The American Hockey League (AHL) 2026 All-Star break is around the corner, and it’s hard to figure out whether the Hershey Bears are good. They’ve only won three of their last 10 games but earned points in eight of those games, allowing them to sit in fourth place in the Atlantic Division.
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“I like where we’re at,” head coach Derek King noted after the 4-1 Feb. 4 loss to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. They still have their issues but the Bears are playing much better hockey of late. “Our guys are battling and staying in games,” King added. He’s trying to build a contender in Hershey, where contenders are all the town knows, and this season is proving to be a tough task to get this team into that top tier.
Bears Prospects Are Taking Shape
Ilya Protas has taken off in his rookie season. The 19-year-old center and brother of Aleksei Protas has scored 17 goals and 18 assists in 43 games and has done so while being a powerful presence in the offensive zone. While his defensive game still needs work, Protas is proving he’s a center the Bears, and eventually the Washington Capitals, can build around.
Andrew Cristall and Bogdan Trineyev have also hit their strides in Hershey. Cristall is a 21-year-old winger with eight goals and 25 assists, while Trineyev has nine goals and 12 assists in only 33 games at the AHL level, while also spending time in the NHL throughout the season. The Bears knew they’d have a younger team this season, and they bet on the prospects from the start. That bet has paid off as they’ve taken on big roles, especially in the forward unit.
The same is true about Clay Stevenson. The 26-year-old goaltender is with the Capitals and coming off of three starts where he’s allowed only seven goals. “Is he a full-time NHL guy right now? He’ll get there, he’s good like that,” King noted after the latest game. Stevenson, however, is aiming to prove that his time in the NHL isn’t temporary, and with his strong play filling in for the injuries, it’s hard to see him getting sent down, at least for now.
The Full Effort Still Isn’t There
King mentioned multiple times how important it is for the Bears to play a complete game. He talked about it a month back after a loss to the Penguins and reiterated it after the latest defeat. “To compete with a top team, you have to play three periods,” and these Penguins, especially with Sergei Murashov in the net, are a top team.
The mistakes and missed opportunities are costing them. The Bears had six power plays against the Penguins, including a five-on-three in the first period but came away empty. “When you have your chances, you have to bear down,” King added.
The Bears are getting off to stronger starts, and the latest game was a case in point. They battled with the Penguins, and the defense stood out as the game was scoreless through two periods. That said, the Bears still haven’t made the most of their strengths, particularly their speed and skill that can take over games.
The Bears Are in an Atlantic Division Fight
The Bears are improving but so is the rest of the Atlantic Division, certainly, the teams surrounding them. The fifth-place Lehigh Valley Phantoms have stumbled in the past two months, yet have the talent to pass them while the Charlotte Checkers are flying up the standings. Then there are the Providence Bruins and Penguins in a tier of their own.
The Bears are stuck in the middle of a competitive division. For the first time in a while, they are in a fight that will only intensify down the stretch. “It’s almost like our playoffs are starting early for us,” King said to wrap up his conversation with Hockey Hot Stove.
