For those wishing to follow along with the Hershey Bears’ attempt to repeat as Calder Cup champions, you’re in luck.
Monumental Sports Network, in conjunction with WPMT FOX43, will be airing all of the team’s playoff games starting tonight against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Game One matchup is Hershey’s first of the postseason after they earned a first-round bye by winning the Atlantic Division.
The quest for a #CalderCup repeat begins TONIGHT! 🙌
Watch @TheHersheyBears at 7:00 pm on MNMT 2 in Game 1 of playoff action!#RepeatTheRoar pic.twitter.com/OIVM6cqTzB
— Monumental Sports Network (@MonSportsNet) May 1, 2024
Puck drop for Game One is set for 7 pm inside of Giant Center. Zack Fisch will call all of the action with AHL Hall of Famer Mitch Lamoureux, former Bears and Washington Capitals forward Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43’s Todd Sadowski providing analysis.
Hershey playoff games can also be heard on Caps Radio 24/7. You can stream the games online via Monumental’s digital streaming platform or AHL TV’s streaming service.
After being ousted by the New York Rangers in the first round of the NHL playoffs, Washington sent Hershey a group of seven players including talented young forwards Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko. The Bears were led in scoring this season by Joe Snively’s 59 points (14g, 45a). Starting goaltender and reigning AHL playoff MVP, Hunter Shepard, went 27-4-3 with a 1.76 goals-against average, a .929 save percentage, and five shutouts.
The Bears finished their regular season with the second-best points percentage in the history of the AHL, amassing a 53-14-5 record. They won 8 of their 12 games against Lehigh Valley this season, falling twice in regulation and two times in the shootout.
Here’s the full press release from the Monumental Sports Network:
Monumental Sports Network to Broadcast 2024 Hershey Bears Playoff Games
Washington, D.C. (May 1, 2024) – Monumental Sports Network (MNMT) and WPMT FOX43 announced today a partnership to broadcast Hershey Bears playoff games on the local media platform during the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs for the American Hockey League (AHL) championship. The broadcast schedule will include all games during the team’s Atlantic Division semifinals series against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, beginning on Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00 PM ET, and potential future games to be announced. The Hershey Bears are looking to win their second straight championship after defeating the Coachella Valley Firebirds in last year’s Calder Cup Finals.
“We are thrilled to bring back our partnership with Hershey so fans in the DMV region can watch the Bears try to defend their title,” said Caitlin Mangum, Vice President, Content & Programming at Monumental Sports Network. “With the Mystics season tipping off soon, and the Calder Cup Playoffs, NWSL, and Major League Rugby on our air, this is going to an action-packed spring and summer on Monumental Sports Network.”
The broadcast partnership features live game coverage and provides access to the Calder Cup playoffs to the more than three million subscribers in Monumental Sports Network’s broadcast coverage area, spanning Delaware to Richmond, VA. The Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, will call the action along with analysis from AHL Hall of Famer Mitch Lamoureux, former Hershey Bear and Washington Capitals forward Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43 Sports Director Todd Sadowski. The Bears full playoff schedule can be found at hersheybears.com/schedule.
The broadcasts will be available to local-area hockey fans both on linear tv (on MNMT or overflow station MNMT2) and via Monumental’s digital streaming platform within the network’s footprint. Fans can watch the games through their Pay TV subscription on linear tv, on monumentalsportsnetwork.com, or by downloading the Monumental streaming app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV and using an eligible TV Everywhere log-in.
For fans without a Pay TV subscription, Monumental Sports Network offers direct-to-consumer (DTC) subscription memberships for viewers seeking to access Monumental Sports Network’s live and on-demand programming. Fans can purchase monthly or annual memberships at monumentalsportsnetwork.com or by downloading the Monumental Sports Network app.
In August 2022, Monumental Sports & Entertainment acquired full ownership of NBC Sports Washington from Comcast/NBC Universal. The station was rebranded Monumental Sports Network in September 2023 with a new slate of programming. In addition to owning the local broadcast rights for the NHL’s Washington Capitals, NBA’s Washington Wizards, and WNBA’s Washington Mystics, Monumental Sports Network also broadcasts live men’s and women’s college basketball, college football, college volleyball, high school basketball, esports, and Washington Spirit (NWSL) and Old Glory DC (Major League Rugby) games.
All Hershey Bears playoff broadcasts will be produced by FOX43’s Ed Albert. Home broadcasts will be co-produced with Great Save Productions. Road broadcasts in the Atlantic Division semifinals will be co-produced by Service Electric.
