After dispatching the Hartford Wolf Pack in the Atlantic Division Finals in just three games, the Hershey Bears have released the schedule for their Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Cleveland Monsters.
The 2024 series will open at Giant Center on Thursday, May 30 and Saturday, June 1. Games 3 through 5 will take place at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse before returning to Giant Center for Games 6 and 7 if necessary. This will be both team’s first best-of-seven series in this year’s playoffs.
Eastern Conference Finals schedule
Game 1 – Thursday, May 30 vs. Cleveland, GIANT Center, 7 pm
Game 2 – Saturday, June 1 vs. Cleveland, GIANT Center, 7 pm
Game 3 – Tuesday, June 4 at Cleveland, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, 7 pm
Game 4 – Thursday, June 6 at Cleveland, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, 7 pm
*Game 5 – Saturday, June 8 at Cleveland, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, 7 pm
*Game 6 – Monday, June 10 vs. Cleveland, GIANT Center, 7 pm
*Game 7 – Wednesday, June 12 vs. Cleveland, GIANT Center, 7 pm
*If Necessary. All times are Eastern.
Hershey has announced that tickets for their home games will go on sale tomorrow, Thursday, May 23 at 10 am.
The Bears will take on Cleveland after the Monsters made quick work of the Syracuse Crunch in the North Division Finals. The last time Hershey and Cleveland met in the playoffs, the Monsters won all four games of the 2016 Calder Cup Finals to send the Bears home empty-handed.
The Bears won all four of their games against the Monsters during the regular season. They out-scored Cleveland 22-5 in those victories.
Cleveland was led this past season in scoring by regular Columbus Blue Jackets recall Trey Fix-Wolansky, defenseman Jake Christiansen, and Owen Sillinger. Left winger Justin Pearson has stepped up in the postseason, leading them with six points (2g, 4a) in seven games.
The Monsters’ regular goaltender is Blue Jackets prospect Jet Greaves. Greaves is 5-1 in the playoffs with a 1.39 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage.
Both teams will have a full week off before the start of the series.
Here’s the full press release from the Hershey Bears:
BEARS ANNOUNCE SCHEDULE FOR EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS VS. CLEVELAND
The top team in the Atlantic Division clashes with the top team in the North Division in a best-of-seven series
(Hershey, PA – May 22, 2024) – The Hershey Bears have announced the schedule for the club’s Eastern Conference Finals playoff series versus the Cleveland Monsters. Hershey, the No. 1-seeded club in the Atlantic Division and the defending Calder Cup Champions, will square off with Cleveland, the No. 1-seeded team in the North Division, in a best-of-seven series.
Tickets for Hershey’s home games will go on sale on Thursday, May 23 at 10 a.m. online via Ticketmaster.
This marks the second consecutive season that Hershey has advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Hershey will be looking to advance to the Calder Cup Finals for the 25th time in franchise history, and the Bears are attempting to become the fist AHL team to win back-to-back Calder Cup since Hershey did it in 2008-09 and 2009-10. This marks the first playoff series between Hershey and Cleveland since the two teams met in the 2016 Calder Cup Finals when the then Lake Erie Monsters played in the Western Conference.
Fans are asked to continue to check HersheyBears.com and the club’s social media channels for the latest updates on the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
