THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY PAYNE, BAKER, BARRAR, BEAR, BENNINGHOFF, BOBACK, BOYD, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, BUXTON, CLYMER, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, CREIGHTON, FAIRCHILD, GABLER, GEORGE, GERGELY, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, HARKINS, HELM, HICKERNELL, M. KELLER, KILLION, KIRKLAND, KNOWLES, KORTZ, MAJOR, MARKOSEK, MARSHALL, MARSICO, MENSCH, MILLARD, MILLER, MOUL, MUSTIO, OBERLANDER, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PARKER, PASHINSKI, QUINN, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROEBUCK, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SEIP, SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, SONNEY, SWANGER, TALLMAN, VULAKOVICH, WATSON AND YOUNGBLOOD, JUNE 23, 2009

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JUNE 23, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Celebrating the success of the Hershey Bears 2008-2009 hockey

team in winning the American Hockey League championship on

Friday, June 12, 2009, and bringing the Calder Cup to Hershey

for the unprecedented tenth time in American Hockey League

history.

WHEREAS, The 2008-2009 professional ice hockey season ended

on June 12, 2009, with not one, but two Pennsylvania teams

bringing home their league's highly coveted trophies; and

WHEREAS, While in Detroit, Michigan, the Pittsburgh Penguins

were dispatching the favored Detroit Red Wings 2-1 to win the

National Hockey League's Stanley Cup and the Hershey Bears were

in Winnipeg, Canada, defeating the Manitoba Moose 4-1 and

proving which American Hockey League (AHL) team deserved to win

the AHL championship Calder Cup; and

WHEREAS, If Pennsylvania did not have an advanced case of

hockey fever before the week started, it was on fire by Friday

evening, especially when both games ended in victory for our

beloved Pennsylvania teams; and

WHEREAS, Older than the Pittsburgh Penguins by three decades,

the Hershey Bears made history by winning the 2009 Calder Cup

for the tenth time, an unprecedented number of Calder Cup

victories; and

WHEREAS, A franchise of the Washington Capitals, the Hershey

Bears are managed by Doug Yingst, who has been with the

organization for 27 years, and coached by Bob Woods, who took

the reins midseason in 2007; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Woods has the distinction of being a part of

Hershey's Calder Cup wins as a player from 1996 to 1997, as an

assistant coach from 2005 to 2006 and as head coach from 2008 to

2009; and

WHEREAS, A record of 52 wins against 31 losses during the

regular season sealed Hershey's slot in the playoffs, which

began on April 16 and ended with a 4-0 game series over the

Philadelphia Phantoms; and

WHEREAS, The next series of games in the playoffs against the

Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, a franchise of the 2009 Stanley

Cup winners, proved to be Hershey's toughest opponent, as

Hershey emerged from being down 2-3 in the series to advancing

after winning the series 4-3; and

WHEREAS, After the Penguins, the Bears dispatched the

Providence Bruins   in a 4-1 series, winning the last three games

on the Bruins' home ice; and

WHEREAS, The final matchup series began on May 30 against the

Manitoba Moose and ended June 12 on Manitoba ice with the Bears

winning a 4-2 series and outscoring the Moose 4-1 in the final

game; and

WHEREAS, Bruised, sore, tired and full of stitches, the

Hershey Bears playoff team brought home "the Cup" to cheering

fans for an unprecedented tenth time in AHL history; and

WHEREAS, The playoff roster consists of #1 Daren Machesney,

#2 Patrick McNeill, #4 John Carlson, #5 Tyler Sloan, #6 Sean

Collins, #7 Karl Alzner, #10 Andrew Gordon, #11 Keith Aucoin,

#12 Alexandre Giroux, #13 Steve Pinizzotto, #14 Jay Beagle, #15

Stefan Della Rovere, #17 Chris Bourque, #18 Kyle Wilson, #19

Darren Reid, #20 Bryan Helmer, #21 Graham Mink, #22 Francois

Bouchard, #23 Andrew Joudrey, #24 Mathieu Perreault, #26 Quintin

Laing, #27 Grant McNeill, #28 Staffan Kronwall, #29 Dean Arsene,

#30 Michal Neuvirth, #32 Greg Amadio, #35 Braden Holtby, #36

Oskar Osala, #37 Sami Lepisto and #39 Kip Brennan; and

WHEREAS, While winning the 2009 Calder Cup was an outstanding

team effort through and through, the leadership of team captain

Bryan Helmer must be noted, as well as the great skills of Alex

Giroux, the AHL 2008-2009 scoring leader, 60 regular season and

15 playoffs, and the AHL 2008-2009 season's Most Valuable

Player, and of rookie goalie and MVP of the playoffs, Michal

Neuvirth; and

WHEREAS, The town of Hershey is once again known as

"Hockeytown" to the delight of Pennsylvania ice hockey fans;

therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives celebrate the

success of the Hershey Bears 2008-2009 American Hockey League

team in winning the AHL championship on Friday, June 12, 2009,

and bringing the Calder Cup to Hershey for the unprecedented

tenth time in AHL history.