After a day in the air, the Hershey Bears are back on the ice.
Once the Bears got word early Tuesday morning that they would face Coachella Valley in the Calder Cup Finals, they had a travel itinerary in place, featuring a charter flight across the country to California. Coach Todd Nelson He joked in practice this week that his club had graduated to the Journeys after three playoff rounds of coach travel in the more geographically tight-knit Eastern Conference.
After settling in, they took their first spin at the Acrisure Arena on Wednesday afternoon, and Nelson was impressed with what he saw.
“It was good,” Nelson told reporters afterwards. “We had good energy. We just carried them up and down the ice. Just did some wall work just to see how the boards were and that. I thought the guys had really good energy, but it’s been a long day.” [Tuesday]certainly.”
Nelson has had several busy days since the Bears drove past Rochester last Friday night. Not knowing if his team would face the Firebirds or Milwaukee, they had to do pre-scout work on both teams.
“It’s kind of a test crowd,” said Nelson, “trying to see how the other team plays. We did our homework. They do what they do. You don’t know their inclinations, but we know we’re playing a very good hockey team and a very well-coached team at that.”
“I don’t see any holes in their personnel. They’re a deep hockey team just like us, and so it doesn’t matter what line they throw there. They get contributions from everyone there. Their defense joins the rush and they play a fast system. It’s going to be a huge challenge for our hockey team.”
Said Beers Defender Aaron Ness“They have a team of hockey there from top to bottom. Great goalkeeping, great coaching staff. It’s an organized structure, and we know it’s going to be really tough games and a really tough game. It’s another chance for us to show that we can do it.”
The Firebirds bore many similarities to the Americans, who fell to Hershey in six games in the Conference Finals. They have that active defense corps, they’re fast, and they’re a go-to hazard, too.
“We have to make sure we play over the puck like we talked about [against Rochester] And play a stingy defense,” Nelson added.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Nelson, “and I can’t express more than just enjoying the moment.”
Playing in the Calder Cup has become something of a tradition for the Firebirds forward Andrew Poturalsky.
The veteran playmaker won his first Calder Cup in 2019 with Charlotte. He came back last season to lead Chicago to another title. Now he can add a third Calder Cup ring to his growing collection, this time with the Firebirds.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be here,” Poturalski told reporters after training on Wednesday. “The support from the Valley has been amazing. This first year has been a lot of fun, and to be in this position we are very lucky. We have worked hard for it, and we will be up for the challenge.”
Poturalski returned for Game 3 of the Pacific Division’s final series against Calgary after being out of the lineup for nearly four months following surgery for a lower body injury, but he’s been through those long runs before. Coachella Valley had to eliminate Tucson, Colorado, Calgary, and Milwaukee to get to this point.
“I would say we tried the fight,” Poturalski said. “We survived four elimination matches. I think that definitely goes a long way. The playoffs are just up and down. It’s a roller coaster. Everything isn’t going to go your way. Every game isn’t going to go your way.”
Firebirds head coach Dan Bielsma Four wins away from the Calder Cup again. He reached the Final as a player in 1994 with Moncton and was an assistant coach when Wilkes-Barre/Scranton reached this point in 2008. He has since led to a Stanley Cup championship with Pittsburgh in 2009, led the United States to the 2014 Winter Olympics, and worked Three times as an assistant coach at the IIHF World Championships.
“It’s something you work towards all year long,” said Bielsma. “It’s something you try to build towards all year long, and we’ve had the opportunity to do that. It’s the best time of the year to play hockey.”
Bylsma is also keenly aware of the juxtaposition of its expansion Firebirds with an older AHL franchise. Hershey joined what was then the American International Hockey League as a new franchise in 1938. Meanwhile, the Firebirds played their first game in eight months.
“It feels like that’s the way it should be,” Bielsma continued. “We’re a new organization… The Hershey Bears, all the history they have, the championships they’ve won—it just feels like it was meant to be.”
The AHL has announced its on-ice selection of officials to serve in the 2023 Calder Cup Finals.
The rulers are Cody Beach (First Calder Cup Finals), Justin Kia (the first) , Morgan McPhee (the first) , Carter Sand varnish (ii) f Brandon Schrader (1). It will be the people in this series Mitchell Hunt (2nd), Ryan Jackson (the first) , Justin Johnson (2nd), Dan Kelly (1) and Joe Mahon (1).
– with files from Patrick Williams