Photo: Eric Lord
February was the quietest month of the season, game wise, for the Hershey Bears. The Chocolate and White played just six games, going 4-2. The Bears won three of their four home matchups and went 1-1 on the road. Hershey remains in first place of the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Atlantic Division with 67 points and a record of 31-14-5.
The special teams were solid in February. The penalty kill unit killed off the last 12 power plays they faced in the month and surrendered just two goals in 17 attempts. The power play converted 20% of the time, scoring five times in 25 tries. While there is still room for improvement, the unit has looked a lot better than it did when it scored just once on 48 power plays in December.
Defenseman Ethan Bear is driving the Bears, offensively. He totaled a team-high eight points during the month. Hendrix Lapierre came alive, offensively, and contributed seven points. Ivan Miroshnichenko and Spencer Smallman chipped with four points apiece.
The Hershey defense struggled through the first four games of the month, surrendering four goals or more in three of them. Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson delivered encouraging performances in the last two games of the February.
Forwards
Pierrick Dube (RW) – 24 – Undrafted
After a strong January, Dube was a bit quieter this month. He netted a single goal and had one assist in four games. The Lyon, France native picked up the primary helper on Alex Limoges game-tying goal versus Bridgeport on February 1. His lone tally of February came on February 15 on the road against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Dube deflected Nickey Leivermann’s shot while positioned in the slot. The winger had a rough game in Charlotte on February 22. He was a minus two and was not noticeable at all during the matchup. Head coach Todd Nelson then made Dube a healthy scratch on February 23.
Monthly Score: 2.7
Hendrix Lapierre (C) – 23 – Drafted 2020 (First Round, 22nd overall)
Entering the month, Lapierre produced six points in nine games with the Bears. The center surpassed that total in six games in February. After going scoreless in his first two games of the month, Lapierre finished February on a four-game point streak. The run started with a two-point outing on February 11 versus the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. First, he beat Joel Blomqvist of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins through the five-hole in the first period. It was Lapierre’s first goal of the season between the NHL and AHL. He then had the primary assist on Mike Vecchione’s second period power play marker. The Gatineau, Quebec native followed that production with a three-point night in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 15. He picked up the primary apple on Alex Limoges’ power play goal in the second period and had the secondary helper on Chase Priskie’s tying goal with 13 seconds left in regulation. Lapierre then tallied his second marker of the season when he lasered a shot from the slot up and into the net in overtime to lift Hershey past the Penguins. He was named the AHL’s Player of the Week for the period ending February 16, 2025. The pivot ran his goal streak to three games with Hershey’s lone goal in a 3-1 loss in Charlotte on February 22. Lapierre’s goal run ended a night later, but he extended his point streak with the primary assist on Ivan Miroshnichenko’s game winner.
Monthly Score: 4.4
Alex Limoges (LW) – 27 – Undrafted
Limoges was red hot in January, amassing 12 points, but the Penn State alum could not keep up that pace in February. The winger totaled two goals in four games during the month. His first marker of the month came on February 1 when he tied the game with Bridgeport in the third period, as Hershey rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win in overtime. Positioned in the slot, Limoges kicked a Pierrick Dube pass from his right skate to his stick and slipped a shot through the five-hole of Hunter Miska. He then participated in the AHL All-Star Classic in Coachella Valley. The Northern Virginian helped the Atlantic Division to the final game, recording an assist in four games. Upon returning from California, Limoges was held scoreless in his first game back. He then missed a game with an illness. The Penn Stater tallied a power play goal in an overtime win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 15. After a poor outing in Charlotte on February 22, Limoges was made a healthy scratch on February 23. He is second on the team’s scoring list with 32 points.
Monthly Score: 2.9
Ivan Miroshnichenko (LW) – 21 – Drafted 2022 (First Round, 20th overall)
In a month where illness ran through the team, Miroshnichenko was a steady presence in the lineup. However, February was a mixed bag for the Russian. He began the month with a three-point performance against the Bridgeport Islanders on February 1. With his team down 3-0, Miroshnichenko recorded the primary assist on Bogdan Trineyev’s first period tally to start the Hershey comeback. The winger then brought the Bears within one in the second when he put home his own rebound for a power play marker. The third point came 16 seconds later with a secondary helper on Spencer Smallman’s power play goal. Miroshnichenko followed with four straight games without a point. On February 22 in Charlotte, he made a mistake that cost his team the game. With the game tied with under a minute left in regulation, Miroshnichenko attempted to finesse a pass up the ice to avoid an icing. The problem was that he tried to send the puck up the middle and the feed went directly to Matt Kierstad, who promptly found Rasmus Asplund on the right wing. Asplund then dished to Michael Benning who one-timed his shot into the net to give Charlotte a lead with 28 seconds remaining in the third. On day later, Miroshnichenko atoned for his error. He broke a scoreless tie in the second period with a power play goal to give Hershey a 1-0 lead. It proved to be the game-winner in a 2-0 win. Miroshnichenko is a talented player, but has to find more consistency his game. With Ethen Frank in Washington, the Bears need him to score goals. He has to find a way to limit his goal-scoring droughts. He has to play more responsibly in his own end and limit his turnovers. Miroshnichenko was a minus five in February and much of that was due to turning the puck over.
Monthly Score: 2.9
Luke Philp (C/RW) – 29 – Undrafted
Philp has not scored a goal since January 17. The Canmore, Alberta native played five games in the month and compiled three assists. All three of his helpers were of the secondary variety. He had a two-assist night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 15. The second of those assists came on Hendrix Lapierre’s overtime winning tally. The Albertan is a team worse -15. Philp needs to be more responsible in his own end. Also, the Bears have struggled to score goals at times and could use a few more markers from Philp.
Monthly Score: 2.6
Henrik Rybinski (C) – 23 – Drafted 2019 (Fifth Round, 136th overall – Florida)
February was a lost month for Rybinski. He missed the first five games of the month with an upper-body injury. The pivot returned on February 23 in Charlotte. Unfortunately, Rybinski was hurt again in the first period when he was hit into the goal post and did not return to the contest.
Monthly Score: Incomplete
Mike Sgarbossa (C) – 32 – Undrafted
Illness limited the pivot to just three games in February. Sgarbossa played in the first two games of the month. He was held without a point and had a minus four rating. The Campbellville, Ontario native then missed the next three games. Sgarbossa reentered the lineup for February’s last game in Charlotte on February 23. He ranks third on the team in scoring with 32 points.
Monthly Score: 2.5
Spencer Smallman (RW/C) – 28 – Drafted 2015 (Fifth Round, 138th overall – Carolina)
Since November 10, Smallman has not gone more than two games without recording a point and proven to be a steady contributor for Hershey. The native of Summerside, Prince Edward Island posted four points in five games in February. Hershey was 3-0 in the month when he picked up a point. His first point came on February 1 when he tied the game with Bridgeport in the second period with a power play goal. Smallman took a feed from Brad Hunt and accelerated into the offensive zone. He elevated his shot up and over the blocker of Hunter Miska. The forward registered a two-point game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 11. The first point was a secondary apple on Ethan Bear’s first period goal. Smallman added an empty netter late in the third period. That marker wound up as the game-winning tally after Wilkes-Barre/Scranton scored late to make it a 5-4 game. His final point of the month came as a secondary assist on Ivan Miroshinchenko’s winning power play goal in Charlotte on February 23. Smallman moved the puck to Hendrix Lapierre to keep the play alive as he was being knocked down.
Monthly Score: 3.4
Riley Sutter (C) – 25 – Drafted 2018 (Third Round, 93rd overall)
Sutter has struggled to find his game since returning from his lower-body injury. He is the midst of an eight-game scoreless drought and has not recorded a point since December 21. His physical play started to come back late in February. The pivot still wins draws and plays well on the penalty kill.
Monthly Score: 2.5
Bogdan Trineyev (LW) – 22 – Drafted 2020 (Fourth Round, 117th overall)
The Russian winger’s offensive game has been lacking since the calendar flipped to 2025. Trineyev’s goal on February 1 was the sole offensive output for the month. This comes after he only had one point in January. He did miss time due to illness and only played in four contests in the month. The problem for Trineyev is that he really is not even generating chances or getting shots. He has one or zero shots in 13 of his last 16 games. With the Bears struggling to find offense at times, it would be a benefit if Trineyev could get back to providing the offense he did in the first three months of the season. The positive side of Trineyev’s game is his play defensively and on the penalty kill. He makes responsible decisions in his own end and can be relied upon to play in important situations defensively.
Monthly Score: 2.6
Defensemen
Ethan Bear (RD) – 27 – Drafted 2015 (Fifth Round, 124th overall – Edmonton)
Simply put, Bear has been Hershey’s best player the past two months. The veteran paced the Bears with eight points in six games in February and ended the month atop the team’s scoring list with 33 points. The last and only defenseman to lead Hershey in scoring was Rollie McLenahan in the 1949-50 season. He recorded three multi-point games during the month. The first of these came on February 1 against the Bridgeport Islanders. After having the secondary assist on Alex Limoges’ tying goal in the second period, Bear snapped a shot from the right circle past Hunter Miska’s glove. The tally was the difference in a 5-4 Hershey win. On February 11, Bear netted the third Bears’ goal of the first period versus the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and later picked up a secondary helper on Mike Vecchione’s second period power play marker. The Ochapowace, Saskatchewan native again burned the Penguins on February 15. He had the secondary assist on Alex Limoges’ second period power play goal. Bear would play a big part in the late heroics for the Chocolate and White. He fired a slap shot late in the third that got knocked down. The puck bounced to Chase Priskie, who put the disc in to tie the game with 13 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Then, Bear won a puck battle along the boards and sprung Hendrix Lapierre on a breakaway that resulted in the overtime winner. The blue liner’s final point came on an empty net tally to seal a 2-0 Hershey win in Charlotte on February 23. In his last 18 games, the former Edmonton Oiler has 18 points. He is ninth in the AHL in defensemen scoring. Defensively, Bear has been solid. The early season mistakes are far less common. He has the best plus/minus on the team with a plus 22 rating and ranks third in the league in the category among defensemen.
Monthly Score: 4.7
Vincent Iorio (LD) – 22 – Drafted 2021 (Second Round, 55th overall)
Iorio suffered through his second straight poor month. He was a minus five in six games and has only been a plus player once in his last 12 appearances. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native is a -12 during that span. Iorio has gotten away from the good habits that made him successful in the season’s first three months. He is forcing passes and holding onto the puck too long in his own zone. Iorio needs to simplify his game and trust his ability. Take the easy pass instead of trying to force it. Be decisive and play quicker. Offensively, the British Columbian is in the midst of a 13-game scoreless drought.
Monthly Score: 2.3
Chase Priskie (RD) – 28 – Drafted 2016 (Sixth Round, 177th round)
The Floridian bounced back after a rough first outing in February. Priskie was a minus two in a 5-0 loss to Syracuse on February 8 that was an all-around bad night for the Bears. He was then a plus four in his last four games of the month and played a smarter game. Priskie potted the tying goal with 13 seconds remaining in the third period in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 15. The Pembroke Pines, Florida native collected a loose puck after an Ethan Bear shot got knocked down and elevated a shot up and in to send the game to overtime. Hershey won the contest in the extra session. His other point in the month came on the lone goal of the game for the Bears in a 3-1 loss to Charlotte on February 22. Priskie leads the team in power play goals with eight and is the top goal scoring defenseman on Hershey with 10.
Monthly Score: 3.0
Goalies
Hunter Shepard – 29 – Undrafted
The best game Shepard has played in 2025 ironically came in a loss in Charlotte on February 22. Hershey head coach Todd Nelson said his team “sleepwalked” through the first two periods. The Minnesota-Duluth alum kept the Bears in the game. He turned aside all seven shots he saw in the first period, a frame where the Chocolate and White mustered a measly three shots on goal. The netminder then stopped 14 of the 15 shots he saw in the second period. Shepard made two high end saves around the 4:05 mark of the third period. On a Charlotte power play Wilmer Skoog lasered a shot from the inside edge of the right circle. He dove to keep the puck out with his glove then denied Rasmus Asplund with another glove save while on his side to keep it a one goal game. The Bears equalized a little over a minute later. Shepard ended up as a hard luck loser in the contest when Charlotte converted off a turnover with 28 seconds to go. The Minnesotan finished with 35 saves, his second most this season. He won his other start of February, making 25 saves in a 5-4 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 11. Shepard is 18-8-2 on the season and is tied for second in the AHL in wins.
Monthly Score: 3.0
Clay Stevenson – 25 – Undrafted
Stevenson started four of Hershey’s six games in February and went 3-1 in those three appearances. He won his first start on February 1 despite surrendering three goals in the first period. The Dartmouth College product was solid in the last two periods, allowing the Bears to rally for a 5-4 triumph. Stevenson gave up five goals in his next outing in an all-around poor effort for the Chocolate and White against Syracuse. He earned the victory in his next appearance. The Albertan made 29 saves as the Bears scored late in regulation and then prevailed in overtime. Stevenson came through with his best performance of the season in Charlotte versus the Checkers on February 23. He saved all 12 shots he faced in the first two periods. The Checkers turned up the heat in the third, firing 14 shots on goal. The Drayton Valley, Alberta native was up to the task and kept every shot out to record his first shutout of the season. Eight of Stevenson’s 12 wins have come since January.
Monthly Score: 3.5