Penguins and Bears renew historic playoff rivalry in Atlantic Division semifinal

The Penguins and Bears opened another chapter of a playoff rivalry that has stretched across more than a quarter century, with Game 1 of the Atlantic Division semifinal set for Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza and the winner of this best-of-five series moving one step closer to the Calder Cup. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey had already met 329 times in the regular season and playoffs combined, and this postseason matchup marked their 10th all-time playoff series, a number that gives almost every shift a little more weight than a normal April game.

That history is the point. The rivalry began on Oct. 2, 1999, and only Hershey and the original Cleveland Barons have had more postseason clashes in AHL history. The clubs had split the previous eight playoff series, four wins apiece, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton carried the most recent edge after winning the 2022 meeting. Hershey arrived after sweeping Bridgeport in two games, while the Penguins came in on a 9-1-1-0 run over their final 11 regular-season contests and as one of only three AHL teams to reach 100 points.

What made this version feel especially dangerous was the talent on both sides. Hershey rookie Ilya Protas came in as the AHL Rookie of the Month for April after posting 11 points in six games, and he led all rookies with 62 points in 66 games, including 28 goals and 34 assists. Alongside Andrew Cristall, he had combined for 19 points in 10 games against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the regular season. The Penguins had their own answers: Rutger McGroarty produced 10 points in five games against Hershey, and Avery Hayes scored seven goals in seven games versus the Bears, a reminder that one hot stretch can still swing a series this short.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach Kirk MacDonald said the club spent the week keeping its conditioning sharp and staying dialed in at practice, a useful detail in a series where the margins are thin and the habits are already familiar. The Penguins had already punched their playoff ticket with a shootout win in Belleville late in the regular season, then finished strong enough to make the division semifinal feel less like a reward than a continuation. Hershey, a 13-time Calder Cup champion making its 73rd postseason appearance since joining the league in 1938, brought the same kind of urgency. By the time puck drop arrived at 7:05 p.m. EDT on April 30, the setting was not just a playoff opener, but the next test in one of the AHL’s defining rivalries.