Ethan Bear

Ethan Bear (born June 26, 1997) is a Cree-Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the fifth round, 124th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He represents Canada internationally, and won the gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.

Playing career

Bear was drafted in the fifth round in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Oilers on July 2, 2016. Bear made his NHL debut on March 1, 2018, in a game against the Nashville Predators. He recorded his first NHL goal in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks on March 25, 2018.

Bear was the first player to wear a jersey with his name written in Cree syllabics (; ''Maskwa'') during an exhibition match against the Calgary Flames on July 28, 2020.

On December 28, 2020, Bear signed a two-year, $4 million contract extension with the Oilers.

After his fourth year within the Oilers organization, Bear was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Warren Foegele on July 28, 2021. In the following 2021–22 season, Bear tied a career-high with five goals and added nine assists for 14 points through 58 regular season games. Struggling to fully adjust to the Hurricanes' system, Bear was a healthy scratch through two rounds of the playoffs.

As a restricted free agent in the off-season, Bear was re-signed by the Hurricanes to a one-year, $2.2million contract on July28, 2022. Beginning the 2022–23 season as a healthy scratch, Bear was traded by the Hurricanes alongside Lane Pederson to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick.

After injuring his shoulder while playing in the 2023 IIHF World Championship, Bear had to rest for six months after receiving surgery. Following the surgery, he was not issued a qualifying offer by the Canucks. As Bear emerged from his recovery as an unrestricted free agent, Canucks insider Chris Johnston reported that, alongside the Canucks, the Washington Capitals and the Toronto Maple Leafs expressed interest in signing him. An unnamed source told Postmedia that the Canucks' available cap space stopped them from re-signing Bear for the 2023–24 season. Bear signed a two-year, $4.125million contract with the Washington Capitals on December28, 2023. He debuted for the Capitals on December30, 2023, against the Nashville Predators.

After playing 24 games with Washington, Bear entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in March 2024. He was cleared to return to the team at the end of April. On October 3, 2024, the Capitals placed Bear on waivers. After clearing waivers, Bear began the 2024–25 season playing with the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Appearing in 62 games, he led Hershey in scoring with 46 points, and tied for the league lead in plus minus rating (+33). In recognition of his play, Bear was named to the Second All-Star Team.

International play

On May 5, 2023, Bear was named to Canada men's national ice hockey team at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, where he was scoreless in eight games. He won a gold medal, although a slash from Kasperi Kapanen at the end of the quarterfinal against Finland forced him to miss his team's final two games.

Personal life

Bear was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. Of Cree descent, he was raised on the Ochapowace Nation near Whitewood, Saskatchewan. His older brother, Everett, also played hockey. While growing up, he faced racism from hockey fans who stereotyped him as a "lazy" player, which motivated him to work harder. He drew inspiration from his brother and other Indigenous hockey players, including Carey Price, Jordin Tootoo, Brandon Montour, Arron Asham, and Micheal Ferland. In the summer, he runs a youth hockey camp in Ochapowace.

In October 2021, Bear and Lenasia Ned got engaged. In January 2023, Ned gave birth to their first child, a daughter. The couple married in Kelowna, British Columbia, in July 2023. They welcomed a second daughter in July 2024.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honours

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bear, Ethan
1997 births
Living people
Bakersfield Condors players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Carolina Hurricanes players
Cree sportspeople
Edmonton Oilers draft picks
Edmonton Oilers players
First Nations sportspeople
Hershey Bears players
Ice hockey people from Regina, Saskatchewan
People from Whitewood, Saskatchewan
Seattle Thunderbirds players
Vancouver Canucks players
Washington Capitals players
21st-century Canadian sportsmen