Nicky Leivermann was huge for the Hershey Bears in the 2024 Calder Cup Finals. Now, he’s coming back to the team on a one-year AHL deal.
Wednesday, Leivermann became the fourth Hershey player on the day to re-sign, joining Garrett Roe, Riley Sutter, and Hardy Häman Aktell.
Leivermann’s biggest moment came late in the Hershey Bears’ playoff run and he was an unsung hero. After not playing for two-and-a-half months, Leivermann, a Bears black ace, was inserted into Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals with Aaron Ness, Lucas Johansen, and Vincent Iorio all out due to injury. Todd Nelson put Leivermann onto the first pairing with Dylan McIlrath to “fight fire with fire” as the 25-year-old rearguard was an aggressive, puck-moving defenseman.
The Bears won all three games Leivermann played in, going on to win their 13th Calder Cup. The three games were Leivermann’s first ever AHL playoff games.
Leivermann spent most of the season in the ECHL, notching 34 points (10g, 24a) in 48 games for the South Carolina Stingrays in his rookie campaign.
The Bears have also re-signed Ethen Frank, Chase Priskie, Mitch Gibson, Dmitry Osipov, and Jon McDonald to new deals while Joe Snively and Jimmy Huntington opted to move on. The Bears have signed two free agents thus far: forwards Luke Philp and Spencer Smallman.
Here’s the full press release from the Bears:
BEARS RE-SIGN NICKY LEIVERMANN FOR 2024-25 SEASON
Defender returns after stepping in during Calder Cup Finals and helping Hershey to a championship
(Hershey, PA – July 3, 2024) – The Hershey Bears announced today that the club has re-signed defenseman Nicky Leivermann to a one-year, American Hockey League contract for the 2024-25 season.
Leivermann, 25, returns to Hershey after helping the Bears to a Calder Cup title. The defender jumped into Hershey’s lineup during Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals versus Coachella Valley, making his AHL postseason debut. He skated in three games in the Finals, all wins for Hershey, as the Bears won the franchise’s record 13th Calder Cup.
Leivermann’s postseason appearances marked his first AHL action since early in the 2023-24 campaign when he played in three games for Hershey, logging one assist. He made his AHL debut on Oct. 21, 2023 at Providence.
The native of Eden Prairie, Minn., spent the majority of last season with Hershey’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays. He notched 34 points (10g, 24a) in 48 games in his rookie campaign.
