Trey Fix-Wolansky’s Hat Trick, McConnell-Barker’s OT Winner Lift Wolf Pack Over Bears in Wild Finish
HERSHEY, PA - If you tuned in for Hartford vs. Hershey on Tuesday night, you got a full serving of chaos, skill, and clutch moments. Trey Fix-Wolansky put on a show with the Wolf Pack’s first hat trick of the season, Bryce McConnell-Barker added two of his own-including the overtime game-winner-and Hartford escaped the Giant Center with a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Hershey Bears.
Let’s break it down.
Fix-Wolansky Sets the Tone Early
You couldn’t script a better start for the Wolf Pack. Just 32 seconds into the game, Fix-Wolansky opened the scoring with his 13th of the season.
Brendan Brisson set him up on the right wing, and after cutting hard to the net and getting denied on the first try, Fix-Wolansky cleaned up his own rebound from the left side. That kind of early jump can set the tone-and it did.
Barely three minutes later, Fix-Wolansky struck again. This time he took a feed through the neutral zone, turned on the jets down the right wing, and made a familiar move to the backhand.
But instead of just getting a shot off, he elevated it over Clay Stevenson’s right pad for his 14th of the year. Adam Sýkora picked up the primary assist-his second of the night-and the Wolf Pack were rolling with a 2-0 lead.
McConnell-Barker Adds to the Pressure
Midway through the second, Hartford kept the pressure on. Brett Berard found McConnell-Barker in the slot, and the second-year forward didn’t waste the opportunity. He worked into the left circle and fired a shot past Stevenson for his seventh of the season, giving the Wolf Pack a commanding 3-0 lead.
But if you thought the Bears were going to fold, think again.
Bears Push Back, But Fix-Wolansky Finishes the Hat Trick
Brett Leason got Hershey on the board at 15:48 of the second, trimming the deficit to 3-1. However, the response from Fix-Wolansky was immediate-and emphatic.
Awarded a penalty shot less than two minutes later, Fix-Wolansky calmly skated in from the left wing and slipped a backhander through Stevenson for his 15th of the season and the first Wolf Pack hat trick since Alex Belzile did it back in December 2024. That made it 4-1, and it looked like Hartford might cruise from there.
But Hershey wasn’t done.
Leason picked up his second of the night before the end of the second period, capitalizing on a neutral zone turnover and finishing with a slick forehand move past Dylan Garand. That made it 4-2 heading into the third.
Bears Rally in a Flash
The third period started with a bang-if you blinked, you might’ve missed the Bears tying it up.
First, Ilya Protas cut the lead to one with a long-range shot that slipped through Garand and barely crossed the line. After a quick review, the goal stood-Protas’ 15th of the season.
Then, just 22 seconds later, Graeme Clarke tied things up. He took a pass from behind the net in the left circle and snapped one past Garand’s glove for his 11th. In a span of just 4:23, the Bears had erased a 4-1 deficit and turned this into a brand-new hockey game.
To his credit, Garand bounced back. He locked in for the rest of the period, stopping all seven shots he faced and ensuring the game made it to overtime.
McConnell-Barker Seals It in OT
In the extra frame, the Bears got into penalty trouble early when Henrik Rybinski was called for tripping just 92 seconds in. On the ensuing power play, Justin Dowling found McConnell-Barker on the left wing. The 19-year-old forward worked his way down the circle and ripped a shot high glove-side for the game-winner-his second of the night and eighth of the season.
That goal gave Hartford its third win in the last four games and capped off one of the more dramatic finishes of the year.
What’s Next
The Wolf Pack now head home to the newly renovated PeoplesBank Arena, where they’ll host the Bridgeport Islanders on Jan. 23. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., with pregame coverage starting at 6:45 on AHLTV and Mixlr.
If Tuesday night was any indication, this team isn’t just finding ways to win-they’re doing it with flair.