The Hershey Bears already have their next playoff opponent after winning a series-clinching Game 5 in the Atlantic Division Semifinals against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Bears will take on the Charlotte Checkers in the Atlantic Division Finals after Charlotte beat the Providence Bruins in their own Game 5 on Sunday.
Charlotte finished just two points behind Hershey during the regular season. In the two teams’ last playoff matchup, the Bears eliminated the Checkers in four games during the 2023 Atlantic Division Semifinals.
The Checkers will host the series opening Games 1 and 2 at Bojangles Coliseum on Friday and Saturday before Games 3 and 4* move to Hershey’s GIANT Center. A potentially series-deciding Game 5* would also be held in Hershey on Saturday, May 24.
Schedule
Game 1: Friday, May 16 at Charlotte, Bojangles Coliseum, 7 pm
Game 2: Saturday, May 17 at Charlotte, Bojangles Coliseum, 7 pm
Game 3: Wednesday, May 21 vs. Charlotte, Giant Center, 7 pm
*Game 4: Thursday, May 22 vs. Charlotte, Giant Center, 7 pm
*Game 5: Saturday, May 24 vs. Charlotte, Giant Center, 7 pm
* If necessary. All times Eastern.
The Bears have won back-to-back Calder Cup championships and are looking to become just the second team in AHL history to three-peat, joining the 1960-62 Springfield Indians. After their series win over the Phantoms, they have won an AHL-record nine playoff series in a row.
Hershey was led in scoring against the Phantoms by Alex Limoges, who chipped in six points (1g, 5a) in the five-game series. Russian forward Bogdan Trineyev, who sealed Game 5 with an empty-net goal, leads the team in postseason goals with three. Hunter Shepard, the 2023 AHL Playoff MVP, started four of the five games, going 2-2 with a 2.31 goals-against average, a .898 save percentage, and one shutout.
Here’s the press release from the Hershey Bears:
BEARS ANNOUNCE SCHEDULE FOR ATLANTIC DIVISION FINALS VS. CHARLOTTE CHECKERS
Hershey and Charlotte meet up in a best-of-five series that sees the top two teams in the Atlantic Division battle
(Hershey, PA– May 11, 2025) – The Hershey Bears have announced the schedule for the club’s 2025 Atlantic Division Finals playoff series against the Charlotte Checkers. Hershey, the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division during the 2024-25 regular season and defending back-to-back Calder Cup Champions, will square off against the No. 2-seeded Charlotte Checkers in a best-of-five series. The Bears reached the Atlantic Division Finals for the third consecutive spring after defeating the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the decisive fifth game of the best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals.
The complete schedule is as follows:
Game 1 – Friday, May 16 at Charlotte, Bojangles Coliseum, 7 p.m.
Game 2 – Saturday, May 17 at Charlotte, Bojangles Coliseum, 7 p.m.
Game 3 – Wednesday, May 21 vs. Charlotte, GIANT Center, 7 p.m.
*Game 4 – Thursday, May 22 vs. Charlotte, GIANT Center, 7 p.m.
*Game 5 – Saturday, May 24 vs. Charlotte, GIANT Center, 7 p.m.
*If necessary. All times Eastern.
Tickets for Hershey’s home games will go on sale on Monday, May 12 at 10 a.m. online via Ticketmaster.
This marks the first playoff series between the Bears and Checkers since the best-of-five 2023 Atlantic Division Semifinals, which saw Hershey take the series in four games and began their current league-record run of nine consecutive playoff series won. The Bears and Checkers have met in three previous postseason series, with the Chocolate and White owning a 1-2 series record. Hershey went 4-4-0-0 against Charlotte in the 2024-25 regular season, and the Bears are looking to become just the second team in the history of the American Hockey League to win three consecutive Calder Cups, joining the 1960-62 Springfield Indians.
Fans are asked to continue to check HersheyBears.com and the club’s social media channels for the latest updates on the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.
