The Hershey Bears fell to the Charlotte Checkers 3-2 in Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Final.
The Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers, benefited from two long-range shots that eluded Bears goaltender Hunter Shepard. John Leonard, Ryan Leonard’s brother, was the hero for the Checkers, lighting the lamp shorthanded for the game-winning goal 11:58 into the third period.
Game 2 of the series will be Saturday night at Bojangles Coliseum before the series turns to Hershey for the final three games (if necessary) in the series.
The Checkers started the scoring 8:23 into the first period with Sandis Vilmanis’ first goal of the postseason. The Checkers forward sent a shot from the point that eluded a screened Shepard and went through his five-hole.
The Bears responded in the second period. After Checkers defender Michael Benning lost control of a rolling puck near his own goal, Bogdan Trineyev picked up the loose biscuit and beat Checkers goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen on his backhand. The goal, at 6:40 of the period, was Trineyev’s team-leading fourth of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Mike Vecchione briefly gave the Bears a 2-1 lead at 13:06 of the second period after defenseman Vincent Iorio hit him with a fantastic centering pass from the right circle.
Benning made up for his mistake earlier in the period, scoring a power-play goal from the point 1:44 later.
Leonard potted the game-winner in the third. On a two-on-two rush down the ice, the veteran forward curled at the circles and fired a shot through Shepard. The tally marked the fourth shorthanded goal the Bears have given up in the 2025 playoffs in six games.
Leonard, on an AHL contract with the Checkers, scored 36 goals in 72 games during the regular season, including five shorties.
Shepard stopped 21 of 24 shots. Special teams was ultimately the difference as the Bears went 0 for 2 on their man advantages while the Checkers went 1 for 3 and scored shorthanded.
