After finishing fifth in Hershey Bears’ scoring during the team’s 2023 Calder Cup championship run, Maryland native Sam Anas is already making noise with his new team, Dinamo Minsk.
Anas scored his first career KHL goal in his Dinamo debut, a 5-4 overtime victory against the Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.
Sam Anas, one of two Hershey Bears players from the 2022-23 championship team to have local DMV ties, celebrated his Calder Cup day close to home on Saturday, July 22.
Anas brought the Calder Cup to his hometown rink, Rockville Ice Arena, and spent time in some of his favorite spots around Maryland with family and friends.
By Ian Oland 4 months ago
Sam Anas is one of the greatest Maryland born hockey players of all time and this week, he will celebrate the biggest accomplishment of his career in his home state.
Anas is bringing the Calder Cup to his childhood rink, the Rockville Ice Arena, on Saturday for part of his day with the Cup.
The Potomac, MD native was one of the Hershey Bears’ best players en route to their 12th Calder Cup in June. Anas finished fifth on the Bears in postseason scoring, tallying 12 points (4g, 8a) in 20 games as he formed a dangerous trio with Aliaksei Protas and Hendrix Lapierre on the third line.
Sam Anas signed a one-year AHL deal with the Hershey Bears last offseason and promptly helped them win a Calder Cup championship.
Now, Anas, a Potomac, Maryland native and former member of the Washington Little Caps and Team Maryland youth programs, is moving overseas for the first time in his hockey career.
KHL club Dinamo Minsk announced that they have signed the former AHL leading scorer to a contract on Monday. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
By Chris Cerullo 5 months ago
HERSHEY, PA — The Hershey Bears celebrated the franchise’s twelfth Calder Cup championship at Giant Center on Saturday afternoon. The event marked the first public event fans could attend since the Bears lifted the AHL’s championship trophy in Southern California early Thursday morning. Alternate captain and inventor of the ROAR, Mike Vecchione, scored on a rebound to in overtime of Game 7 to eliminate the first-year Coachella Valley Firebirds in thrilling fashion.
The championship ceremony began at 3 pm and was open to the public. There were so many Bears fans in attendance, many of the players, who had barely slept since winning the championship days before, stayed hours after they were scheduled to leave so no one left empty-handed.
Nothing about the celebration or the fan support felt minor league.
HERSHEY, PA — History awaits the Hershey Bears if they can secure a victory in Game Six of the Calder Cup Finals at Southern California’s Acrisure Arena. A win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds would give the Bears their 12th Calder Cup in franchise history – the most of any AHL team. It would also prove to be a cathartic moment for several of the Capitals’ top prospects who were turned away from full-time opportunity at the NHL level.
But before the Bears throw on their gear and pick up their sticks for what could be the final time this season, there is something else that awaits them that sometimes gives them more heartburn than a hot goalie: crossword puzzles.
Yep, you read that right.
HERSHEY, PA — The Hershey Bears just made it a series and in the most stressful way possible.
After being shutout in consecutive games by Joey Daccord, the Chocolate and White finally pierced the Coachella Valley Firebirds goaltender for five goals, winning Game Three 5-4 in overtime.
Fourth-line center Riley Sutter scored the game-winning goal 13:34 into the first overtime after Hershey surrendered a two-goal lead late in the third period.
The Bears now trail Coachella Valley two games to one in the Calder Cup Finals with Games Four and Five upcoming in Hershey.
By Ian Oland 6 months ago
The Hershey Bears took a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals after their 4-2 win on the road over the Rochester Americans, Saturday. The Bears will play one more in Rochester on Monday before heading back home for a big Game Five at Giant Center.
Goaltender Hunter Shepard was masterful in the Bears net, carrying Hershey through large stretches of the game. The Bears also got goals from Logan Day, Sam Anas, Connor McMichael, and Aliaksei Protas as they yet again leaned on their forward depth to win another playoff game.
Hershey needs just two more wins to earn a spot in the Calder Cup Finals.
By Chris Cerullo 6 months ago
HERSHEY, PA — After the Hershey Bears defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 3-2 in overtime during Game One of the Atlantic Division Final, Connor McMichael — the author of that night’s game-tying goal and the team’s sometimes alternate captain — walked into the media room at Giant Center wearing a cocoa-colored shirt.
On the front, the Bears’ 2023 postseason shield adorned the pocket area of the chest along with the word “Choices” arced above it in yellow.
As a journalist with a lifelong passion for covering t-shirts and the more irreverent and personality-driven parts of hockey, I was curious what it meant to the players and how it first started.
Not only did I get answers on the shirt, but as I continued to probe, I stumbled upon more elements of what has made this year’s iteration of the Bears so extremely close-knit and fun — similar to the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup championship team.
By Ian Oland 6 months ago
HERSHEY, PA — The Hershey Bears were unable to close out their first-round playoff series against the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday falling to their Atlantic Division rival 2-1.
The Bears lead the best-of-five series two games to one.
