About the Author

Dave Sottile

Dave Sottile spent 14 seasons covering the Hershey Bears for the York Daily Record and parts of three chronicling the AHL for The Hockey News.

The American Hockey League’s New England-based teams have long enjoyed the benefit of geographic proximity to their rivals.

The Hershey Bears and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins soon might enjoy a similar set-up along the interstates 78 and 81 corridors.

Speaking to reporters before Friday’s AHL Outdoor Classic, league president and CEO Dave Andrews said things look good for the Adirondack Phantoms to relocate to Allentown in time for the 2013-14 season.

“I’m in touch with them pretty regularly, and they’ve been keeping me up to date,” Andrews said, referring to Phantoms owners Rob and Jim Brooks. “I think the progress is good.

“I think their expectations are that possibly in two years they’ll be up and running (by 2013-14). That’s their objective, and our league certainly supports it.”

The Brooks Group recently signed a 29-year lease on Allentown’s proposed 8,500-seat arena. The Phantoms – who began play in Philadelphia in 1996 – would relocate from Glens Falls, N.Y., to the Lehigh Valley.

“I met with the Phantoms’ ownership group,” said Bears president and general manager Doug Yingst. “They were in Hershey and toured Giant Center. I think it’s going to be an exciting building (in Allentown).”

Andrews said he understands the eagerness of Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to add another nearby foe.

“The Bears and Penguins in Pennsylvania are excited about having Allentown as a rival,” Andrews said, “and both organizations have certainly told our board that they think it’s going to be kind of a repeat of Wilkes-Barre, in terms of a success story, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Yingst said the Bears would love another opponent within a short drive.

“I miss Philadelphia from the rivalry standpoint and from the proximity,” Yingst said. “Travel is pretty taxing on players, so when you could go to Philadelphia the day of a game, it was a lot better than busing up the day before, then driving back six hours from Adirondack and playing Saturday night at home. Now that’s taxing.

“We’d welcome a move to Allentown big-time. Adirondack is still a rivalry, because it’s Philly’s team, but we play them less. We’re looking forward to see what happens with (a possible move to) Allentown.”

Auction memories

When Keith Aucoin’s No. 11 New Year’s Eve special jersey fetched $2,300 in a postgame auction last week, it was the largest amount spent on one item during this year’s first four Hershey uniform auctions.

Even though it was a sizeable sum, it didn’t come close to approaching what happened on Dec. 19, 1999.

That night, after the Bears dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Hersheypark Arena, someone paid $5,100 for a No. 13 Christmas jersey worn by Hershey center Dan Hinote.

Fans bought 26 jerseys that night and raised more than $50,000 for the National MS Society’s Central Pennsylvania Chapter.

No one was more shocked at what the No. 13 sweater fetched than Hinote, who is now an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“It’s pretty amazing when you think about it,” Hinote told reporters after the auction. “I’m happy the money is going to charity, but I couldn’t believe it when I heard how much it went for.”

Hinote’s was one of nine jerseys that commanded winning bids of more than $2,000 that night. In comparison, Aucoin’s was the only one this season to sell for more than $2,000.

Of course, given the popularity of the AHL’s Outdoor Classic on Friday in Philadelphia, it’s possible the special jerseys worn by the Bears could bring a significant return when they are auctioned after tonight's Bears-Phantoms contest. But $5,100? That seems out of reach in today’s economy.

Former Bears winger Ville Nieminen, a teammate of Hinote’s, couldn’t fathom someone spending more than five grand on a jersey.

“Think about that $5,100,” Nieminen said at the time. “If you exchange that for other countries’ currencies, people there could live for a year off that – maybe longer in some places.”

COLLEGE NOTEBOOK

In a recent TV interview with Root Sports, Robert Morris University men’s hockey coach Derek Schooley noted that of the 28 Pittsburgh-area players suiting up for Division I teams this season, seven are on the Colonials’ roster. Talk about taking care of your own back yard in the recruiting game. … RMU sophomore F Colin South has come back strong from injury. After missing five games, South scored twice in the Colonials’ 4-2 loss to fourth-ranked Ohio State last week. … Mercyhurst senior F Derek Elliott has nine goals for the Lakers, the most he has scored in his career. … Senior G Max Strang, of Gilbertsville, Pa., has allowed two goals or fewer in nine of his 20 appearances for Mercyhurst. … Penn State F Justin Kirchhevel leads the Icers in assists with 24 after picking up one in a 3-2 shootout loss on the road to Central Oklahoma on Friday night. … F Kelley Steadman potted her second hat trick of the season Friday night in Mercyhurst’s 8-4 win at Syracuse, the Lakers’ fourth straight victory. … The Robert Morris women’s team matched its program record for wins in a season (12) by beating Providence College, 3-2, Friday night. The Colonials have 12 regular-season games left to set the mark, including today’s 1 p.m. rematch with the Friars in Rhode Island.