The Hershey Bears have their opponent for the second round of the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Bears will play the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a five-game series after the sixth-seeded Springfield Thunderbirds upset the third-seeded Charlotte Checkers in overtime of Game 3. Calle Rosen, who was traded by the Bears to the Thunderbirds earlier in the season, scored the OTGWG.
The Bears-Penguins I-81 rivalry series will open on Thursday at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza. Hershey will host Games 3 and 4 (if necessary) on Tuesday, May 5, and Thursday, May 7, respectively.
Schedule
Game 1 – Thursday, April 30 at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, 7:05 pm
Game 2 – Saturday, May 2 at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, 6:05 pm
Game 3 – Tuesday, May 5 at Giant Center, 7 pm
*Game 4 – Thursday, May 7 at Giant Center, 7 pm
*Game 5 – Saturday, May 9 at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, 6:05 pm
The Bears went 3-5-2 against the Penguins during the regular season, getting outscored 39-25 in those 10 games. However, Hershey was victorious in their final two matchups against the Penguins, winning 4-2 on March 13 and 5-1 on April 15.
The playoff series will mark the ninth time the two teams have faced each other in the postseason. Hershey has a 4-4 lifetime series record versus the Penguins and a 20-20 record — going 16-4 at home and 4-16 on the road.
Here’s the full press release from the Hershey Bears:
BEARS ANNOUNCE SCHEDULE FOR ATLANTIC DIVISION SEMIFINALS VS. WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON
The I-81 rivalry series gets taken to the next level in a best-of-five series
(Hershey, PA – April 25, 2026) – The Hershey Bears announced the schedule for the club’s 2026 Atlantic Division Semifinals playoff series against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hershey, the No. 5 seed in the Atlantic Division during the 2025-26 regular season, will battle the No. 2-seeded Penguins in a best-of-five series.
The complete schedule is as follows:
Game 1 – Thursday, April 30 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, 7:05 p.m.
Game 2 – Saturday, May 2 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, 6:05 p.m.
Game 3 – Tuesday, May 5 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, GIANT Center, 7 p.m.
*Game 4 – Thursday, May 7 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, GIANT Center, 7 p.m.
*Game 5 – Saturday, May 9 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, 6:05 p.m.*If necessary. All times Eastern.
Tickets for Hershey’s home games will go on sale Sunday, April 26 at 10 a.m. online via Ticketmaster.
This is Hershey’s ninth all-time playoff series against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, making the Penguins Hershey’s most frequent postseason opponent among active AHL franchises. The two teams most recently met in the 2022 Atlantic Division First Round, where the Penguins defeated the Bears 2-1 in the best-of-three series. Hershey has a 4-4 lifetime series record versus the Penguins, defeating Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the 2006 East Division Finals 4-0, in the 2007 East Division Finals 4-1, in the 2009 East Division Finals 4-3, and in the 2016 Atlantic Division Finals 4-3. Hershey holds a lifetime 20-20 record in playoff games versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, going 16-4 at GIANT Center, and 4-16 on the road.
The Bears went 3-5-1-1 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the 2025-26 regular season, winning the final two matchups, both of which occurred at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Fans should continue to check HersheyBears.com and the club’s social media channels for the latest updates on the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
