The Hershey Bears re-signed defenseman Nicky Leivermann to a one-year AHL contract on Tuesday afternoon.
Leivermann, 26, played his first full season with the Bears this past year after turning pro during the 2023-24 campaign. The former Notre Dame standout recorded 16 points (3g, 13a) in 37 games and played in four playoff games.
Leivermann played most of the 2023-24 season with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, but after a rash of postseason injuries was called into action for the Bears during the 2024 Calder Cup Finals. Head coach Todd Nelson put Leivermann on the team’s first pairing with Dylan McIlrath, and the club won three games in a row to take home their second championship in as many years.
The Minnesota native is a 2017 seventh-round draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche, but never played a game in the organization.
Leivermann’s re-signing is the third move made to address the Bears’ depth on defense this summer, following the signings of veteran rearguards Louie Belpedio and Calle Rosen to contracts by the Capitals last week.
Here’s the full press release from the Bears:
BEARS RE-SIGN DEFENSEMAN NICKY LEIVERMANN
2024 Calder Cup Champion had 16 points in 37 games last season for Hershey
(Hershey, PA – July 8, 2025) – The Hershey Bears announced today that the club has re-signed defenseman Nicky Leivermann to an American Hockey League contract for the 2025-26 season. The announcement was made by Hershey vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer.
Leivermann, 26, skated in 37 games with Hershey this past season, striking for 16 points (3g, 13a). He scored his first AHL goal on Jan. 24 at Belleville and also appeared in four playoff games with the club.
The Eden Prairie, Minnesota native helped Hershey to a 2024 Calder Cup title in his first professional season. 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 13th Calder Cup.
Leivermann’s 2024 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.
He spent the majority of the 2023-24 campaign with Hershey’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays. The Notre Dame product notched 34 points (10g, 24a) in 48 games in his rookie season with South Carolina.
