The Hershey Bears have a new captain.
Hershey named defenseman Louie Belpedio the 47th captain in franchise history on Friday, succeeding Aaron Ness, who retired over the offseason.
Jonny Brodzinski and Jacob MacDonald will serve as alternate captains at home, while Josh Dunne and Spencer Smallman will wear the “A” on the road.
Belpedio becomes the third consecutive defenseman to captain the Bears, following Dylan McIlrath (2022-24) and Ness (2024-26).
The 30-year-old Belpedio served as an alternate captain last season while leading Hershey’s defensemen with a career-high 34 points (9g, 25a). He was also named the team’s top defenseman, winning the Milton W. Garland Award, and scored Hershey’s Teddy Bear Toss goal against Rockford in January.
Belpedio has appeared in 476 career AHL games with Iowa, Laval, Lehigh Valley, and Hershey, recording 186 points (53g, 133a). Before joining the Bears, he spent three seasons as an alternate captain with rival Lehigh Valley. He has also played 16 games in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers.
Hershey’s new alternate captains also bring a bevy of experience to the room.
Brodzinski previously captained the Hartford Wolf Pack and has played 264 NHL games. He signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Washington Capitals over the summer after spending last season with the New York Rangers, scoring three goals in two preseason games before becoming one of the final cuts of Training Camp.
MacDonald is one of the AHL’s most accomplished active defensemen. He won the Eddie Shore Award as the league’s top defenseman in 2024-25 after scoring an AHL-record 31 goals from the blue line and leading all defensemen with 55 points.
Dunne spent most of last season in the NHL with Buffalo, appearing in 34 games before the Capitals signed him to a one-year deal this summer. Smallman, meanwhile, returns for his third season in Hershey after already serving in the Bears’ leadership group last year.
One notable omission from the group is Matt Strome, who is entering his fifth season in Hershey and signed a one-year contract extension in August. Many believe Strome is captain material, but he’s not expected to be a lock in the every-game lineup this season because of the team’s depth and his veteran status, leaving him the odd man out. Strome still remains a big part of the leadership group inside the room, despite not officially having a letter.
The Bears’ prior experience in a similar situation involved Garrett Mitchell, who was the team’s captain in 2018. Mitchell was scratched on and off, creating a non-ideal situation for the team on the ice.
Hershey opens the 2026-27 regular season on Saturday night against the Charlotte Checkers at Giant Center. Puck drop is at 6 pm.
Hershey Bears’ opening night roster
Forwards (19)
Joey Anderson
Sam Bitten
Jonny Brodzinski
Andrew Cristall
Grant Cruikshank
Josh Dunne
Tyler Kopff
Lynden Lakovic
Jalen Luypen
Eriks Mateiko
Theodor Niederbach
Terik Parascak
Ludwig Persson
Petr Sikora
Spencer Smallman
Dalton Smith
Matt Strome
Alex Suzdalev
Bogdan Trineyev
Defensemen (8)
Cam Allen
Louie Belpedio
Ryan Chesley
David Gucciardi
Justin Holl
Jacob MacDonald
Jon McDonald
Leon Muggli
Goaltenders (3)
Garin Bjorklund
Mitch Gibson
Cal Petersen
