with files from Patrick Williams
The latest chapter in a long-standing AHL rivalry gets things going on Day 10 of the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey get their Atlantic Division semifinal series underway at Mohegan Arena tonight (7:05 ET, 
) with the 329th all-time game between the clubs, regular season and playoffs combined.
The rivalry, which began on Oct. 2, 1999, now includes nine meetings in the Calder Cup Playoffs; only Hershey and the original Cleveland Barons (12) have had more postseason clashes in AHL history. The Penguins and Bears have each won four of the previous eight series head-to-head, most recently a first-round victory by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2022.
The Penguins went 9-1-1-0 in their final 11 games during the regular season and were one of three AHL teams to hit the 100-point mark. And while they awaited the identity of their first playoff opponent, Hershey was getting past Bridgeport in a two-game sweep in the first round.
“Last week it was working on staying sharp and keeping conditioning levels up where they need to be,” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Kirk MacDonald said after practice Tuesday. “Today you could tell the guys were dialed in and ready to go.”
The Pens won seven of the teams’ first eight matchups this season before the Bears went into Wilkes-Barre and left with victories on Mar. 13 and Apr. 15. Hershey’s dynamic rookie duo of Ilya Protas and Andrew Cristall combined for 19 points in 10 games against the Penguins; Pens forward Rutger McGroarty notched 10 points in five outings vs. the Bears, while Avery Hayes scored seven goals in seven games in the season series.
“There’s no real secrets at this point,” MacDonald added. “We know each other and we’re excited to get after it.
Texas hosts Chicago in Game 2 of their Central Division semifinal tonight (8 ET, ), the last game in Cedar Park before the best-of-five series concludes with as many as three games in Rosemont, Ill.
The Stars’ 2-0 win in Tuesday’s opener was Texas’ first shutout win at H-E-B Center since Mar. 2, 2025 (also against Chicago). It was also the Wolves’ first road shutout loss all season. Artem Shlaine scored a power-play goal 1:53 into the third period to break a scoreless deadlock, then tacked on an empty-netter with 19.1 seconds remaining.
Shlaine’s 19 goals in the regular season tied him for eighth among AHL rookies.
Rémi Poirier made 16 saves on the night for his third career Calder Cup Playoff shutout, while Cameron Hughes assisted on both Stars goals to move to 12th place on the AHL’s all-time list with 52 career postseason helpers.
“I liked our game. Everybody was ready to go off the jump,” said Stars forward Cross Hanas, a fourth-year pro who made his postseason debut Tuesday.
Chicago is 8-11 in Calder Cup Playoff series after losing Game 1. The Wolves’ most recent series comeback came in the 2022 Calder Cup Finals when they dropped the opening game to Springfield before winning four in a row.
