The Hershey Bears have swapped goaltenders with their ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays.
Hershey announced they have re-assigned netminder Garin Bjorklund to the Stingrays on Tuesday. The move comes as Bjorklund has struggled in his last six starts, and Mitch Gibson has impressed in his four December appearances for the team.
Gibson has been with the Bears since early December, after the Capitals had to recall both Clay Stevenson and Bjorklund to fill in for an injured Charlie Lindgren.
After an impressive preseason, Bjorklund, a Capitals 2020 sixth-round pick, has struggled to adapt to the AHL. In his last six starts, he has allowed four goals per game, winning just one of those appearances. Overall, this season, the 23-year-old backstop is 4-5-1 with a 3.37 goals-against average, a .884 save percentage, and one shutout.
Gibson, a 2018 fourth-round pick, has been dominant since taking some of the workload from Bjorklund and Stevenson. In his four games for the Bears, he is 3-1 with a 1.51 goals-against average, a .944 save percentage, and one shutout.
“Our goalies have been good all year,” Bears head coach Derek King said earlier this month. “I’m sure there’s a couple games where they felt they could have been a little better for us, but they’ve been good all year. Gibby comes in like that, and he’s been outstanding. Hopefully, we can keep him around for a while.”
Bjorklund will likely be the new number-one in South Carolina, where he’ll re-form a goaltending tandem with Seth Eisele. In 29 games with the Stingrays last year, Bjorklund was 21-4-3 with a 2.02 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage, and one shutout.
The Bears are currently riding a three-game losing streak, with their next game coming on New Year’s Eve against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
BEARS ANNOUNCE TRANSACTIONS WITH SOUTH CAROLINA
Goaltender Garin Bjorklund re-assigned to Stingrays; Forward Justin Nachbaur loaned to South Carolina
(Hershey, PA – December 30, 2025) – The Washington Capitals, the National Hockey League affiliate of the Hershey Bears, announced today that they have re-assigned goaltender Garin Bjorklund from Hershey to the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL). Additionally, the Bears have loaned forward Justin Nachbaur to South Carolina.
Bjorklund, 23, has appeared in 10 games for Hershey this season, posting a 4-5-1 record with a 3.37 goals-against average, an .884 save percentage, and one shutout.
The Alberta native returns to South Carolina where last season with the Stingrays he posted a 21-4-3 record with a 2.02 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage, and one shutout in 29 games. He ranked second in the ECHL in goals-against average and third in save percentage, helping the Stingrays capture the Brabham Cup championship as the ECHL team with the best record in the regular season.
Nachbaur, 25, has appeared in 15 games with Hershey this season, recording one assist and 41 penalty minutes. He has dropped the gloves five times for the Chocolate and White during the 2025-26 campaign.
The Cross Lake, Manitoba native returns to South Carolina where he spent the majority of the 2024-25 season. Last year with the Stingrays, Nachbaur skated in 48 games and recorded 28 points (12g, 16a) while leading the club with 173 penalty minutes.
In his professional career, Nachbaur has appeared in 151 ECHL games with Greenville, Kansas City, and South Carolina, collecting 79 points (39g, 40a) and 447 penalty minutes. His American Hockey League resume includes 27 career games with Charlotte, Ontario, and Hershey, logging 72 penalty minutes.
