Photo: Eric Lord
Since the calendar flipped to 2025, the National Hockey League (NHL) has been releasing Quarter-Century teams for all of the franchises in the league. During that same timeline, the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) has had their share of high-quality players and enjoyed a great deal of success. The Bears have won five Calder Cup championships in that span and advanced to two other finals. This is the Hershey Bears Quarter Century teams.
Unlike the NHL’s teams, there are three Hershey teams. This is due to the high amount of turnover that goes on from year-to-year in the AHL. Also, the selections are based on the play of the individual player in a Bears’ uniform and not the career that player had in the NHL. This means a player like Braden Holtby is omitted, as Holtby was more successful in a Washington Capitals uniform than he was with the Bears. John Carlson also misses out because he only played 48 regular season games with Hershey.
Even with three teams, selecting players for the spots was difficult. With many deserving players, some worthy candidates were left off.
FIRST TEAM
Forward: Alexandre Giroux
Giroux put together one of the best two-season stretches in franchise history. During the 2008- 09 season, the winger tallied a franchise and AHL record 60 goals, led the league with 97 points and was named the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL MVP. At the end of the season, he was named to the First All-Star Team. Giroux added 15 goals (a franchise record) and 28 points in the playoffs, including the overtime winning marker (his fourth game-winning goal of the playoffs) in Manitoba in game one of the Calder Cup Finals. The Bears would win that series and claim their 10th Calder Cup in franchise history. He followed that up by tallying 50 goals, again leading the AHL, and dishing out a career high 53 assists for a career best 103 points. Again, he was named to the AHL’s First All-Star Team and played a big part as the team set AHL records for wins and points. The Quebec City, Quebec native compiled 27 points as Hershey captured their second straight Calder Cup championship. He also led the team in scoring during the 2006-07 season as the Bears advanced to the Calder Finals. The one-time Hull Olympique posted 27 points in 24 games the next season after being re-acquired from the Chicago Wolves at the trade deadline. During his Hershey tenure, Giroux totaled 166 goals, 131 assists and 297 points in 229 games played. He ranks 12th on the franchise’s all-time goal list and 23rd on the all-time scoring list. In the postseason, Giroux is the Bears all-time goal-scoring leader with 36 and sits third all-time in playoff points with 70 points in 67 games.
Forward: Keith Aucoin
Arriving in Chocolate Town for the 2008-09 season, Aucoin centered the top line with Alexandre Giroux. The partnership proved to be golden. The pivot assisted on many of Giroux’s 60 goals and led the league in assists with 71. He finished second to his linemate on the AHL scoring list with 96 points and was named to the AHL’s First All-Star Team. The Waltham, Massachusetts native amassed 23 points during Hershey’s march to the Calder Cup. He had three game-winners in the playoffs including in game seven of the Eastern Division Finals against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and in game four of the Calder Cup Finals. The Norwich University alum delivered an even better campaign in 2009-10. Aucoin potted a career-high 35 goals and dished out 71 assists to capture the AHL scoring title with 106 points. He again earned a spot on the AHL’s First All-Star team and won the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP. Hershey set the AHL record for wins and points that season. Aucoin had 23 more assists, the most ever in a single playoffs by a Bear, and 25 in the postseason as the Bears defeated the Texas Stars in finals to win their second consecutive Calder Cup. The center would play two more seasons with the Bears, leading the team in scoring in 2010-11. He completed his Hershey career with 89 goals, 255 assists and 344 points. He sits 17th on the franchise all-time scoring list and is 10th in assists. Aucoin is fifth all-time in playoff scoring with 56 points in 48 games played. In 2014, Aucoin was inducted into the Hershey Bears Hockey Hall of Fame.
Forward: Chris Bourque
As good as Giroux and Aucoin were for Hershey, there is no player that had a bigger impact on the franchise in the last 25 years than Bourque. The winger played in 604 games, the fifth most in franchise history and made an indelible mark on the Bears. As a rookie in 2005-06, he contributed 36 points in 52 games and skated in one playoff game as the Hershey won the Calder Cup. Bourque was bigger part of the team a season later, scoring 25 goals and recording 33 assists in 76 games. He played in all 19 playoff games, posting two goals and eight assists, as the Bears made it back to the Calder Cup Finals, falling to Carey Price and the Hamilton Bulldogs. The Boston, Massachusetts native led the Chocolate and White in scoring for the first time in 2007-08 with 63 points. Bourque would set a career high (at that time) the next season with 73 points. Normally, that would be enough to lead the team. However, with Giroux and Aucoin amassing more than 90 points each, Bourque finished third on the team scoring list. He pitched in with 21 points in 22 playoff games and Hershey captured the Calder Cup. Bourque had the game-winning goals in the deciding games of the Eastern Conference Finals and the Calder Cup Finals. He had 70 points in 49 games during the 2009-10 season after the Capitals reclaimed him off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the postseason, Bourque tied for the team lead in scoring with 27 points and Hershey again won the Calder Cup. He was named the Jack A. Butterfield Award winner as the MVP of the Calder Cup playoffs. After spending a season overseas, the Bostonian returned to capture the AHL scoring title with 93 points. Bourque came back to the Chocolate and White once more for the 2015-16 season and spent the next three seasons in Hershey. He won the AHL scoring title once more with 80 points in the 2015-16 season and was named AHL MVP. The winger scored 12 points in the playoffs and helped the Bears make it to the Calder Cup Finals, where they were swept by the Lake Erie Monsters. Bourque recorded 60 and 53 points in his last two seasons in Hershey. The son of Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque is all over the franchise’s record book. He is fifth all-time in points with 586 and ranks third all-time with 390 assists. His 196 goals are the seventh most in team history. Bourque holds the franchise record for playoff games played with 106 and for points with 86. He is also tied for the most playoff assists in the franchise’s history with 60. Hershey retired Bourque’s number 17 in 2023.
Defense: Aaron Ness
The current Hershey captain is the sixth leading scoring defenseman in Bears history with 182 points. Ness has played in 421 games with the Chocolate and White, the ninth most by a defenseman. That total will only rise with the blue liner being signed through next season. The University of Minnesota alum arrived in Hershey for the 2015-16 season and made an immediate impact. He was a veteran presence on a defensive corps that featured three rookies. Ness totaled 27 points in the regular season and added 12 helpers during a postseason run that saw the Bears make it to the Calder Cup Finals (lost to Lake Erie). He would play the next three seasons in Hershey. The best of those seasons was the 2018-19 campaign. Ness set a career high in assists with 50 and 55 points. He led all AHL defenseman in scoring and in assists. The Roseau, Minnesota native was also named an AHL Second Team All-Star. Prior to the 2022-23 season, Ness came back to the Bears as a free agent. His return coincided with the Bears getting back to championship glory. He teamed with Dylan McIlrath to establish a formidable top defense pairing. Hershey made its way back to the Calder Cup Finals and prevailed in seven games over Coachella Valley. The 2022 United States Olympian compiled 23 points in 2023-24 and again was paired with McIlrath. He was injured in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Monsters. The Chocolate and White lost its first three games without Ness before winning game seven. He missed the final series, but was a big reason the Bears won their second-straight Calder Cup.
Defense: Patrick McNeill
McNeill is one of the most underrated and underappreciated defenseman in team history. When he completed his time in Hershey, McNeill was eighth in franchise history in defensemen scoring with 152 points. He has since been passed by Aaron Ness, but remains ninth. The native of Strathroy, Ontario made 325 appearances across six seasons with the Bears and also skated in 31 playoff games. A puck-moving defenseman, McNeill was adept at exiting his own zone and consistently made good exit passes. The one-time member of the Saginaw Spirit won a Calder Cup with the Bears in 2009, compiling 18 points playing 10 playoff games. He broke out the next campaign with career highs in goals (8), assists (27) and points (35). McNeill again captured the Calder Cup, scoring two goals in the cup clinching 4-0 game six win. The smooth-skating blue liner spent three more seasons in Hershey. His best season came in 2011-12 when he set career best marks in goals with 10 (later surpassed when he played with Springfield), assists 31 and points 47.
Goalie: Hunter Shepard
One of two Hershey goalies to win two Calder Cups in the past 25 years, Shepard has been a force in net for the Bears. He gave was victorious in all three of his starts in the 2020-21 season, including a shutout, with a 1.00 goals-against average and .969 save percentage. The following campaign, the netminder went 5-3 in nine appearances and posted a .922 save percentage and 2.06 goals-against average. Shepard was full-time with Hershey in the 2022-23 season and began the season as the backup to Zach Fucale. The Coleraine, Minnesota native did not stay the number two goalie for long. He played his way into being the top option for head coach Todd Nelson. The Minnesota-Duluth alum went 20-8-5 and finished second in the AHL in with a 2.16 goals-against average. Shepard shined in his first foray into the Calder Cup playoffs. He recorded three shutouts and won 14 games. The first two of those clean sheets came in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Rochester Americans. He made 24 stops in a 2-0 win in game two. Then, the Minnesotan again turned aside 24 shots as the Bears edged the Americans 1-0 in game six to seal the series and advance to the Calder Cup Finals versus the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Shepard blanked the Firebirds 1-0 in game five of the finals to put the Bears up 3-2 in the series. His biggest save came in the deciding game seven. With Hershey down 2-0 in the second period, Carson Twarynski broke in a shorthanded breakaway. Shepard denied Twarynski and the Bears rallied to win 3-2 in overtime to win the title. He would be named the recipient of the Jack A. Butterfield Award as the playoff MVP. The 2023-24 season was even better for Shepard. He lead the AHL with a 1.76 goals-against average and his .929 save percentage was also the best in the league. Shepard recorded a career-high five shutouts and went 27-4-3. He and tandem partner Clay Stevenson were the winners of the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award for having the best goals-against average in the AHL. Shepard also earned the Baz Bastien trophy as the AHL’s best goaltender. In the playoffs, the two-time national champion at Minnesota-Duluth won 14 times and helped the Bears to their second consecutive Calder Cup championship. He currently ranks 18th all-time in games played by a goalie with 106 and has the opportunity to move up to 16th by the end of the year. Shepard’s 72 wins is ninth in franchise history. The netminder is three wins from moving into eighth place.
SECOND TEAM
Forward: Andrew Gordon
Gordon played in 267 games across four seasons with Hershey. Often overshadowed by teammates Giroux, Aucoin and Bourque, the winger was an important player in his own right. The St. Cloud State product produced 35 assists, which would prove to be his best single season total, and 51 points in 58 games during his rookie campaign in 2007-08. He posted 45 points the next season and added 10 points, as the Bears won the 2009 Calder Cup. Gordon netted the game winning goal in game six of the East Division Finals with the Hershey facing elimination. The native of Halifax, Nova Scotia took his game to another level in 2009-10. He tallied a career-best 37 goals and totaled a career-high 71 points to finish third on the team in scoring. Gordon was named a Second Team AHL All-Star. He potted 13 goals in the playoffs, the third most in the league and second most on his team. After the Bears dropped the first two games of the Calder Cup Finals at home, the Nova-Scotian scored the game-winner in game three and Hershey would win four straight to secure their second straight Calder Cup championship. Gordan compiled 57 points in his final season as a Bear in 2010-11. He ended his Hershey career 102 goals, 122 assists and 224 points. Gordon is eight all-time in playoff goals with 22.
Forward: Tomas Fleischmann
The speedy Czech winger was highly productive in two full seasons with the Chocolate and White. Fleischmann lead the team in scoring with 63 points in 57 games in his first year with the Bears in 2005-06. He also netted a team high 30 goals. Nicknamed “Flash,” Fleischmann excelled in the postseason. The Koprivince, Czechia native dished out a then record 21 helpers (broken by Keith Aucoin) and recorded 32 points. That total remains the most by a Hershey player in a single playoffs. He scored 11 goals in the postseason, including the game-winning marker in game two of the Calder Cup Finals versus the Milwaukee Admirals. Fleischmann also had three assists in that contest for a four-point night. The Bears went on to win the Calder Cup in six games. He registered 51 points in 45 games in the 2006-07 season and then contributed 21 points in 19 playoff games with Hershey making it back to the Calder Cup finals. For his career, Fleischmann totaled 53 points in 39 playoff games. That is 1.36 points per playoff game. He is sixth all-time in playoff points. Flash also averaged more than a point per game in the regular season, amassing 115 points in 104 career games.
Forward: Mike Sgarbossa
In the AHL, it is rare that a player plays for the same team for seven seasons. Sgarbossa has done just that with the Bears. The Campbellville, Ontario native made an immediate impact upon his arrival for the 2018-19, pacing Hershey with 65 points. Those 65 points were a career high, as were the 30 goals he tallied. A season later, he was averaging a little over a point per game when the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He completed the campaign with 40 points in 39 games. The pivot had 10 points in 14 games during the limited 2020-21 season. Sgarbossa was beset by injuries in the 2021-22, limiting him to 30 games, but he returned the following season to lead the Bears in assist with 37 and in points in 58. The center had three points in four playoff games before an injury sidelined him for the rest of Hershey’s run to a Calder Cup Championship. Sgarbossa was leading the Bears in scoring with 43 points in 44 games in 2023-24 when he was recalled to the Washington Capitals for the remainder of the season. The Ontarian currently has the most assists on Hershey with 24 and is time for the team scoring lead with 31 points. For his career, Sgarbossa has 93 goals and 176 assists for 266 point in 263 games.
Defense: Dean Arsene
Arsene was never an offensive defenseman. His best season in his six seasons with the Bears saw him score 15 points. Still, the rugged blue liner was a staple on the back end for Hershey. He was the quintessential stay-at-home defenseman that could be counted on night in and night out. The Mayor was a stalwart on the penalty kill and took on the job of shutting down the other team’s top forwards. Arsene also was there to stand up for his teammates when necessary. Along that line, he ranks 11th in franchise history with 674 penalty minutes. The Murrayville, British Columbia native served as co-captain during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. Arsene helped the Bears to a Calder Cup Championship in 2006. The 15-point season came the following season and the Chocolate and White made it back to the Calder Cup Finals. He tried to play through a double sports hernia injury in the playoffs, but the injury wound up sidelining him for much of the finals. The Bears missed his presence in the championship series. The injury limited him to 14 games in 2007-08, but Arsene returned in 2008-09. He posted his second highest point total with 11 points. The British Columbian played in 22 playoff games and captured his second Calder Cup.
Defense: Lawrence Nycholat
When Nycholat arrived in Hershey for the 2005-06 season, he was coming off the best season of his career. He elevated his game to an even higher level in his first campaign with the Bears. The Calgary, Alberta native delivered the best offensive season by a Hershey defenseman in the last 25 years. Nycholat set career highs across the board. He dished out a team high 44 assists and netted 13 goals, 10 of which were power play tallies. His point total of 57 was the second most on the team. The Albertan finished fifth in the AHL in defensemen scoring. In the postseason, Nycholat had seven assists through the first three series. However, he broke out in the Calder Cup Finals against the Milwaukee Admials. He potted Hershey’s lone goal in a game one loss. Nycholat then netted the first goal of game two and added two primary apples as the Bears evened the series with a 6-3 win. He picked up two more assists in game four, including a secondary helper on Joey Tenute’s game-winning power play marker. The one-time Swift Current Bronco had one more assist in game five and finished the final series with seven points to end the playoffs with a total of 14. The Chocolate and white prevailed in six games and Nycholat won the lone championship of his career. The blue liner split the next season between the Hershey and Washington before being shipped to the Ottawa Senators organization at the trade deadline. He had 28 points in 29 games with the Bears. Nycholat signed with the Bears for 2010-11 season. He again compiled 28 points, this time in 32 games. The Calgarian ended his Hershey career with 113 points in 134 games.
Goalie: Michal Neuvirth
The Czech netminder won 25 games in 40 regular season appearances with the Bears. It was the postseason where Neuvirth stood out. He won 75 percent of his playoff games across two seasons. As a rookie, he started all 22 games in the Calder Cup playoffs. Neuvirth recorded four shutouts during the run. That is a franchise record for shutouts in a single playoff by a rookie goalie. All of those four shutouts came at important times. The first sealed a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phantoms in the opening round. With Hershey facing elimination in games six and seven of the East Division Finals, Neuvirth blanked the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in both contests to advance the Bears to the Eastern Conference Finals. The last of his clean sheets was in game three of the Calder Cup Finals when he made 28 saves against the Manitoba Moose and put the Bears up two games to one in the series. Hershey won the series in six games for their 10th Calder Cup championship. Neuvirth was named the winner of the Jack A. Butterfield Award as the playoff MVP for going 16-6 with a 1.92 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. The native of Usti nad Labem, Czechia split time with the Bears and Washington the next season, playing 22 games with the Chocolate and White. He was back in net for the playoffs and went 14-4 with one shutout and Hershey once more skated their way to a Calder Cup title. In 40 career playoff games, Neuvirth went 30-10 with five shutouts. His playoff goals against average was 1.98 and he posted a .927 save percentage in the postseason.
THIRD TEAM
Forward: Kyle Wilson
When Wilson arrived in Hershey during the 2006-07 season, it was with little fanfare. After all, he was only 12 games into his rookie campaign. The Oakville, Ontario native would prove to be an excellent addition. He would pot 24 goals and dish out 30 assists to compile 54 points in 54 games. Wilson then scored 16 points in 19 playoff games as the Bears advanced to the Calder Cup Finals. The Colgate University product led all AHL rookies in playoff scoring He had two game-winning tallies on the march to the finals. The pivot the most productive offensive season of his career the following season. Wilson tallied a team high and career best 30 goals and had 31 assists to finish with a career-high 61 points. He finished second on the team scoring list and had a team high eight game-winning goals. With Keith Aucoin joining the organization for the 2008-09 season, Wilson slotted into the second line center role. He netted 28 goals, one of seven Bears to score 20 or more goals, and concluded the campaign with 58 points, one of six Hershey players to surpasses 50 points. The Ontarian contributed 10 points in the postseason. He scored the deciding goal in a 5-3 game one win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the East Division Finals and had the lone assist on Chris Bourque’s game-winning goal in game six of the Calder Cup Finals to allow the Bears to eliminate Manitoba and capture the Calder Cup. Back in Chocolatetown for the 2009-10 season, Wilson again surpassed the 50 point mark, this time with 53 points. He was one of seven Bears to do so and was also one of seven Hershey players to score 20 goals or more, finding the back of the net 24 times. Wilson recorded 12 points in the playoffs. His best game of the postseason came in game three of the Calder Cup Finals against the Texas Stars. The Bears dropped the first two games at home and were in a must win situation. Wilson scored the first two Hershey goals. The second kick started a five-goal barrage and the Bears rallied for a 6-3 victory. The Chocolate and White would roll off four straight and earn their second straight Calder Cup. In 291 games played in a Hershey uniform, Wilson tallied 106 goals and had 120 assists for 226 points.
Forward: Eric Perrin
Perrin played for the Bears during a tough two-year span. It was the end of the Colorado Avalanche affiliation era and the Avalanche was not sending much talent to Hershey. Prior to the 2003-04 season, the center was assigned, along with four other players, to the Bears by the Tampa Bay Lightning because Tampa Bay did have an AHL affiliate that season. Hershey missed the playoffs by a point, but it certainly was not the fault of Perrin. The Laval, Quebec native paced the Bears with 54 assists and 75 points in 71 games. He had 17 more points than teammate Steve Brule. Perrin finished fourth in the AHL in scoring and was second in the league in assists. The pivot signed an AHL deal with Hershey in the offseason to return for a second campaign. He again was far and away the team’s best player, but did not have enough help to get the Bears to the postseason. The Québécois again led the Bears in assists (49) and points (73). Perrin was 19 points ahead of Mathieu Darche who finished second in scoring. He was second on the team in goals with 24. For his Hershey career, Perrin tallied 45 goals and dished out 103 assists for 148 points in 151 games. He also scored 12 game-winning goals and 15 power play goals.
Forward: Brian Willsie
The Ontario born winger began his career with the Bears in the 1998-99 season, but he was also an offensive staple for Hershey in the early 2000’s. Willsie scored 18 goals and registered 23 assists in 48 games during the 2000-01 season. After spending the entirety of the 2001-02 season with the Colorado Avalanche, Willsie came back to the Bears for the 2002-03 campaign. He tallied a team high 29 goals and totaled 57 points to second on the team in scoring. Willsie played the next seven season elsewhere, but returned when he signed on for his second stint in the Washington Capitals organization prior to the 2010-11 season. The London, Ontario native picked up right where he left off. He set career highs with 30 goals and 68 points. Willsie tied for the team lead in goals and amassed 27 power play points, the most on the Bears. He was also second on the team in scoring. The one-time NHL roommate of Alex Ovechkin played in 183 games for Hershey across three seasons starting in the 2000-01 season. Willsie recorded 77 goals and 89 assists for 166 points during that span. He played for the Bears during the 1999-00 season as well. However, the statistics on the AHL website do not go back that far. Willsie undoubtedly had points in that season from January 1 to end of the regular season, but that information has proved to be elusive.
Defense: Bryan Helmer
When he signed with the Washington Capitals organization ahead of the 2008-09 season, Helmer had 15 professional seasons under his belt. The veteran immediately took over as captain and helped direct the Chocolate and White to a highly successful two-year stretch. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native recorded 25 assists and 27 points during the regular season. Helmer surpassed his regular season goal total in the playoffs, tallying three times. Two of those three goals and five of his eight playoff points came in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Providence Bruins. In game three, he had the primary helper on Graham Mink’s game-winning goal in the third period and added an insurance power play marker to give the Bears a two games to one lead. With Hershey down 2-0 in game four, Helmer scored another power play goal to start a rally that ended with the Bears prevailing 3-2. The Ontarian then picked up two assists in game five, including one on Chris Bourque’s game-winning shorthanded tally, as Hershey won the series to advance to the Calder Cup Finals. The Bears bested the Manitoba Moose in six games to win the Calder Cup. The next season, Helmer was back to captain the Bears. He posted 32 points. Three of his six goals were game-winners. In the postseason, the veteran of 146 NHL games dished out four assists. He had the primary apple on Patrick McNeill’s second goal in the third period of game six of the championship series as Hershey nabbed their second straight Calder Cup. Helmer finished his career as the AHL’s all-time leading scoring defenseman with 564 points and played more playoff games, 159, than any other player in league history. He was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2017.
Defense: Dylan McIlrath
Sometimes a player’s impact is bigger than the numbers. There were numerous Hershey defensemen in the past 25 years who put up more points than McIlrath. Truthfully, he was one of the lowest scoring defensemen that played multiple seasons with the franchise in that time span. In 192 games across three seasons with the Bears, McIlrath amassed 32 points. He scored seven goals and went through the entire 2022-23 without a single marker. His playoffs total are two goals and four assists in 43 playoff contests. Despite his lack of offense, the native of Winnipeg, Manitoba was a guiding force behind Hershey recent success. Serving as team captain for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 season, McIlrath’s leadership played a major role in the Bears skating to Calder Cup championships in both those seasons. He led by example, as well as vocally. If an opponent ran a Hershey teammate, that opponent had to answer to McIlrath. If the team needed a spark, the blue liner would drop the gloves or deliver a big hit. He brought all the tangibles that championship teams need.
Goalie: Frederic Cassivi
The first goalie to lead the Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup finals appearances since Bobby Perrault did so in the 1957-58 and 1958-59 seasons, Cassivi played in 215 games from the 2000-01 season onward. He also appeared in 31 games during the 1999-00 season, but how many of those games (and his wins for that matter) that came after January 1 has not been found due to a lack of availability on the AHL website. Beginning in 2000-01, the Sorel, Quebec native won 99 games in two different tenure’s with Hershey. The netminder’s first run with the organization was decent, but Cassivi raised his game during his second term with the Bears. He was traded by the Colorado Avalanche to the Atlanta Thrashers for defenseman Brett Clark in the 2001-02 season. During his time in the Thrashers organization and then the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, the Québécois’ game grew and he matured as a goalie. In his first campaign back with Hershey in 2005-06, Cassivi led the AHL in wins with a career high 34 victories. He followed that up with a stellar performance in the playoffs. Playing in 21 postseason games, Cassivi went 16-5 with a stout .931 save percentage and a 2.10 goals-against average. He recorded four shutouts, the most by any goalie in the playoffs and guided the Bears to their first Calder Cup championship since 1997. For his performance, Cassivi earned the Jack A. Butterfield Award as the Calder Cup playoffs MVP. For an encore, he won 22 games in the 2006-07 season and posted the second best save percentage of his career, .921. He led Hershey back to the Calder Cup finals, prevailing 13 times in the playoffs before the Chocolate and White fell to Hamilton in the championship series. Cassivi earned 20 wins in his last season with the franchise. He ranks fifth all-time in Bears’ history in goalie games played with 246 and in wins with 113. Cassivi was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2021.
By Eric Lord