BEARS RE-SIGN DANE BYERS FOR 2014-2015

May 16, 2014

HERSHEY, Pa. – The Hershey Bears announced today that the club has re-signed forward Dane Byers for the 2014-2015 season.  The announcement was made by Bears President/GM Doug Yingst.
 
Last year Byers appeared in 73 games with Hershey, recording 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists), a plus-six rating and a team-leading 211 penalty minutes.  His 15 goals ranked tied for fifth on the squad, while his assist and point totals each ranked sixth.  He was named the team’s most valuable player in a pre-game award ceremony at GIANT Center on April 19.
 
Byers originally joined the Bears after being acquired from the Oklahoma City Barons on April 2, 2013.  He went on to appear in five regular-season games for Hershey and one Calder Cup playoff contest.
 
The 28-year-old native of Nipawin, Saskatchewan appeared in the 500^th game of his American Hockey League career on February 28 on the road against the Hartford Wolf Pack, the team for which Byers served as captain from 2009-2011.  Byers also served as captain of the Springfield Falcons in the 2011-2012 season.  Last year, he was named the 41^st captain in Hershey Bears history on October 4.
 
In 521 career AHL regular-season games with Hartford/Connecticut, Springfield, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Hershey, Byers has amassed 285 points (121 goals, 164 assists) and 1,156 penalty minutes.  He also has one goal and 60 penalty minutes in 14 games of NHL duty with the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets.  Prior to turning pro, Byers played in 236 games over four seasons with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, posting 99 points (49 goals, 50 assists) and 518 penalty minutes.
 
Byers was originally selected by the Rangers in the second round (48^th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.