It's a given that as the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Washington Capitals, a major priority of the Hershey Bears will be to give NHL-contracted prospects playing time.
But Capitals and Bears management also make it a point to sprinkle the roster with AHL-contracted players who can either make valuable contributions (typically in the form of talented and more experienced veterans in their late 20s and up) or provide depth (younger players that have spent their careers in either the AHL or the "AA" ECHL).
In the case of the latter, there are several AHL-contracted players in camp who are hopeful their performance in this week's practice, scrimmages, and exhibition games will leave an impact in the eyes of the coaches and be enough to make the Opening Night roster - and for that matter, to stick around.
Nicky Leivermann knows the challenge in Hershey all too well. The defenseman made the team out of camp as a rookie last season, but he had to wait to make his AHL debut until the team's fourth game of the season, a road contest on Oct. 21 at Providence; he had to sit out three games before getting into his second match, and another six games after that before getting into his third.
Despite the fact that the Bears had won all three of the games in which he earned a sweater, with Leivermann even chipping in his first pro point - an assist - in the club's Nov. 17 win vs. Bridgeport, it became clear that the defender would stand to benefit from some seasoning with Hershey's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays.
Leivermann would not play another regular season game for the Bears in 2023-24, but posted a respectable 34 points in 43 contests for South Carolina. After the Stingrays missed the playoffs, the blueliner found himself recalled to Hershey to serve as a Black Ace during the Calder Cup Playoffs, and incredibly, found himself thrust into the lineup - paired alongside captain Dylan McIlrath, no less - for Games 4, 5, and 6 of the Calder Cup Finals, helping his team capture a second straight title and re-signing with the Bears on July 3.
"There were a lot of highs, obviously in the Finals, and some lows too, getting sent down, but I learned a lot as a player and a person, which is always the best part," Leivermann acknowledged. "Overall I thought last year was a good campaign, but I'm more excited for Year Two."
Consistency is the oft-repeated mantra for Leivermann and his camp-mates.
"[I'm focused on] making sure every game I'm doing what I can do and bringing my skill set to the table," Leivermann said. "But at the same time, you have to minimize your mistakes and prove that you can be out there night in and night out."
One of Leivermann's teammates with South Carolina is hoping to take the next step forward and potentially make his AHL debut this season. Forward Austin Magera led South Carolina in scoring in 2023-24 with 29 goals and 74 assists and took home the John A. Daley Memorial Trophy as the ECHL Rookie of the Year.
The Suwanee, Georgia native is not sitting on his laurels, however.
"I definitely thought I had a really good year, but I'm not really looking back on that," Magera said. "I just want to keep getting better, play my game, be a playmaker, help the team as much as I can, and just try to be a team player all around with a strong 200-foot game."
Magera has also been able to benefit from not just having instruction from Hershey's coaches being present, but his coaches in South Carolina have been on the ice at GIANT Center as well this week, with Stingrays head coach Jared Nightingale and assistant coach Scott Davidson helping run drills.
"It's good to get a good laugh with them too with them being here, keeping me comfortable and talking," Magera said. "Since coming here, everyone's super nice, everyone's very welcoming, especially a lot of the vets and older guys - they're basically teaching all of us new guys coming into the camp what to do, how to be like a champion, the work ethic."
Work ethic is something forward Justin Nachbaur put on display Wednesday morning, jamming the puck past a goaltender for one of his team's two goals in an intrasquad scrimmage. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward is entering his fourth season of pro hockey, but has spent the majority of his time in the ECHL, with only eight AHL contests split between Charlotte and Ontario under his belt. He nevertheless is determined to make an impact in camp.
"Being able to stick around full-time in the American League, you've just got to be consistent every day. Every day is a new day to get better, and you've got to put your best foot forward all the time," Nachbaur said. "You have to work your hardest to be here - it's not an easy thing to get to do, but it's a privilege to be here."
Does Nachbaur think he scored some brownie points with his goal today?
"I'm not usually much of a goal-scorer, but whenever I do get them, it feels great," Nachbaur smiled. "But I just like to keep my game simple - simple and hard is my rule, but it's always nice to score a goal."
All three players, among others, are helping breed intense competition in camp. It's what Bears head coach Todd Nelson likes to see, especially heading into Thursday morning's game at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to open the preseason slate.
"I'm looking for those players to play their role," Nelson said "They were picked by our scouts to compliment what we already have here in Hershey, and we just want them to play their role, and bring what they're good at to the table."
While he is still waiting to see who truly can separate themselves from the rest of the pack, Nelson conceded that part of Nachbaur's game does provide a possible incentive for the coaching staff to give the forward an extended look, in light of the fact that McIlrath - Hershey's bruising veteran defenseman - remains up in camp with the NHL's Washington Capitals.
"You look at a guy like Nachbaur: he's an up-and-down [the ice] winger, big body, and he does some heavy lifting out there protecting his teammates," Nelson said. "With the absence of a guy like Dylan McIlrath, we're looking at him in these games to just go up there and play his game or if something happens, he could stand up for his teammates."
Written by Jesse Liebman, Hershey Bears media specialist.
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