Bears Re-sign Osipov, Ink McDonald for 2024-25 Season

July 2, 2024

The Hershey Bears announced today that the club has re-signed defenseman Dmitry Osipov to a one-year, American Hockey League contract for the 2024-25 season. Additionally, the team also announced the re-signing of defenseman Jon McDonald to a one-year, AHL-deal for the 2024-25 season.

Osipov, 27, appeared in 17 games with Hershey in 2023-24, registering one assist. He made his Hershey debut on Nov. 11 at Lehigh Valley, and during his tenure with Hershey, he collected 34 penalty minutes. He also skated in three playoff games, with the trio of contests coming in the Calder Cup Finals, as Hershey won its league-record 13th Calder Cup.

The native of Moscow, Russia has played in 188 career AHL games with Chicago, Rockford, San Diego, and Hershey, scoring 19 points (8g, 11a) and registering 286 penalty minutes. 

McDonald, 26, was a Black Ace during Hershey's 2024 Calder Cup run after completing his rookie season with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays. He scored 17 points (4g, 13a) in 64 games with South Carolina. He also skated in 10 games with the ECHL's Toledo Walleye in 2022-23 after finishing up his NCAA career at UMass-Lowell.

The Hershey Bears are the 2024 Calder Cup Champions, winning the title for a league-best 13th time and for the second consecutive season! Championship merchandise is available online via HersheyBears.com. Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now, and fans are asked to stay tuned to HersheyBears.com as a schedule for the upcoming season will be released later this summer.