One of the most accomplished defensemen in Hershey Bears history is calling it a career.
Hershey captain Aaron Ness announced his retirement from professional hockey on Tuesday, bringing an end to a 16-year career that included more than 800 AHL games, two Calder Cup championships with the Bears, and 72 NHL appearances.
“Wearing the Hershey Bears jersey and serving as your captain has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I will always be grateful for what we shared together,” Ness wrote in a letter to fans published on HersheyBears.com. “While it’s difficult to step away from the game, I leave with nothing but gratitude and pride. Hockey will always be a part of me and Hershey will always feel like home.”
Ness, 36, spent parts of eight seasons with Hershey across two stints from 2015-19 and 2022-26. He appeared in 466 regular-season games with the Bears, recording 33 goals and 155 assists for 188 points. His 466 games played rank 19th in franchise history and seventh among defensemen.
The veteran blueliner was a key piece of Hershey’s back-to-back Calder Cup championship teams in 2023 and 2024 before being named captain ahead of the 2024-25 season. He helped guide the Bears to an Atlantic Division title in his first season wearing the “C.”
“What I’ll remember most goes beyond the games and championships,” Ness added. “My kids grew up here. They spent their childhood around this team, in this arena, and surrounded by fans who treated our family with kindness everywhere we went. Some of my favorite memories are seeing them after games, celebrating wins, high-fiving fans, and feeling like they were part of the Bears family too. That means more to me than I can put into words.”
Ness leaves the Bears as the franchise’s highest-scoring American-born defenseman and holds the club record for playoff games played by a defenseman with 76.
“During his time in Hershey, Aaron Ness set a standard of what it means to be a Bear with his professionalism, work ethic, leadership, and skill, all while representing the Chocolate and White with the utmost class,” Hershey vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer said in a statement. “He was instrumental in bringing the Calder Cup back to Hershey in 2023 and 2024, and he will go down as one of the finest defensemen of his era in the American Hockey League. We wish Aaron – along with his wife, Samantha, and their three children, Carter, Henrik, and Thomas – all the best in retirement.”
Ness’s final game of his career came on May 8 when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins eliminated Hershey from the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs. After the Bears fell to the Penguins 4-1 in Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals, Ness had an extended goodbye on the Giant Center ice, waving to the crowd as he received a loud ovation back.
Aaron Ness’s final time on the ice
Inside the media room after the game, Ness was emotional and visibly tearful, knowing that his night on the ice may have been his last. But he was not yet ready to say so officially.
“I don’t know,” Ness said then. “You can’t always say 100 percent for sure. There’s a lot of things that still need to be talked about. Converse with my family and here. But obviously, this is the one place I’d want to play if I’m coming back. It’s been unbelievable. And I’ve had an absolute blast here playing with a lot of great players, a lot of great people. It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve been very lucky to do this as long as I have.”
As word of his retirement spread, Ness was saluted far and wide on social media by many of his former teammates.
“Nesser!! Congrats on an amazing ride,” Tom Wilson wrote. “You’re the man 👊🏻❤️”
“Honoured to be your teammate and friend for the past 4 years,” Matt Strome said. “Love ya, @aaron_ness1.”
“One of the best to do it,” Clay Stevenson posted. “Been a pleasure.”
“Couldn’t have asked for a better teammate and person to be around,” Mike Vecchione observed.
“What a legend,” Sam Anas said. “Champs for life!”
“Congrats on a hell of a career!” Riley Sutter concluded.
Originally selected by the New York Islanders in the second round of the 2008 NHL Draft, Ness appeared in 72 NHL games with the Islanders, Washington Capitals, and Phoenix Coyotes. He also represented Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Over his AHL career, Ness suited up for Hershey, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Tucson Roadrunners, and Providence Bruins, appearing in 818 games and collecting 339 points. His 818 games are the most ever played in the AHL by an American-born defenseman.
“The crazy part about this whole thing is, I started skating when I was two years old back home,” Ness, a Roseau, MN native, said. “You’ve been doing it for so long, you never think there’s an end.”
