Ethan Bear cleared NHL waivers and was officially loaned to the Hershey Bears on Saturday after playing three preseason games for the Washington Capitals.
The 27-year-old defenseman’s return to the AHL comes after only suiting up in 85 of a possible 164 games during his last two seasons in the NHL. Bear suffered a shoulder injury while playing for Team Canada at the 2023 World Championship, necessitating a long rehabilitation. When he returned and signed with the Capitals, he could only force his way into the lineup 24 times before finishing the 2023-24 season in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
According to a Hershey representative, Bear did not play in Hershey’s final preseason game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms — a 4-2 loss at PPL Center. The right-handed shooting rearguard will arrive to the team on Sunday — a day off — and be on the ice for practice on Monday morning.
Before the defenseman cleared waivers, Hershey Bears head coach Todd Nelson addressed the possibility of adding an NHL veteran to the lineup.
“We had that situation last year with (Nic) Aube-Kubel, right?” Nelson told RMNB at Giant Center Friday night. “And we have to get [Bear] to a point, if he does clear and he’s up here (in Hershey), we have to get him playing, get him to a point where he feels comfortable with his hockey game. And that just comes with time and repetition.
“But I think the biggest thing is, if he is here, I’ll just call him in and say it’s our job to help you get back to the National Hockey League. And it’s a two-way street, we’ll work with you, do whatever it takes to do that. But you have to take care of your side, too.”
Nelson, the reigning AHL coach of the year, has not only had success building championship teams — he’s won three Calder Cups as a head coach — but also developing prospects and re-building players to get them to the NHL.
Aube-Kubel, the example Nelson cited from last year, was cut from the Capitals’ Training Camp roster in 2023. However, the checking-line forward ultimately earned a call-up to the NHL after 11 appearances with Hershey.
NAK ultimately played 60 games in Washington, becoming a fixture on the team’s fourth line with Nic Dowd and Beck Malenstyn. The Stanley Cup-winning winger signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres on the first day of free agency.
Nelson also assimilated Evgeny Kuznetsov onto the Bears for five days last season after the centerman returned from Player Assistance. Kuznetsov wowed teammates with his joy, skill, and skating but ultimately never played a game for the team before being dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes at the Trade Deadline.
The addition of Bear could make the AHL’s defending back-to-back champions one of the deepest defensive teams in the AHL. During Friday’s preseason game, Hershey suited up what could be close to their season-opening defensive pairs with captain Dylan McIlrath and Alex Alexeyev, for now, still in Washington.
The last time Bear played in the AHL was in 2018-19 with the Bakersfield Condors, the Edmonton Oilers’ affiliate. He recorded 31 points (6, 25a) in 52 games.
Hershey’s first game of the season will be Saturday, October 12 — their banner-raising night. They’ll host the Cleveland Monsters.
