HERSHEY, Pa. — The Hershey Bears celebrated their 13th Calder Cup in franchise history at the GIANT Center on Wednesday evening after they beat the Coachella Firebirds in six games.
It was a celebration to not only honor the championship-winning team but to also show their appreciation to the thousands of fans who support them.
"The fans are the best part about all of this," said Zach Richwine, a Hershey Bears fan from Carlisle, Cumberland County. "There would be no Hershey Bears without the fans so it's awesome to interact and celebrate with the guys.
The thousands of fans who were in attendance received a commemorative Calder Cup Champions team photo, a chance to relive the moments from the Bears' Calder Cup run, heard speeches from notable team members and some were even able to get autographed photos by their favorite players. It was a way for the players to show just how one-of-a-kind their fanbase really is.
"You fans are the best fans in the American Hockey League by a landslide," said Hershey Bears Captain Dylan McIlrath at the podium. "Every night is the best feeling in the world and I wouldn't trade it for anything."
The celebration highlighted the understanding by the franchise of how important their fanbase is and how important of a role they played in their run.
"Their motivation is to see the fans excited, [and they did just that], there is nothing like winning it at home," said Megan Blauch a Hershey Bears from Lebanon.
The full Hershey Bears Calder Cup celebration can be found below:
