Photo: Eric Lord

The second month of the season proved to be a very successful one for the Hershey Bears, finishing November with a 10-2 record. The Bears began the month winning three of their first five contests. After dropping a 4-1 decision to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on November 12, Hershey rattled off seven straight victories.

Overall, the Bears rank first in the American Hockey League (AHL) with 16 wins and 32 points. Through 20 games, the skaters from Chocolate Town own a 16-4 record and sit in first place in the Atlantic Division. The 16 victories are a new franchise record for wins in the first 20 games of a season.

The backbone of the Hershey success was their goaltending. Clay Stevenson prevailed in four of his five starts, posting a pair of shutouts. Hunter Shepard won six of his seven starts.

The power play that was a weapon in October struggled for much of the month. After potting a power play marker on November 4, the Bears went 0 for their next 19 with the man advantage and did not score on the power play until the first period on November 26. The conversion rate of the power play dropped more than 10% during the month.

On the offensive side, Hershey continues to be led by Mike Sgarbossa. The veteran pivot dished out a team-high 10 assists in the month and team-best 11 points. Chase Priskie added six assists and eight points. Joe Snively also produced eight points. Alex Limoges and Riley Sutter each contributed seven points. Pierrick Dube led the way with five goals.

Forwards

Pierrick Dube (RW) – 22 – Undrafted

The speedy Frenchman has proven to be a key player for the chocolate and white. Simply put, when Dube records a point, the Bears win. Through the first two months of the season, Hershey is 10-0 when the winger gets on the scoresheet. The Lyon, France native potted a team-best five goals in November. He finished the month tied for the team lead in goals with eight and also has the most game-winning goals on the team through the season’s first two months with three. Dube netted the game-winner with 3:24 left in the third against Iowa on November 25. It was the result of a hard-working shift from the winger. Dube poked the puck away from Gavin Hain in the neutral zone and put the biscuit into the offensive end. After Dakota Mermis controlled the puck and tried to move it out of the zone, Dube again stole the puck. Later in the sequence, Logan Day fired a low shot towards the goal. Stationed at the inside edge of the right circle, Dube redirected Day’s shot by the glove of Jesper Wallstedt.

Monthly Score: 4.0

Ethen Frank (RW) – 25 – Undrafted

Frank was held without a point in eight of his 12 games in November, including going scoreless in his first five games. In the four games he did score in, the Papillion, Nebraska native produced three multi-point games. After assisting on Mike Vecchione’s opening goal against the Bridgeport Islanders on November 17, Frank tallied early in the third to give the Bears a 5-1 lead. The marker ended up as the game winner as the Islanders staged a third period fight back with three goals in the third period. In Bridgeport the next night, the second year winger again posted a two-point game. He had the secondary helper on Vecchione’s opening goal and then netted the game’s next goal in the second period. His final multi-point game of November came versus the Iowa Wild on the 26^th. The Western Michigan alum ended Hershey’s long power play drought in the first period by one-timing a shot over the blocker of Zane McIntyre. He added a power play assist later in the period.

Monthly Score: 4.0

Ryan Hofer (C/LW) – 21 – Drafted 2022 (Sixth Round, 181^st overall)

The rookie has struggled to find his footing thus far. He has found it difficult to get consistent playing time and was a healthy scratch five times in November. Hofer scored his first career professional goal late in the first period versus Bridgeport on November 17. After Riley Sutter forced Ruslan Iskhakov into a bad pass, Hofer intercepted the puck and lifted a wrist shot over Jakub Skarek’s blocker. The marker was his only point of the month. Hofer has two points in 11 games played this season.

Monthly Score: 2.3

Jimmy Huntington (C) – 25 – Undrafted

An unheralded signing in the offseason, Huntington has carved himself a role in the Hershey lineup. He potted a pair of goals in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 15. The Laval, Quebec native has been centering the second line with Joe Snively and Alex Limoges as his wingers. Huntington contributes on the penalty kill and also sees time on the second power play unit. He has earned the trust of the coaching staff.

Monthly Score: 3.0

Alex Limoges (LW/RW) – 26 – Undrafted

Limoges continues to be a solid contributor to the offense. The Penn State product potted four goals and dished out three assists in November. He had a two-point game in a 5-4 overtime win in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 15. The one-time Junior Capital set up Jimmy Huntington’s first period tally. Then, Limoges called game when he one-timed an Ethen Frank feed past Joel Blomqvist to give the Bears a 5-4 triumph. The Penn Stater delivered another game winner on November 26 in a 2-1 win over the Iowa Wild. He swept in a rebound of a Mike Sgarbossa shot in for a power play marker in the first period that put the chocolate and white up 2-0. Limoges finished the month tied for third on the team’s scoring list with 15 points.

Monthly Score: 4.2

Ivan Miroshnichenko (LW) – 19 – Drafted 2022 (First Round, 20^th overall)

Early in the month, Miroshnichenko made a couple of rookie mistakes. He had the puck along the boards as time was winding down in the third period in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 2. The rookie winger only had to do was keep the puck tied up and the game would head to overtime. He instead tried to clear the puck out of the zone. The attempt was intercepted and the Penguins scored with a half of second left to defeat the Bears 2-1. Miroshnichenko’s turnover in the first period a day later resulted in Bridgeport’s opening goal. His two-way game improved as November went along, especially after being placed on a line with Riley Sutter and Matt Strome. Playing with those two forwards forced the rookie to be more responsible in his own end. Offensively, Miroshnichenko posted three goals and three assists. The Russian produced a high light reel assist on Riley Sutter’s second period goal against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 22. He flipped a backhanded feed from behind the net to Sutter in front. Miroshinchenko recorded his second multi-point game of the season in the month’s final contest. He registered the primary helper of Sutter’s second period tally versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 2022 first round pick then snuck a shot through the arm of Marcus Hellberg in the third period to give the chocolate and white a 6-4 advantage. The marker became Miroshnichenko’s first North American game-winning goal as the Bears prevailed 7-5.

Monthly Score: 4.0

Henrik Rybinski (C) – 22 – Drafted 2019 (Fifth Round, 136^th overall – Florida)

It has been a rough start to Rybinski’s sophomore campaign. He has found it difficult to stay in the lineup, often rotating in and out of the lineup. Then, the pivot suffered an upper body injury on November 15 and has been sidelined since. Rybinski earned the secondary assist on Logan Day’s first period goal against Bridgeport on November 4. That is his lone point of the season. The Vancouver, British Columbia native has played in only eight games this campaign.

Monthly Score: 2.0

Mike Sgarbossa (C) – 31 – Undrafted

The Campbellville, Ontario native has been an assist machine for the chocolate and white. Sgarbossa dished out 10 helpers in November and ended the month tied for second in the AHL in assists with 16. He also ranks first in the league in power play assists. The veteran center leads the Bears in scoring after two months with 20 points. He has recorded a point in 16 of Hershey’s 22 games. Sgarbossa registered a helper in the first four games of November to run his assist streak to six games. After going scoreless in his next two contests, he came back with a three assist performance against Bridgeport on November 17. December 31, 2022. This include the primary apple on Ethen Frank’s game winning tally. It was Sgarbossa’s first three assist game since December 31, 2022. He ended a 14-game goalless drought with a second period power play marker at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 29.

Monthly Score: 4.5 

Joe Snively (LW) – 27 – Undrafted

Snively compiled eight points 12 games in November. Six of those points came in three games. The Herndon, Virginia native set up Logan Day’s first period goal versus Bridgeport on November 4. Later in the game, he stole the puck from Grant Hutton and fed Alex Limoges for the third Hershey goal in a 3-1 win. The Yale University product snapped a five-game goalless drought in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 15. He one-timed a puck that came off the end boards past Joel Blomqvist for the game’s opening goal that came 1:24 into the contest. He added a secondary helper on Jimmy Huntington’s tally later in the period. Snively’s best game of the month came in the last game of November in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 29. Exactly one month after he posted three points (two goals and an assist) against the Penguins in Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, the winger repeated the feat. He began by having the secondary assist on Vincent Iorio’s goal in the first period. In the second, Snively took a stretch pass from Limoges and moved in on a breakaway. He roofed a backhand over Blomqvist’s glove to tie the game at three after the Bears trailed 3-1. The Virginian then sealed the triumph with an empty netter in the third frame.

Monthly Score: 4.3

Riley Sutter (C) – Drafted 2018 (Third Round, 93^rd overall)

After going without a point in October, Sutter found his offense in the season’s second month. The pivot finally broke into the scoring column in the 15^th game of the campaign on November 17. The breakthrough came when Sutter caused Ruslan Iskhakov to turn the puck over and Ryan Hofer converted for Hershey’s second goal in the opening period. He also picked up a secondary helper on Bogdan Trineyev’s marker in the second stanza. The two-point night kicked off a three-game point streak for the Calgary, Alberta native. The son of former NHL center Ron Sutter potted his first goal of the season in Bridgeport a night later when he redirected Colin Swoyer’s shot up an into the net to give the Bears a 3-0 lead. The Albertan’s second multi-point game of the month came on November 22 when Sutter figured in on both Hershey goals in a 2-1 victory. The center won a puck battle in the left corner and whipped a pass to Dylan McIlrath on the left point. McIlrath converted his shot to give Sutter the primary assist on the play. In the second period, he chipped a highlight reel pass from Ivan Miroshnichenko over Joel Blomqvist for the game-winning goal. A week later, Sutter again provided a multi-point game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He tallied off another Miroshnichenko feed in the second period and the returned the favor on the Russian’s game-winning marker in the third. Sutter has been a positive influence on Miroshnichenko since the rookie was put on his line by head coach Todd Nelson. Sutter and linemate Matt Strome have strong defensive habits and these have rubbed off on Miroshnichenko. Sutter remains the top penalty killer on the team.

Monthly Score: 4.5

Bogdan Trineyev (LW) – 21 – Drafted 2020 (Fourth Round, 117^th overall)

Trineyev started the month off well by achieving his first career multi-point game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on November 1. First, he made a play in the second period while taking a hit along the boards and tapped the puck to Nic Aube-Kubel, who scored after his attempted pass was knocked into his own net by a Phantom defenseman. Trineyev then elevated a shot over the glove of Felix Sandstrom for a shorthanded tally. He skated in the next game and then was a healthy scratch for the next two contests. The rookie fell into a bit of a rotation after that, switching in and out of the lineup with Ryan Hofer. He got back into the lineup for the last two games of the month and contributed two assists in a wild 7-5 triumph over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 29. Trineyev has played well when given the opportunity. If he gets more consistent ice time, the winger can be a contributor moving forward.

Monthly Score: 3.2

Defensemen

Hardy Haman Aktell (LD) – 25 – Drafted 2016 (Fourth Round, 108^th overall – Nashville)

Haman Aktell returned to Chocolate Town in mid-November after spending a month in the NHL with the Washington Capitals. He rejoined the lineup on November 18 and played the last five games of the month. An assist on Riley Sutter’s winning goal against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was the Swede’s lone point of November. However, he contributed in other ways. Haman Aktell is a strong puck carrier and this has benefited Hershey’s zone exits. The native of Cage, Sweden plays in the key defensive situations and has been an aid to the penalty kill. He has been playing alongside Dylan McIlrath in the team’s top defensive pairing.

Monthly Score: 4.0

Vincent Iorio (RD) – 21 – Drafted 2021 (Second Round, 55^th overall)

November was a bit of a mixed bag for Iorio. The good news is that his offense showed up after being held without a point in October. The second year defenseman amassed four points in the month. He broke his 11-game scoreless streak with a second period goal on November 15 in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native got Joel Blomqvist to drop to the ice and then wristed a shot past the netminder’s glove. Iorio then earned the secondary assist on Alex Limoges’ overtime winner. He tallied his second goal of the season on November 29, once again in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Defensively, Iorio still has his issues. He struggles with his zone exits and often turns the puck over. The blue liner needs to simplify things in his own end. He will have path up the boards to get the puck out, but will turn into traffic and lose the puck. Iorio also gets into trouble by trying to force passes. He needs to just take what the other team gives him and make the simple play.

Monthly Score: 3.0

Nicky Leivermann (LD) – 25 – Drafted 2017 (Seventh Round, 187^th overall – Colorado)

The rookie defenseman has not seen a lot of playing time. Leivermann played in just one of Hershey’s 12 games in November. He did collect his first career professional point versus Bridgeport on November 17. The Notre Dame product flipped the puck from behind his own net to Ivan Miroshnichenko, who scored on a breakaway. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota native was loaned to South Carolina on November 28. The move allows Leivermann to get more playing time.

Monthly Score: Incomplete

Dylan McIlrath (RD) – 31 – Drafted 2010 (First Round, 10^th overall – New York Rangers)

McIlrath spent part of the month in the NHL, playing one game with the Washington Capitals on November 14 against the Vegas Golden Knights. He delivered a big hit and engaged Keegan Kolesar in a fight. The Hershey captain suited up for seven games for the chocolate and white during the month. He scored his first goal of the season against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on November 22. McIlrath snapped a shot through traffic that went high over the blocker of Joel Blomqvist. It was his first regular season goal since January 9, 2022. The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba recorded a multi-point game on November 1 with a pair of secondary helpers in a 4-3 overtime win over Lehigh Valley. McIlrath is a stalwart on the penalty kill and plays with Hardy Haman Aktell on Hershey’s top defensive pairing.

Monthly Score: 3.7

Chase Priskie (RD) – 27 – Drafted 2016 (Sixth Round, 177^th overall)

With the Rochester Americans last season, Priskie compiled five assists for the entire season. He surpassed that number in November. The Quinnipiac product dished out six helpers in the month to bring his season total to 10. Both of Priskie’s goals came in November and both were game-winning tallies. On November 1, the blue liner skated in on Felix Sandstrom and elevated a shot over the glove to provide the Bears with a 4-3 overtime victory over Lehigh Valley. The Pembroke Pines, Florida native struck again three days later. Priskie lasered a one-timer from the center point for a power play tally. He leads Hershey defenseman in points with 12 and quarterbacks the first power play unit.

Monthly Score: 3.7

Goalies

Hunter Shepard (G) – 28 – Undrafted

The Minnesota-Duluth alum started seven games during November. Shepard won six times, including his last five starts. He was in net for the three wildest games during the month. The Coleraine, Minnesota native stopped 17 of 21 shots in a wild 5-4 overtime win in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Two nights later, the netminder turned aside 31 shots as the Bears held on for a 5-4 triumph over Bridgeport. Hershey led 5-1, before getting complacent and leaving Shepard out to dry in the third. Shepard gave up five goals in a 7-5 win versus the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on November 29. Three of the goals were off of redirections. He also denied three Penguin breakaways. The two-time National Champion at Minnesota Duluth produced his two best games of the month on November 22 and November 25. Shepard made nine first period saves in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on the 22^nd and finished with 22 saves as Hershey prevailed 2-1. Against the Iowa Wild on the 25^th, the chocolate and white were slow out of the gates and the netminder held his team in the game until the Bears found their legs. He pushed away 11 second period shots for the Wild and wound up with 25 saves. Shepard has the victory in nine of his 10 starts this season and is one off the AHL league in wins.

Monthly Score: 3.3

Clay Stevenson (G) – 24 – Undrafted

Stevenson has been a revelation. He got the call in net five times in November and was victorious in four of them. In his four wins, the Dartmouth College product did not give up more than a goal. In his first start of the month on November 4, Stevenson stopped nine of 10 shots in the first period against Bridgeport. He kept his team in the game as the chocolate and white struggled to muster any offense in the opening stanza. He shut the door the rest of the way, making a total of 26 saves and being named the game’s number two star. The rookie netminder earned his second shutout of the season his next time out, a 24-save whitewash in Lehigh Valley. A day later, Lehigh Valley extracted a little revenge by beating Stevenson and the Bears 4-1 in Hershey. After that loss, the Drayton Valley, Alberta native’s performance was stellar. He recorded his second shutout in three starts in Bridgeport on November 18. The 26-save clean sheet earned him number one star of the game honors. Stevenson best start of the season, and possibly his professional career, came on November 26 versus the Iowa Wild. The Albertan made 13 high end saves. Stevenson’s best sequence on a night of great saves came with 3:03 remaining in the second period. Adam Raska tried to jam the puck by the netminder from the left side, but he held his position and stonewalled Raska a right pad save. Raska collected the puck and tried to slide the puck low to the glove side, but the left pad of Stevenson denied that attempt as well. The danger was not over as the puck came out to Mike O’Leary all alone in front. This is where Stevenson produced a save of the year candidate. Sprawled on his stomach, he raised his arm and batted O’Leary shot aside with his glove. Stevenson made 18 saves in the middle period and added five more in the third. He finished with 27 saves and was deservedly name the game’s number one star. Stevenson finished November tied for the AHL lead in shutouts with three and was second in the league with a goals against average of 1.67.

Monthly Score: 4.7