HERSHEY — Former members of the Hershey Bears will take on several prominent ex-Philadelphia Flyers, including Eric Lindros, John LeClair, Danny Briere, and Kimmo Timonen at the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic Alumni Game on Friday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m., the Bears announced Thursday.
The Alumni Game is part of the festivities for the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic, which will be held the following day in Hersheypark Stadium. In that game, the Bears will host the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The Alumni Game is included in ticket packages for the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic, which are on sale now at the Giant Center Box Office, by calling 717-534-3911, or online via Ticketmaster. Ticket packages start at $59.
Lindros, 44, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016. A former NHL MVP, Lindros teamed up with LeClair and Mikael Renberg to form the famous “Legion of Doom” line that carried the Flyers through the early 1990s, culminating with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1997. Lindros scored 865 points in 760 career games.
The Flyers will retire his No. 88 jersey at a ceremony in January.
Other former Flyers expected to skate include Arron Asham, Terry Carkner, Riley Cote, Todd Fedoruk, Bob Kelly, Tim Kerr, Brian Propp, Doug Crossman, Jeff Chychrun, Larry Goodenough, Brad Marsh, and Joe Watson — who will skate at 74 years old.
Hall of Fame goalie Bernie Parent and former coach and general manager Paul Holmgren will coach the Flyers alumni.
Bears alumni expected to play include Greg Amadio, Dennis Bonvie, Freddy Cassivi, Bryan Helmer, Graham Mink and Pascal Trepanier.
“We can’t wait to welcome back some of the all-time greats in Hershey history, and we’re thrilled to partner with the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni Association,” said Hershey Vice President of Hockey Operations Bryan Helmer in a press release announcing the game. “With the Bears and Phantoms both having current and past ties to the Flyers, we saw this as a chance to bring some exciting NHL stars to our loyal fans while celebrating our history.
“The Phantoms are still working on building an alumni following, and the Flyers Alumni Association is very active in the local community, so we saw this as a perfect fit to add even more excitement to the can’t-miss event of our 80th Anniversary Season.”
The Bears served as the Flyers’ AHL affiliate from 1984 to 1996. Many prominent Flyers began their careers in Hershey, including current Philadelphia general manager and former Flyers goalie Ron Hextall.
The Phantoms, Hershey’s opponent in the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic, currently serve as the AHL affiliate of the Flyers.
All players scheduled to participate in the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic Alumni Game are subject to change. Complete rosters for both the Flyers Alumni Association and the Hershey Bears Alumni will be announced in the coming months.
Tickets to the Alumni Game must be purchased as part of a ticket package to the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic. In addition to entry to both the Alumni Game and the marquee matchup vs. Lehigh Valley, fans also receive access to Pepsi Fan Fest, and a 2018 Hersheypark pass as part of the ticket package. For more information, fans may visit HersheyBears.com/tickets/outdoor-classic/
