2022 Hershey Bears Offseason Player Tracker

SEASON SYNOPSIS

The Hershey Bears ended the 2021-2022 season with a stunning, heart wrenching overtime loss in the opening round of the Calder Cup Playoffs to bitter rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Bears valiantly battled for their postseason lives, tying the game down two goals with less than two minutes remaining in the deciding third game of the series. The storybook ending wasn’t to be, as the backbreaking goal came eight minutes into the overtime period. The Bears finished with a record of 34-32-6 with 78 points and a .513 points percentage.

Hershey pivots Mike Vecchione (44 points in 59 games, 16G and 28A) and Garrett Pilon (42 points in 60 games, 17G and 25A) led the scoring for the team in the regular season campaign, including six power play goals each. Vecchione’s career-high stats came in his first season with the Chocolate and White. Veteran Cody Franson led the blue-liners with 35 points, racking up 26 assists from the back-end. Between the pipes, Phoenix Copley (18-12-5) finished his final season with the Hershey Bears with a 2.38 GAA, splitting a majority of the time with Zach Fucale (11-15-5).

(List accurate as of October 12th at 11:15am ET)

UNDER CONTRACT AND RE-SIGNINGS

Forwards

• Kody Clark– Last year of a NHL contract
• Ethen Frank – Last year of a AHL contract
• Kale Kessy – Last year of a AHL contract
• Beck Malenstyn – Second-to-last year of a NHL contract
• Mason Morelli – Last year of a AHL contract
• Julian Napravnik – Last year of an AHL contract
• Garrett Pilon – Last year of a NHL contract
• Aliaksei Protas – Second-to-last year of a NHL contract
• Mike Sgarbossa – Last year of a NHL contract
• Joe Snively – Second-to-last year of a NHL contract
• Riley Sutter – Last year of a NHL contract
• Bogdan Trineyev – Under two-way NHL contract through 2024-25 season
• Mike Vecchione – Last year of a NHL contract
• Shane Gersich – Signed AHL contract for 2022-23 season

Defensemen

• Alex Alexeyev– Last year of a NHL contract
• Matt Irwin – Signed a two-way contract for 2022-23
• Lucas Johansen – Second-to-last year of NHL contract
• Benton Maass – Last year of an AHL contract
• Jake Massie – Last year of an AHL contract
• Dylan McIlrath – Last year of a NHL contract
• Bobby Nardella – Last year of a NHL contract

Goaltenders

• Zach Fucale – Last year of a NHL contract
• Hunter Shepard – Last year of a NHL contract

NEW ADDITIONS

Forwards

• Henrik Borgstrom – Signed two-way NHL contract for 2022-23 season
• Bear Hughes – Signed AHL contract for 2022-23 season
• Henry Rybinski – First year of entry-level NHL contract
• Sam Anas – Signed AHL contract for 2022-23 season
• Alexandre Fortin – Signed AHL contract for 2022-23 season
• Ryan Scarfo – Signed AHL contract for 2022-23 season
• Matthew Strome – Signed AHL contract for 2022-23 season

Defensemen

• Aaron Ness – Signed AHL contract for 2022-23 season
• Gabriel Carlsson – Signed two-way NHL contract for 2022-23 season
• Logan Day – Signed AHL contract for 2022-23 season
• Michael Kim – Signed AHL contract for 2022-23 season
• Martin Has – Signed AHL contract for 2022-23 season

Goaltenders

• Garin Bjorklund – Second-to-last year of NHL contract
• Clay Stevenson – Second-to-last year of NHL contract

DEPARTURES

Forwards

• Will Garber – Signed to play in Finland for the 2022-23 season
• Matt Moulson – Retired
• Brian Pinho – Signed NHL contract with the New Jersey Devils for the 2022-23 season
• Marcus Vela –  Signed contract to play in Sweden for the 2022-23 season
• Drake Rymsha – Signed AHL contract with Bakersfield for 2022-23 season
  
• Christopher Brown – Re-signed ECHL contract with Jacksonville for 2022-23 season
• Axel Jonsson-Fjallby – Claimed on waivers by Winnipeg
• Brett Leason – Claimed on waivers by Anaheim

Defensemen

• Tobias Geisser – Signed contract to play in Switzerland for the 2022-23 season
• Michal Kempný – Signed NHL contract with the Seattle Kraken for the 2022-23 season
• Eddie Wittchow – Signed an AHL contract with Coachella Valley for the 2022-23 season
• Macoy Erkamps – Signed a contract with HK Nitra (Slovakia) for the 2022-23 season

Goaltenders

• Phoenix Copley – Signed NHL contract with the Los Angeles Kings

FREE AGENTS

Defensemen

• Cody Franson – UFA

(Special thanks to CapFriendly and Elite Prospects for all the contract terms and definitions for this offseason player tracker!)

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Other 2022 AHL Off Season Trackers :

Pacific

• Abbotsford Canucks

• Bakersfield Condors

• Calgary Wranglers

• Coachella Valley Firebirds

• Colorado Eagles

• Henderson Silver Knights

• Ontario Reign

• San Diego Gulls

• San Jose Barracuda

• Tucson Roadrunners

 

Central

• Chicago Wolves

• Grand Rapids Griffins

• Iowa Wild

• Manitoba Moose

• Milwaukee Admirals

• Rockford IceHogs

• Texas Stars

 

North

• Belleville Senators

• Cleveland Monsters

• Laval Rocket

• Rochester Americans

• Syracuse Crunch

• Toronto Marlies

• Utica Comets

 

Atlantic

• Bridgeport Islanders

• Charlotte Checkers

• Hartford Wolf Pack

• Hershey Bears

• Lehigh Valley Phantoms

• Providence Bruins

• Springfield Thunderbirds 
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins