The Hershey Bears have re-signed forward Steve Whitney and goaltender Parker Milner to one-year AHL contracts for the upcoming 2019-20 season.
Milner becomes the fifth goaltender under contract with the Capitals organization for the upcoming season, joining Braden Holtby, Pheonix Copley, Ilya Samsonov, and Logan Thompson, who was signed last week. Vitek Vanecek will be a restricted free agent after this season.
Donegal Insurance Group On The Move: The Bears have re-signed forward Steve Whitney (@stevewhit21) and goaltender Parker Milner (@milzy35), to one-year, AHL contracts for the 2019-20 season. #HBHhttps://t.co/8fqq1RquvK pic.twitter.com/qmtR3rtzLG
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 28, 2019
In 14 appearances, Milner went 6-7-1 with the Bears last season, including a 3.16 goals against average and a .898 save percentage. During the 2017-18 season with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, Milner
was named ECHL Goaltender of the Year honors after he posted a 28-7-3 record with a 1.86 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Forward Steve Whitney’s journey to the Hershey Bears was a long one. After a strong performance at the college level with the Boston College Eagles, Whitney signed as an undrafted free agent with the Ducks. He asked to be released from the two-year, two-way entry-level contract early. After passing through unconditional waivers, he went from the Ducks’ AHL affiliate the Norfolk Admirals, to the Nashville Predators’ ECHL affiliate the Florida Everglades. After one season with the Everglades, he went back to the Admirals for two years.
He ended up in the Capitals’ organization when he signed with their ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, ahead of the 2017-18 season. He moved back up to the AHL one year later when he was signed by the Hershey Bears.
He played 60 regular season games with the Bears in 2018-19, putting up 16 points in 60 regular season games and 3 points in 9 postseason games.
More from the Bears:
Hershey, PA-May 28, 2019)-The Hershey Bears announced today that the club has re-signed forward Steve Whitney and goaltender Parker Milner to one-year, American Hockey League contracts for the 2019-20 season.
Whitney, 28, skated in 60 games for the Chocolate and White in 2018-19, scoring 16 points (nine goals, seven assists). Three of Whitney’s goals were game-winning tallies, and one marker came on the power play. The native of Reading, Massachusetts also added three points (one goal, two assists) in nine playoff games with the Bears, including scoring in Hershey’s series-clinching Game 5 victory in the opening round of the playoffs at Bridgeport.
The winger has skated in 133 career AHL games with Norfolk and Hershey, notching 43 points (22 goals, 21 assists). He spent the 2017-18 campaign with Hershey’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, finishing second on the team with 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists) in 59 games. He’s played in 150 career ECHL games with Florida, Norfolk, and South Carolina, scoring 125 points (49 goals, 76 assists). A former standout at Boston College, Whitney won the National Championship with the Eagles in 2010 and 2012, and was named the recipient of the Walter Brown Award his senior year, an honor given to the top American-born college hockey player.
Milner, 28, appeared in three games for the Bears last season, recording a 2-1-0 record with a 2.28 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. Over the past three seasons, Milner has appeared in 14 games with Hershey with a 6-7-1 record, a 3.16 goals against average, and a .898 save percentage.
Milner went 19-17-3 with a 2.95 goals against average and a .912 save percentage in 40 games with South Carolina of the ECHL last season. The Pittsburgh native was named the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Year following the 2017-18 regular season when he posted a 28-7-3 record with a 1.86 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.
Like Whitney, Milner is a Boston College product, and helped the Eagles to National Championships in 2010 and 2012. He was the MVP of the 2012 NCAA Tournament and a member of the All-Tournament Team.
Headline photo: @milzy35
