but the other three all saw adjustments.

The first line became Cristall-Protas-Trineyev, uniting the Bears two high scoring rookies. The second line became Miroshnichenko-Rybinski-Leason, while the third line was Mateiko-Smallman-Clarke. Mitch Gibson got the start in net.

Postgame Takeaways

  • This was a physical game from the get go. They don’t tally hits as a stat in the AHL, but there were multiple hard and heavy ones from each side tonight.
  • We also saw two fights tonight, with both Sam Bitten and Dalton Smith dropping the gloves. It’s been a while since I’ve seen two fights in a game, and an especially long time since I’ve seen two in the first ten minutes of a hockey game. Those fights would really set the tone for the physical play tonight.
  • The Bears special team play was critical. The penalty kill would get the Bears off and running tonight, with a IceHogs turnover in the neutral zone letting Henrik Rybinski in on a breakaway, which he finished to put Hershey up 1-0.
  • That lead wouldn’t stand for long. A dart of a shot from Dominic Toninato beat Mitch Gibson at the near post to tie the game at one.
  • Rockford would dominate the last half of the first and the first half of the second. Hershey could not generate anything offensively during that 20 minute period of play, and they’d capitalize twice in the first half of the second. The third goal in particular brought out some boo birds, as it came after a failed Bears power play.
  • But the Hershey power play would wake up a few minutes later. It was the rookie connection, with Andrew Cristall get a low shot on Drew Commesso in net, and the rebound found Ilya Protas in front, who was wide open to tap it in and get the Bears back into the game.
  • Rockford would add one on the power play late in the second to make it 4-2 in their favor, but the Bears had clearly gotten their foot back in the game. The forecheck was more aggressive and they generated much better at 5-on-5 play.
  • It was a new set set of lines tonight outside the fourth line for Hershey, and the newly created second line of Miroshnichenko-Rybinski-Leason would find pay dirt late in the second, with a defensive breakdown from Rockford allowing Rybinski to send Leason in alone on a mini breakaway, which he finished to make it 4-3.
  • A very positive game from that line, particularly Rybinski, who finished the night as a +2 with a goal and an assist.
  • The game only got chippier as we got closer to the third, and it was the IceHogs who would make the big mistake. A late crosschecking penalty saw Rockford on the kill to start the third and Hershey would take advantage. Cam Allen ripped a rocket into the back of the net as the Bears climbed the mountain to tie the game.
  • Derek King called Aaron Ness the “heart and soul” of the team postgame, and the Bears captain and leader finally got the monkey off his back and scored his first of the year, which ended up being the game winner, to make it 5-4 Hershey.
  • Mitch Gibson has been massive since coming up from South Carolina and he was the reason this game didn’t go into overtime. He robbed Joey Anderson with just over six minutes left to go in the third that made sure the Bears kept their lead.
  • Three assists for Andrew Cristall tonight now ties him for 11th in the entire AHL and gives him the lead in assists this season among rookies with 20. A playmaking winger is a lovely thing to have on your hockey team.
  • With those three points, Cristall also jumped fellow rookie Ilya Protas for the team lead in points. Cristall has 25, while Protas has 24 after tonight.
  • Teddy Bear Toss tomorrow night. Show out and bring your bears Bear Nation!

Postgame Comments

Youtube is not being friendly tonight, so I’ll have to list the IRLs for tonights postgame comments here:

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