HERSHEY, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins opened their preseason by toppling the Hershey Bears, 6-3, at Giant Center on Sunday afternoon.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton received six goals from six different players, and four skaters posted multiple points in the club’s first game since June. Brayden Edwards led all Penguins with three points (1G-2A), while Mikhail Ilyin also delivered a goal and an assist.
Penguins captain Phil Kemp opened the scoring a mere 3:14 into the game, blasting a slap shot past 10th-year-pro netminder Cal Petersen. Fewer than five minutes later, Ilyin swept in a rebound and put the Penguins up by a pair.
Ilyin later made a shifty play to set up Hugh McGing for a one-timer on the power play, and McGing buried his opportunity to make it 3-0 for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 10:30 of the first period.
Hershey was held to two total shots in the opening frame, but the second of those shots put the Bears on the board. Alex Suzdalev had his slap shot from the right half wall deflect off of a Penguin and under the crossbar behind Taylor Gauthier at 15:57.
A pair of rookies from Michigan State University provided the offense for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the second period, as the team extended its lead to 5-1. First, Tiernan Shoudy took advantage of a loose puck in the slot and snapped it past Petersen’s blocker at 11:28 of the middle frame. Five minutes later, Daniel Russell polished off a pretty passing display strung together by Edwards and Daniel Laatsch.
With the goalie pulled, Edwards fired in an empty netter to seal Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s victory.
Gauthier made 11 saves in the win, as the Penguins held Hershey to just 14 shots. Petersen recorded 15 saves on 20 shots faced in 40 minutes of work before being replaced by Garin Bjorklund at the second intermission. Bjorklund denied all eight shots faced during the third period.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has one more exhibition tuneup on its schedule, Tuesday, Sept. 29 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Game time between the Penguins and Phantoms is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at PPL Center.
The Penguins then kick off the 2026-27 regular season when they host the Springfield Thunderbirds for Opening Night presented by AMP Global Strategies on Saturday, Oct. 3. A pregame party outside of Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza will start at 3:00 p.m., including live music, inflatable obstacle course, concessions and player arrivals. Puck drop for the first game of the Penguins’ season will take place at 6:05 p.m.
Every minute of Penguins hockey can be watched online with the league’s streaming service, AHLTV on FloHockey. AHLTV on FloHockey provides its subscribers access to not just every regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff game for all 32 AHL teams, but also more than 21,000 hockey contests from other professional and junior leagues on FloHockey, as well as access to all other live event streams and replays across FloSports.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What was the final score of the Penguins’ preseason opener?
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defeated the Hershey Bears, 6-3, at Giant Center in Hershey.
2. Who scored for the Penguins against Hershey?
Six different Penguins found the back of the net: Phil Kemp, Mikhail Ilyin, Hugh McGing, Tiernan Shoudy, Daniel Russell and Brayden Edwards.
3. Who led the Penguins in scoring?
Brayden Edwards led Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with three points, recording one goal and two assists. Mikhail Ilyin added a goal and an assist.
4. How did Taylor Gauthier perform in goal?
Gauthier made 11 saves to earn the victory. The Penguins limited Hershey to just 14 shots on goal during the game.
5. When is the Penguins’ next preseason game?
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton wraps up its preseason on Tuesday, Sept. 29 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at PPL Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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