The Hershey Bears promoted center Ryan Hofer back up to the AHL team on Thursday. Hofer was previously re-assigned to the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays on November 19, 2024 allowing the team to recall the Stingrays’ then-leading scorer, Grant Cruikshank.
The defensive-minded Hofer returns as two of the team’s talented checking line forwards, center Riley Sutter and Bogdan Trineyev, have missed time lately due to injury. Sutter could be nearing a return though as he practiced fully at Thursday’s practice per Bears Hockey Nation.
Your good news from practice: Riley Sutter is skating in a non-contact jersey! pic.twitter.com/HOI0s14EaK
— Bears Hockey Nation (@HBHNationBlog) January 16, 2025
Hofer scored seven points (5g, 2a) in 21 appearances with the ECHL team, but seemed to find his footing recently, tallying four points (2g, 2a) in his last five games.
Like fellow Capitals prospects Zac Funk and Alexander Suzdalev, Hofer, a 2022 sixth-round draft pick by the Capitals, got caught up in a numbers game this season and appeared in only four games for the Bears during his previous stint.
Here’s the press release from the Hershey Bears:
FORWARD RYAN HOFER RE-ASSIGNED TO HERSHEY
Second-year pro has four points over his last five games in South Carolina
(Hershey, PA–Jan. 16, 2025) – The Washington Capitals, the National Hockey League affiliate of the Hershey Bears, announced that forward Ryan Hofer has been re-assigned to Hershey from the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays.
Hofer, 22, has appeared in 21 games with South Carolina this season, scoring seven points (5g, 2a) and logging 28 penalty minutes. He has posted four points (2g, 2a) over his last five outings.
With the Bears this season, Hofer has appeared in four games. In his rookie campaign in 2023-24, the Winnipeg, Manitoba native scored eight points (4g, 4a) in 40 regular season games for the Chocolate and White. He served as Black Ace during the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs as Hershey won its 13th title.
Hofer was selected in the sixth round, 181st overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Capitals.
