After leading the Hershey Bears with 30 goals as a rookie, Ethen Frank scuffled majorly during the team’s Calder Cup championship run in 2023. The Nebraska native went goalless in his first 11 career AHL playoff games and ended up healthy scratched on four different occasions.
Now, a year older and wiser, Frank’s fortunes have flipped. Through six postseason games thus far, the 26-year-old winger is tied with Ivan Miroshnichenko for the team lead in goals (5) and is second on the Bears in points (7), trailing only Hendrix Lapierre (8). He’s one of six players in the AHL to have scored five or more goals.
Coming off the heels of a Game 3 shut out loss in the Atlantic Division Semifinals and head coach Todd Nelson saying “our best players have to be our best players,” Frank has scored in three consecutive games and made some history in the process.
Frank is the first Hershey player in 50 years — a half-century — to score three consecutive game-winning goals in the playoffs, joining only Jim Pearson in 1974 (4/19 at BAL, 4/20 vs. BAL, 4/27 vs. PRO). Frank also has scored four game-winners total in his first six games, tying four others for the most in franchise history during the postseason.
Per the Bears:
With his fourth game-winner of the 2024 playoffs last night, @efrank_98 has tied the franchise record for most game-winning goals in a playoff year, joining Alexandre Giroux and Graham Mink (2009), Blair Atcheynum (1997), and Jim Pearson (1974). pic.twitter.com/Z2oAMYvQVU
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 19, 2024
Frank is also only the second player in team history to record three game-winning in three consecutive playoff games (5/11 at LV, 5/16 vs. HFD, 5/18 vs. HFD), joining Pearson in 1974 (4/19 at BAL, 4/20 vs. BAL, 4/27 vs. PRO). pic.twitter.com/nqSE3l90w8
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 19, 2024
Frank has seen his success both at five-on-five, skating with Hendrix Lapierre and Joe Snively on the team’s first line, and on the power play where he is a member of the team’s first unit and sets up shop in the left faceoff circle.
“I’ve been trying to work on some things mentally through the playoffs,” Frank said to RMNB earlier in the playoffs. “I know it’s a different animal and being in my second year, I feel like I need to step up my game. I think it’s going pretty well.
“I’m just trying not to have a repeat of last year and my inconsistent play. I’m just trying to go out there with a different mentality, just working hard, winning battles, and being a little pest with my speed. The good things will come with hard work and I know the two linemates I’ve been playing with are very skilled and very smart players so they make it pretty easy for me.”
Frank’s four game-winners have all come in the last two weeks – two against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the Atlantic Division Semifinals and two against the Hartford Wolf Pack in the Atlantic Division Finals. Two have come at 5v5 and the others have come on the power play.
Game-winning goal no. 1
May 4 against Lehigh Valley – Hershey wins 5-1
In the first period, Frank scored the second goal of the night for the Bears in Game 2 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals.
Game-winning goal no. 2
May 11 at Lehigh Valley – Hershey wins 5-3
Frank’s second-period, power-play goal was the Bears’ fourth goal of the night and eliminated the Phantoms in Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals.
Game-winning goal no. 3
May 16 against Hartford Wolf Pack – Hershey wins 6-1
Frank’s second-period, power-play goal was the Bears’ second goal of the night in Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Finals.
Game-winning goal no. 4
May 18 against Hartford Wolf Pack – Hershey wins 4-2
Frank’s third-period goal was the Bears’ third tally of the night in Game 2 of the Atlantic Division Finals.
To put Frank’s accomplishment in perspective, the Hershey Bears have won 12 Calder Cups during their 86 years as a franchise, making many deep playoff runs. But this season has been one for the record books and Frank is another player that’s etched his name into them.
