The Hershey Bears are making changes to their lineup for Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals.
ECHL defenseman Nicky Leivermann will play in his first career AHL championship series game as the Bears look to rebound from a 6-2 loss in Game 3.
The news was first reported by FOX43’s Todd Sadowski.
At the @TheHersheyBears morning skate, it’s game day! Coach Nelson said they are making some tweaks to the system and a change in personnel .. inserting defenseman Nicky Leivermann into the lineup @fox43 pic.twitter.com/cG5wtV0Bh3
— Todd Sadowski (@ToddFox43) June 20, 2024
Leivermann is a puck-moving, left-handed shooting rearguard, who appeared in three games with Hershey during the regular season. The Eden Prairie, MN native registered one assist on a breakaway goal by Ivan Miroshnichenko in November.
“He’s a pretty mobile defenseman,” Nelson said to FOX43. “He hasn’t played in quite a long time but we’ll keep that in consideration. We just feel like, with his skill set, it’s going to benefit our team.”
A Colorado Avalanche seventh-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Leivermann led all South Carolina Stingrays defensemen with 10 goals and ranked third in points with 34 despite playing in approximately 20 fewer games than team leaders Michael Kim and Connor Moore (35 points).
“I hate the term, weather the storm,” Bears head coach Todd Nelson said. “We want to fight fire with fire. We have to come out and dictate play right away. That was the message this morning just talked to the guys. Be ready to go from the drop of the puck, get after them, get the forecheck going. Make them play in their own end.”
Leivermann joins a defense corps that has struggled at times five-on-five without Aaron Ness, Lucas Johansen, and Vincent Iorio due to injury. Ness, who was classified as day-to-day by Bears head coach Todd Nelson, is the only rearguard that appears possible to return during the series. Ness wore a protective boot on his right foot when accepting the Canning Trophy as Eastern Conference champions last week.
“All 20 guys have to play together and work hard,” Nelson said. “Our forwards have to do a better job on the walls. We are a bit short-staffed on the backend, pretty key players for us, so we have to help out our defense and get pucks out.”
Jake Massie, who has played in 12 of the Bears’ 17 playoff games, said the team has given Leivermann encouragement and advice behind the scenes.
“Yeah, just to play his game, keep it simple,” Massie told FOX43. “He’s a hell of a player. It’s a good opportunity for him to showcase what he has and we’re excited to get him in the lineup.”
Stepping in during the middle of a playoff run is difficult, but Massie believes Leivermann will be up to the challenge.
“It’s not easy, but it comes with the preparation and that’s the important piece,” Massie said. “We’re really good as a team doing that, keeping the guys that aren’t in ready to go. And we’re going to showcase that.”
The Bears trail the Firebirds 2-1 in the championship series. Puck drop for Game 4 is at Acrisure Arena at 10 pm Eastern Time.
