The American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears are ready to roar in new uniforms for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
The two-time defending Calder Cup champions launched their new jerseys on their website and social media channels on Tuesday, September 10. The team is keeping its iconic chocolate brown, white and cream color scheme, but porting it over to a more traditional template.
Both of the Bears’ jerseys feature their primary logo, which they’ve used since 2012, on the chest. The dark jersey is brown with broad cream stripes flanked by narrow white stripes running around the sleeves and waist. The shoulder yokes are cream with no outline, and the collar is brown with white laces.
The numbers on the back and sleeves are set in a cream block font, with brown and cream outlines. The names on the back are one-color cream.
The Bears’ new white jerseys follow the same striping pattern as the dark jerseys, but the broad stripes on the sleeves and waist are brown and the narrower stripes are cream. The shoulder yokes are brown, and the collar remains brown with white lacing.
Numbers on the back and sleeves of the white jersey are brown with cream and brown outlines. The name is one-color brown.
Both jerseys also feature a bear’s paw secondary logo on the left shoulder and the W-eagle logo of their NHL parent club, the Washington Capitals, on the right shoulder.
AHL teams wear dark jerseys at home until the Christmas break, then switch to white jerseys at home until the end of the regular season. They then typically go back to dark jerseys at home for the playoffs.
Both new Bears jerseys are paired with brown pants and gloves. The helmets match the base color of the jersey they’re worn with. The base colors of the socks also match the jersey, with horizontal brown and cream stripes.
“We’re thrilled to unveil our new jerseys and refreshed look ahead of what should be another exciting season. Our brand and the Chocolate and White color scheme are iconic, and these new streamlined jerseys celebrate our decorated history, while looking ahead to our bright future. I look forward to seeing these jerseys on the ice this season as we compete for a third consecutive Calder Cup title.”
— Bryan Helmer, Hershey Bears vice president of hockey operations
Hershey’s previous look was decidely less traditional, with both jersey sets featuring vertical piping, underarm gussets and phantom shoulder yokes.
The Bears won’t wear the new jerseys at home until Saturday, October 19 — the second weekend of the 2024-25 AHL regular season. For their two opening weekend games against the Cleveland Monsters on October 12 and 13, they’re planning to wear special jerseys commemorating their back-to-back Calder Cup championships. More details on those jerseys are expected in the coming weeks.