The sweetest hockey town on earth is right in your backyard: Hershey, PA, the home of the Hershey Bears. Established in 1932 by Milton Hershey, the Bears joined the American Hockey League (AHL) in 1938 and are the longest-standing members of the league still playing in their original city. The Bears have won more Calder Cups than any other AHL team and are touted for having the best fans in the league. If that is not enough to get you out to a Hershey Bears game this season, I sat down with the captain of the Hershey Bears, Garrett Mitchell (Mitchy), to get the inside scoop.
Hershey has been home for Mitchy and his family for the past six years since he was selected by the Washington Capitals in the 2009 NHL entry draft. As a young boy, he had dreams of the NHL, as you can imagine of any youngster in Canada playing backyard hockey. Those NHL dreams came true last spring when he debuted with the Washington Capitals. With a young and growing family himself, Mitchy has some tips on how a hockey game can be a great family night for novice fans:
- Keep your head up. Hockey is fast-moving and intense; you won’t want to take your eyes off the action.
- Cheer! The players feed off your energy, so cheer for everything and anything. Just make noise!
- Enjoy the entertainment between periods. Cocoa, the mascot of the Hershey Bears, and the Zamboni are hot items on his daughter’s list when she attends one of Dad’s games.
Do you have a young hockey player dreaming of the NHL? Mitchy encourages young athletes to be dual athletes. Mitchy speaks from experience. Growing up, he played every sport. He also shared the importance of having fun with the game.
“When you get to where we are now, it becomes a long career. If you have been [playing] 12 months a year since you’ve been 8 or 9 years old…until 35, you’re looking at 25 years of playing every day.”
There are quite a few opportunities to get involved with youth hockey: Jr. Bears, Palmyra, and Lancaster areas have programs. Central PA has great coaching too; several Bears players stay in the area to coach. If you have an especially talented hockey player on your hands, here is the Captain’s advice:
“I had a coach tell me one time, ‘if you’re good enough to play, someone is going to come find you. The hockey world is so small that it only takes one article for someone to see a kid and give them a look.’”
Whether you’re a seasoned hockey fan or a novice just getting into the sport, the Hershey Bears are looking forward to welcoming you at a game this season. Other opportunities for hockey in Central PA are the Reading Royals, ECHL, affiliates of the Philadelphia Flyers organization.