The Hershey Bears put 43 shots on goal in their 5-0 shutout loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday. Wednesday, they had 38 shots, and this time to a much different result.
In front of 7,820 fans at Giant Center, the Bears defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 4-1, getting goals from Josh Dunne, Louie Belpedio (PPG), Alex Suzdalev (PPG), and Petr Sikora (ENG).
Liam Greentree ended Mitch Gibson’s shutout bid with 2:38 remaining in the third period, with former Capitals forward Taylor Raddysh registering the primary assist on the goal.
The victory improved the Bears record to 7-4-0-0. The 14 standings points put them second in the Atlantic Division, trailing only the Charlotte Checkers (16).
Highlights from the game
Joonas Korpisalo makes conditioning start
The Bears secured their victory against a big NHL name. New York Rangers goaltender Joonas Korpisalo got the start for the Wolf Pack on Wednesday night after missing the opening month of the NHL season due to a foot infection.
The 32-year-old Finnish netminder was placed on injured reserve shortly after the Rangers’ season opener, and on October 10, the team announced that Korpisalo would miss approximately four additional weeks.
New York assigned Korpisalo to Hartford on a conditioning stint Wednesday, with plans to reevaluate his readiness for NHL action following the game.
The veteran of 334 NHL games was tested early and often against the Bears, stopping 34 of 37 shots. While conditioning assignments can last up to 14 days, Korpisalo’s return could already be in motion.
Bogdan Trineyev has two assists in his 200th AHL game
Trineyev was among the unlucky forwards who lost out on a possible roster spot in Washington after the team brought in talented forwards Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, and Boone Jenner over the offseason.
But in Hershey, he’s weathered any disappointment he may have had and is off to another good start, posting 7 points in his first 11 games of the season. His four goals rank second-most on the team.
Wednesday against Harford, Trineyev played in his 200th AHL game and posted two assists in the game.
His first apple, primary in nature, came after a dump-in on a power play bounced off a stanchion right to him skating down the right wing. Using his patience, Trineyev handled the puck once before dishing to his roommate, Alex Suzdalev, who buried a one-timer at the opposite post.
He then assisted on Petr Sikora’s empty-net goal with 28 seconds remaining to ice the game.
Trineyev initially made his AHL debut on April 11, 2023 against the Charlotthe Checkers. The Voronezh, Russia native went from a shy kid from another country to one of the most popular players on the Bears — a power forward that plays in all situations. Perhaps his next games played milestone will come in the NHL.
Vincent Iorio gets tribute video from Hershey Bears
The night featured several significant returns.
Vincent Iorio played in Hershey for the first time since leaving the Washington Capitals organization last season. And the Bears’ two-time Calder Cup champion was given the royal treatment.
During a first period break in play, the Bears played a tribute video for Iorio on the jumbotron, which garnered a smile and a wave from the Wolf Pack’s bench as the crowd roared.
Iorio notably spent a lot of time saying thank you during warmups, tossing pucks to fans on both sides of the rink in a show of gratitude.
Iorio arrived in Hartford came after a whirlwind year that saw him bounce between three NHL organizations. After the Capitals tried to sneak him through waivers at the beginning of the 2025-26 season, he was claimed by the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks later waived the blueliner themselves in January, and he was picked up by the New York Rangers, where he finished the season. In late August, he signed a one-year extension with New York, but failed to make the team out of training camp and was assigned to the Wolf Pack after clearing waivers.
Iorio made several appearances at Giant Center previously, but not on the ice. He attended Bears playoff games in the spring, hanging out with former roommate Hendrix Lapierre, who’s now with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Bears’ leading scorer, Andrew Cristall, records assist, but still doesn’t have a goal yet this season
Andrew Cristall is tied for the Bears’ team-lead in points with 10, but he’s done so entirely with assists. He recorded his 10th assist this season (fifth-most in the AHL) on a Josh Dunne’s fifth goal of the season 5:35 into the first period. And ironically, he was feet away from breaking his streak.
Using his small-ice skills, Cristall took a pass from Justin Holl and moved to get a better angle in the left circle, firing a huge shot on goal. The puck bounced off Korpisalo and then hit Dunne at the far post, bouncing into the net.
The 11-game goalless drought is Cristall’s longest of his professional career. He previous high was nine games, spanning November 22 through December 13, 2025, of his rookie season. He broke the slump against Bridgeport on December 20 and went on to finish the season with 20 goals in 72 games.
Dylan McIlrath returns and brings back the ROAR with him
Dylan McIlrath played his first game for the Bears on Wednesday after being waived by the Washington Capitals earlier in the week, skating beside Jacob MacDonald on the second pairing.
The 6-foot-5 physical defenseman finished the evening a plus-1 and with 2 penalty minutes, a kneeing penalty 11:53 into the first.
“Yeah, it took me a little bit (to feel comfortable on the ice),” McIlrath said per FOX43’s Todd Fox. “I mean, the speed of the game was one thing. It wasn’t even that. It was more just my game, like wanting the puck on my stick and knowing you’ve got a little time and kind of just getting back to my game. That took a little bit, but I thought I settled in eventually. And then yeah, it’ll be a slow build, but it felt really good out there by the end of the game.”
He added that, it “kind of like felt like I’d never left” and that “the coaches have done a good job of keeping me up to speed on a couple adjustments that’s different than Washington.”
Bears head coach Derek King was effusive in his praise of McIlrath.
“Just in the room on the bench on the ice, obviously, he’s a presence,” he said. “Having him is a bonus for us so we have to take advantage of it while we have him. Just real good talking on the bench. He’s like a student of the game. It’s fun watching him out there.”
While McIlrath didn’t record any points, he did receive a post-game award. The team presented him with the Bear Head as player of the game, where he brought back the ROAR — though in a restrained way.
“Thanks, boys,” he said. “It means a lot to wear this jersey for obvious reasons. Take a lot of pride in it. We’ve got a great group of guys here and I love the mix of us and let’s keep this thing going.”
The Bears will now hit the road where they’ll play two games against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday and Saturday at MassMutual Center.
