Bears Re-sign Napravnik and Kim

June 30, 2023

The Hershey Bears announced today that the club has re-signed forward Julian Napravnik and defenseman Michael Kim to one-year, American Hockey League contracts for the 2023-24 season.

Napravnik, 26, skated in 18 games in his rookie campaign with Hershey, striking for seven points (5g, 2a). He scored his first AHL goal on Nov. 20, 2022 versus Hartford, and rattled off a five-game point streak (4g, 2a) from Mar. 15-Apr. 8, 2023.

The native of Bad Nauheim, Germany joined Hershey late in the 2021-22 season, skating in four games, after finishing his NCAA career at Minnesota State University. During his senior year, he finished tied for third in the NCAA in scoring, registering 49 points (18g, 31a) in 38 games for the Mavericks.

Kim, 27, skated in two games with Hershey this season, posting an assist in each contest. He made his debut with the Chocolate and White on Dec. 11, 2022 versus Cleveland. With Hershey's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, Kim led the club in defensive scoring with 40 points (9g, 31a) in 53 games.

The former Boston College standout has played in 51 career AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Springfield, and Hershey, compiling 12 assists. 

The Hershey Bears are the 2023 Calder Cup Champions! The Bears will take the ice to defend the club's title starting in October, but you can score Calder Cup merchandise and secure Season Tickets for the 2023-24 season now!