by Nathaniel Geyer, DrPH, CPH, GISP
On June 24, 2024, the Hershey Bears, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Washington Capitals earned their record-setting 13th Calder Club Championship. The team itself has been in existence since the 1930s and is the oldest existing AHL team still in existence. This team has a three-generation interest in my family starting with my paternal grandfather, father, and me. In 1947, when they won their first Calder Club to the 13, the baker’s dozen, in Chocolate Town. Additionally, this team and the building that have been the place for home games are located near Hershey Park and Chocolate World in Hershey, PA, near the Pennsylvania Capitol building in Harrisburg, PA.
Gordie Howe, who was selected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 and was known as "Mr. Hockey", once remarked, "Everybody who is anybody in hockey has played in Hershey," although he himself did not play there. For those of you who are unfamiliar with AHL Hockey it is the second highest hockey league in the United States, which supports all 32 current hockey clubs. So far, the second longest existing team is the Rochester Americans who have been in existence since the 1940s and only have 6 Calder Cups.
Although the Calder Club is the most important award for winning the championship, since the 1980s, the Playoff MVP (Jack A. Butterfield Trophy) also includes 8 Hershey Bears winners with half being goalies, with players like Tim Tookey (9) and Chris Bourque (17) having retired numbers.
Until 2002 the Hershey Bears played at Hershey Park Area, which was built as a concrete bomb shelter, which still exists near the Hershey Stadium and HersheyPark and now used as a practice facility. It was also the place where my sister and I had our high school graduations and was the only place where my grandfather personally saw Hershey Bears games live.
Unlike the Giant Center, where they currently play alcohol was prohibited and spectators were able to go downstairs and skate on the ice. It was there that 8 of the 13 Calder Clubs won out of 25 attempts. Because the club has won so many Calder Clubs the only banners and team photos other than retired numbers that appear are the Calder Club championship teams.
Out of all the teams there are only five retired numbers are 3, 8, 9, 16, and most recently 17. Ironically, except for 2010 and 2024 all the Calder Club Championships won occurred on the road. Personally, my grandfather unfortunately was unable to see a live game at this location because of declining age, but he had lots of stories about memories at Hershey Park Area.
Since 2002, the home games have been played at the Giant Center, which on June 24, 2024, held a record of 11,113 participants, which also was the 100-playoff home game played at the Giant Center. In 2006, 2009, and 2010, the Hershey Bears won an impressive five Calder Clubs in five years. It was during that time that Chris Bourque is the only Hershey Bear to have won three Calder Club Rings, which in 2023 the number 17 was officially retired.
It also was the same year that a missing historic hockey award was found and donated to the hockey hall of fame. It also was the start of the second back-to-back Calder Cup run in 2023 and 2024, which they defeated for the second time the newest team in the AHL the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Congratulations to the 2024 Calder Club Champions the Hershey Bears.
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