HERSHEY, PA — The biggest surprise to make the Washington Capitals’ Opening Night roster was Dylan McIlrath, who re-graduated to the NHL at age 32. But with the three-time Calder Cup champion up from Hershey, another player had to be moved out. That player ended up being defenseman Ethan Bear.
While the Capitals hosted their home opener against the New Jersey Devils on October 12, the Hershey Bears held their banner-raising night 132 miles north. Bear played his first game in the AHL since May 10, 2019 — a span of 5 years, 5 months, and 2 days — when he was a member of the Bakersfield Condors, the Edmonton Oilers’ minor-league affiliate.
Bear scored a goal for Hershey in his debut — his first tally in any league since January 16 with the Capitals — as the back-to-back Calder Cup champions defeated the Cleveland Monsters 7-3, riding an Ethen Frank hat trick.
“It just feels so good to play again,” Bear told RMNB after the game. “I’m happy I’m down here, and I don’t have to be worried about being in and out of the lineup, not getting a groove going. With how I struggled last year, this is exactly what I needed. Just to kind of get my confidence going, feel a puck, play a lot of minutes. This is just exactly what I needed. And I’m happy to be here. It’s a fun group to be around.
“To score, it just helps my confidence down the road,” he added. “It’s been a while since I scored a goal. It’s a good feeling to have.”
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, who had been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury throughout his career, re-aggravated the issue while playing for Team Canada in the 2023 IIHF World Championship. He opted to have surgery to fix the problem altogether that June. Once he finished rehabbing, he signed a two-year, $4.125 million contract with the Capitals on December 28, 2023.
The puck-moving defenseman impressed head coach Spencer Carbery in his first two games with the team, but he scuffled in the weeks after, playing in 24 games total by year’s end. He finished the 2023-24 season in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, receiving three months of support away from the rink.
Bear returned to the Capitals at Training Camp and played in three preseason games. While the Capitals sported a positive differential in five-on-five shot attempts with Bear on the ice (51-38), the team was below water in high-danger chances (13-8) and expected goals for percentage (48.8). The Capitals scored four five-on-five goals with Bear playing but also gave up four. The Capitals officially put the rearguard on NHL waivers on October 4 and assigned him to Hershey the next day.
“[The Capitals] were very clear,” Bear said of meeting with team brass before going to the AHL. “They just want me to play more games. I haven’t played a lot of hockey in the last year and a half. And yeah, I need to play. I need to get my reps in. It doesn’t help me if I’m being in and out of the lineup and waiting for somebody to make a mistake or the team to lose. I need to be ready with all my confidence and trust in my abilities. I can’t be worrying about making a mistake out there, not in the NHL.
“I’m just here to have fun and get my confidence up and work hard,” he added. “Obviously, my goal is to get back to the NHL. And honestly, I think this is the best thing for me. And to play with this group, there’s a lot of good hockey players on this team. A lot of players who I think deserve a chance in the NHL at some point, so it makes it fun. The atmosphere is great in the dressing room. The coaches are fantastic. At the end of the day, it’s just a lot of fun to play with a good group, and especially when we win games.”
Since arriving in Hershey, Bear has played in the team’s first eight games, primarily suiting up on the right of the third pairing with Hardy Häman Aktell. He’s posted one goal and three assists. The four points matched his production in 24 games with the Capitals last year.
“Hardy’s a good player,” Bear said. “He’s very steady, he talks. And yeah, I think he moves the puck well. I can trust him out there.”
Wednesday, Bear sat out his first game of the season: Hershey’s 2-1 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Giant Center. The reason why, though, could be related to a return to the NHL.
Tuesday, the Capitals lost Jakob Chychrun to a lower-body injury, and at Wednesday morning’s skate, the team was without Alex Alexeyev due to personal reasons. With the team already missing Matt Roy, who got injured during the first game of the year, they are down to five defensemen, which could necessitate a recall on Thursday morning.
“The fans, you can tell they really enjoy hockey,” Bear said. “And it’s amazing when you come to a team who’s won and they definitely have a lot of support. If you’re playing in the AHL, this is the spot to be.”
