The Washington Capitals did not lose either Ethan Bear or Mike Sgarbossa on waivers after both players cleared, Saturday.
Bear and Sgarbossa were waived on Friday, helping the Capitals cut their Training Camp roster down to 26 healthy players. Both skaters will now report to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, who completed the second game of their three-game preseason on Friday night.
Everyone else cleared
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 5, 2024
Bear played in three preseason games for the Capitals, skating 63:22 of total ice time, which was second on the team. He has not played games in the AHL since the 2018-19 season, when he recorded 31 points (6g, 25a) in 52 games for the Bakersfield Condors.
The 27-year-old defender has one year remaining on his contract at a $2.1 million cap hit. The one-way nature of his contract means he will be paid the same amount of money with the Bears that he would be getting paid with the Capitals.
Sgarbossa played in four games for Washington this preseason, failing to get on the scoresheet with any points. He played 44 games for Todd Nelson’s Bears last year, amassing 43 points (7g, 36a).
The 32-year-old forward is also in the last year of his contract with the club. He will get paid $250,000 less playing in the minors.
Washington also waived forward Luke Philp on Friday, and he cleared on Saturday. All three players will join a Bears team that plays its final preseason game on Saturday night. Hershey then has a week off before starting their regular season against the Cleveland Monsters on October 12.
#Caps loan defenseman Ethan Bear and forwards Mike Sgarbossa and Luke Philp to the Hershey Bears (AHL).
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 5, 2024
Hershey also made some roster moves after the assignments from Washington. Here’s their full release:
SGARBOSSA RETURNS AS BEARS ANNOUNCE TRAINING CAMP ROSTER MOVES
Hershey gets forwards Mike Sgarbossa and Luke Philp and defenseman Ethan Bear on loan from Washington
(Hershey, PA – October 5, 2024) – The 2024 Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears have announced multiple changes to the club’s 2024 Training Camp roster.
The Washington Capitals, the National Hockey League affiliate of the Bears, announced today that forwards Luke Philp and Mike Sgarbossa, as well as defenseman Ethan Bear have been loaned to Hershey.
Philp, 28, played in just 15 games last season with the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs after missing the majority of the season due to an injury. He posted six points (2g, 4a) and added another two points (1g, 1a) in four playoff games. In 2022-23, he was named Rockford’s most valuable player, leading the team in goals (29), power play goals (11), plus/minus (17), and finishing second in shorthanded goals (2), and third in points (53).
Sgarbossa, 32, returns for his seventh season with the Bears. He split time with Hershey and Washington last season, skating in 44 games for the Bears, striking for 43 points (7g, 36a), while adding seven points (4g, 3a) in 25 games for Washington.
The veteran center has scored 237 career points (86g, 151a) in 262 games with the Bears as was part of the club’s 2023 Calder Cup Championship squad. He has scored four or more points four times with Hershey, posting 58 points in 2022-23 and 65 points in 2018-19 to lead the club.
Bear, 27, skated in 24 games with the Capitals last season, scoring four points (1g, 3a). He has appeared in 275 career NHL games with Edmonton, Carolina, Vancouver, and Washington, tallying 112 points (17g, 50a). His last AHL action came in 2018-19 when he scored 31 points (6g, 25a) in 52 games for the Bakersfield Condors.
The Bears also announced that forwards Austin Magera and Erik Middendorf have been assigned to the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, while forward Ryan Leibold has been released from his tryout agreement and will report to South Carolina.
The Bears conclude the preseason when they visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms tonight at 7:05 p.m. at PPL Center. Hershey opens the 2024-25 regular season, presented by Penn State Health, when they host the Cleveland Monsters on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center.
