Bobby Nardella ran with his opportunity in 2019-20 as a huge boost for the Bears.
Patience was a virtue for Bobby Nardella in his first professional season with the Hershey Bears. Waiting for his turn amongst a stacked lineup of blue liners, Nardella stayed patient and made his debut for the Chocolate and White on October 23rd, eventually earning the team’s Rookie of the Year honors at the end of the season for his contributions during the season. Nardella scored four goals and 27 assists for 31 points in 41 games, providing an important weapon for the team in an offensive-minded defenseman.
It wasn’t an easy road for Nardella to make it to the Hershey lineup, but he became a key component after injuries began to mount on the blue line when Lucas Johansen, Connor Hobbs, and Colby Williams all missed significant time with injury and tested Hershey’s depth, which rose to the challenge as advertised. At a time where Hershey iced as many as three rookie defensemen in a given game, it’s a testament to both the players and the coaching staff for playing well beyond their years in a league as tough as the AHL and in the Atlantic Division, which is often the toughest.
Nardella’s first professional goal was something special. With the Bears hanging on to a 2-1 lead over rival Lehigh Valley, Nardella scored on the power play (something Hershey was struggling with at the time) with a cannon of a slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle. He ended up scoring twice on the power play and became a fixture on the man advantage group where he racked up a number of points in just 41 games played. Any time Nardella scored, it was a sight to behold such as this February 16 goal once again against the Phantoms.
It’s equally impressive that Nardella earned Rookie of the Year honors against such stiff competition in fellow rookies Alexander Alexeyev and Martin Fehervary. Nardella did grow through the season and made some rookie errors in the process, but the key was that he had the confidence in his game that really helped him bounce back. One such example came on February 9 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where Nardella turned the puck over to Isaac Ratcliffe, who scored to tie the game at two. Nardella was unphased, bouncing back to set up Matt Moulson for a tap-in that ultimately stood up as the game winner. Nardella had a season best three assists in Hershey’s 4-1 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack, a game he was also awarded the first star honors, and was only one point shy of Christian Djoos for the team lead in points among defenders, which is no small feat. Djoos only skated in one more game than Nardella for the season, and matching point totals with a highly regarded defender is a huge step for Nardella in his rookie season.
Next season will be equally challenging for Nardella as he will compete with a heavily loaded blue line for minutes while looking to repeat his stellar rookie performance. Nardella finished completely even in the plus/minus category at zero, which is a good sign towards his contributions and improvements over the course of the season. Fortunately, carving a niche as a power play specialist and point producer helps fill a need for the Bears, and should work in his favor in earning a spot in the lineup night after night. Nardella will continue to improve his defensive game, and it will continue to be a winning proposition for the Bears in the new season.
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