Five Bears set for restricted free agency after career years

As members of the Hershey Bears packed their equipment before heading home for the summer, five players prepared for free agency for the first time in their careers.

Travis Boyd, Nathan Walker, Liam O’Brien, Chandler Stephenson, and Christian Djoos are all set to become restricted free agents this summer. While typically restricted free agents are locks to be re-signed, due to the current standing of the Washington Capitals organization, no qualifying offer is promised this offseason.

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No reasons to be disappointed in Vanecek’s first season in Hershey

At only 21-years-old, Vitek Vanecek had one of the best seasons a goalie could have at his age in the AHL. The young netminder went 18-10-7 in the regular season with five shutouts, despite a very rough month at the end of December through the end of January, where he went 0-5-2.

“I’ve said this to a number of people, you take out four weeks of his season, his numbers are excellent,” said head coach Troy Mann after the Bears game seven loss. “It’s unfortunate we played Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre for that stretch of hockey late-December and early-January.”

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Synonymous with Hershey Bears Hockey, Bourque, Mitchell prepare for free agency

If you were to ask a person from Central Pennsylvania to name a Hershey Bear, even if they had only been to a few games over the last 10 years, you will likely hear one of two names: Garrett Mitchell or Chris Bourque.

Mitchell, 25, and Bourque, 31, are both set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1 after each signing two-year contracts before the 2015-16 season. The two were leaders within Hershey’s locker room that set the standard for how you should hold yourself as a member of the Bears and brought stability to the club.

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Jakub Vrana on late season struggles: “It’s behind me now.”

It was a familiar scene for Jakub Vrana Friday morning at Giant Center. For the third year in a row, he was packing his hockey equipment in a large red Washington Capitals bag before heading home for the summer. At only 21, Vrana is viewed as the Capitals top prospect, but a tumultuous finish to his second full season as a professional, he finds himself in a tough situation.

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‘Uncle Gibby’ Tom Gilbert brought more than experience to Hershey

Tyler Lewington already had a connection to Tom Gilbert when the veteran NHL defenseman arrived in Hershey. Actually, it was better than a connection: it was a pair of Gilbert’s skates.

“I bought a used pair of his skates when I was younger,” said Lewington during the Bears locker cleanout day. “He’s a guy everyone looks to; he’s got a calming factor. If you’re having a bad game or whatever the case may be, he puts you at ease. Off the ice, he was the best. We called him Uncle Gibby.”

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Chris Bourque Sets AHL All-Time Playoff Assist Record

Chris Bourque is a really good hockey player. He’s also been consistently one of the best Calder Cup Playoff performers in the history of the league. That is why on Sunday afternoon in Providence he became the American Hockey League’s all-time Calder Cup playoff assist leader with 81 helpers.

The record we all thought was originally broken last Sunday became reality when Bourque fed defenseman Madison Bowey a pass in overtime. Bowey sent home a wrister from the point to give Hershey a 3-2 series lead over the Providence Bruins.

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Pheonix Copley to Miss Game Five with Lower Body Injury

When goaltender Pheonix Copley was injured in game four of the Atlantic Divison Finals Friday night in Providence, both Bears players and fans alike held their breath. Copley had been stellar in the first two games on the road in the series, but now the Chocolate and White turn to Vitek Vanecek as Copley will miss game five due to his injury.

Vanecek, who has not allowed a goal in his last 104 minutes played, will get the nod on Sunday. The 21-year-old netminder faced nine shots after replacing Copley with only 42 seconds remaining in the second period.

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