It’s the end of the 2022-23 season for the Hershey Bears, and that means it’s time to crown the winners of the second annual Bears Hockey Nation Player Awards! The same categories based on some of our favorite Bears of all time return for this year’s show, with a special thanks to Carl Minieri for his photos for each category. We’ll start with a rare exception for this season for the first award.
Aaron Ness Outstanding Defenseman Award – This award goes the Hershey blue liner who contributes the best all-around performance this season, inspired by legendary defensemen Aaron Ness, who contributed an AHL best 55 points (five goals, 50 assists) during the 2018-19 season and has since gone on to represent the United States in the Olympic Games in 2022. Ness played for the Bears for four seasons and his contributions at the blue line were a key reason for Hershey’s success, including a trip to the Calder Cup Finals in 2016.
This season, Aaron Ness has returned to the Bears lineup and earns his own award in a rare event alongside rookie defenseman Vincent Iorio as this season’s co-winners. Ness has been a steadying presence on Hershey’s back end, seldom missing a game and becoming the 48th person to skate in 300 games in a Bears sweater at the end of March. Iorio, the rookie blue liner and one of the top prospects of the Washington Capitals, has become a fan favorite overnight and has quickly adapted to the professional ranks, making his NHL debut earlier this season. Iorio memorably scored his first AHL goal as an overtime game-winner over the Bridgeport Islanders on November 11.
Nathan Walker Unsung Hero – This award goes to the Bears player who succeeds under the radar, inspired by long time Hershey forward Nathan Walker. The first Australian to play in the AHL, Walker skated in 300 regular season games for the Bears and became an irreplaceable part of the team’s identity during his time here. Walker has gone on to play for the St. Louis Blues where he’s made an impact and stuck on the roster thanks to his hard work and energetic style that earned him the nickname “Stormy”.
This year’s winner is forward Riley Sutter, who might not appear on as many highlight-reels as others but has carved himself a niche as a valuable penalty killer and identity player. Whether it’s a key faceoff win or standing in the way of a blast from a player like Martin Frk, Sutter lays it all on the line for his team – and it doesn’t hurt that he’s set a new personal best for points and goals along the way as an irreplaceable part of the fourth line that’s only gotten better as time goes on.
Riley Barber Outstanding Forward Award – This award goes to the player who lights the lamp and does it all for the Chocolate and White, much like former Bear Riley Barber. Barber turned pro during the 2015-16 season and spent four years in Hershey, scoring 20 or more goals in three seasons while eclipsing the 30 goal mark during the 2018-19 season when he had a career high 60 point season. Barber, simply put, was a player who would burn the opposition with the puck on his stick.
Connor McMichael takes the award for providing another dimension to Hershey’s forward group since his assignment from the NHL. He continues to prove that he dominates at this level, taking a key center position and adding to the team’s ability to just roll one deadly line after another. He had a streak of ten consecutive games with a point to help Hershey clinch a playoff spot, and left his previous bests in the AHL in the dust along the way.
Travis Boyd Team MVP Award – Over the course of three full seasons and parts of three others, Travis Boyd racked up so many memorable goals over the years. His three playoff goals as a part of the Bears were all game winners, including the Game 7 overtime winner against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs. One of many players to go on to hoist the Stanley Cup in Washington and stay in the NHL, Boyd was a cornerstone of Hershey’s success in that era of the team’s history.
Ethen Frank has been outstanding in his rookie season for the Bears, taking records and honors all along the way. From breaking records in the AHL All-Star Game and lighting up the scoreboard to the tune of being the leading goal scorer among rookies in the league, the puck just finds Frank’s stick. It’s led to a contract at the NHL level for next season as well as the AHL’s All-Rookie team nomination, just the fifth Bear to ever earn the nod.
Vitek Vanecek Outstanding Goaltender – Not many goaltenders will go down in the storied history of the Hershey Bears as beloved as goaltender Vitek Vanecek. “VV” was beloved for his short but memorable postgame remarks to the fans at Giant Center that differed significantly from how the first star is typically recognized, and he quickly became a fan favorite who has also graduated to the NHL ranks. In Vanecek’s first appearance back to Hershey a year ago, the fans responded accordingly with a memorable game at Giant Center.
It’s the second straight year that a Bears tandem earns the award with Hunter Shepard and Zach Fucale are the co-winners. The top tandem in the AHL in terms of goals against average, the duo have had each other’s back at every turn this season. Shepard has been amongst the league’s best goaltenders in all statistical categories and Fucale has often come through with a major performance in a win. Shepard memorably made a highlight-reel save back in November that grabbed headlines.
Garrett Mitchell/Liam O’Brien Character Award – If there’s anything that can make a player endearing to Hershey fans, it’s hardworking players who bring a variety of qualities to the table that make them ideal leaders. Mitchell was captain of the Bears and brought leadership, dropped the gloves at times, and had a knack for scoring big goals in his time in Hershey. It’s no wonder he went on to become captain of the Rockford IceHogs not long after leaving Hershey, and still lives there in the offseason. A similar story could be told of O’Brien, who played in Hershey for many years and similarly brought many intangible qualities that very easily could have made him captain of the Bears. It’s no secret both players were beloved by Bears fans for those reasons.
This award will belong to a plethora of Bears players, which speaks to the team effort the team has brought about all season long. Hershey’s depth has long been a staple of the team’s success, players who haven’t gotten into the lineup in every game but when they do, they have an ability to elevate their game and seamlessly take over that spot. Jake Massie, Logan Day, Shane Gersich, Matt Strome, and Julian Napravnik have all had to wait patiently for their turn at times to get into the lineup, but have often stepped up at key times for important performances. It all adds up to what has been irreplaceable points for the Bears and a key reason why the team has a first round bye in contrast to a year ago.
Congrats to all of this year’s winners from Bears Hockey Nation!
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