GRAHAM MINK IS BACK IN THE CHOCOLATE AND WHITE!

July 2, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 2, 2008 CONTACT: John Walton â�" HERSHEY BEARS â�" (717) 682-6470 RIGHT WING GRAHAM MINK RETURNS TO HERSHEY FOR UPCOMING 2008-09 CAMPAIGN POSTSEASON HERO AND 2006 CALDER CUP CHAMPION IS BACK IN CHOCOLATE AND WHITE THIS FALL AT GIANT CENTER HERSHEY â�" The HERSHEY BEARS announced today that right wing Graham Mink has been signed to a contract for the upcoming 2008-09 season. The announcement was made today by BEARS President/GM Doug Yingst and Washington Capitals VP/General Manager George McPhee. Mink, 29, returns to HERSHEY after two seasons with the Worcester Sharks (AHL). In his two years in Massachusetts, he scored 55 goals and 118 points in 132 games played. Despite the laudable personal statistics, the Sharks only played in six postseason games in that span. â��It feels like Iâ�™m coming homeâ�� Mink said. â��We had so much success the year I was there, (in Hershey) and when you leave and donâ�™t have that success, it makes you want it all the more. Being a part of a championship team is an honor, and itâ�™s something that meant so much to me. Itâ�™s something you strive for and something you want.â�� Minkâ�™s season in HERSHEY was one of the best statistical seasons of his career, as he compiled 21 goals and 40 points in just 43 regular season games. He shone brightest in the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs however, scoring eight goals and assisting on 13 others for 21 points in 21 games played. Perhaps the biggest goal of his professional life came in Game 7 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals against the Portland Pirates when he scored in the closing moments to tie the game and force sudden death overtime. With Eric Fehrâ�™s eventual OT winner, the game put the BEARS back in the Calder Cup Finals for the first time in nine seasons. â��Any given year, there are four or five teams that can win it all, and I want Hershey to be one of those teams this yearâ�� Mink said. â��Itâ�™s an honor to play for the HERSHEY BEARS, and I canâ�™t wait for the season to start.â�� A native of Stowe, VT, Mink has five games of NHL experience, all with the Washington Capitals. Season ticket plans for the upcoming 2008-08 season are on sale now by calling (717) 508-BEAR, with plans starting at just $145. The American Hockey League is expected to release the 2008-09 schedule of games later this summer, with HERSHEY slated to play 20 different opponents.