July 13, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2011
CONTACT: John Walton-HERSHEY BEARS
RIGHT WING GRAHAM MINK RETURNS TO HERSHEY FOR 2011-12
VERMONT NATIVE BACK TO CHOCOLATETOWN FOR THIRD TIME, BOTH OF HIS PREVIOUS HERSHEY SEASONS ENDED WITH CALDER CUP TITLES
HERSHEY â" The HERSHEY BEARS announced today that the club has signed right wing Graham Mink to an AHL contract for the 2011-12 season. The announcement was made today by BEARS President/GM Doug Yingst.
Mink, 32, returns to HERSHEY for the third time, having won Calder Cup titles during his only two seasons in a Chocolate and White sweater. He scored 21 goals in just 43 regular season games in 2005-06 for the BEARS, and followed that up with 21 points in 21 Calder Cup playoff games as HERSHEY won the championship. After two seasons away as the captain of the Worcester Sharks, Mink returned to HERSHEY in 2008-09 to score a career-high 32 goals. Mirroring his first season in central PA, he again celebrated a championship as the BEARS took the 2009 Calder Cup title. He scored seven goals and assisted on eight others for 15 points during the 2009 postseason, raising the Cup for the second time in his career.
Perhaps the biggest goal in his career, Mink scored the game-tying goal with 2:09 left in regulation in Game 7 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals against Portland. His tally sent the game into overtime, where Eric Fehr eventually scored the game-winner to send the BEARS onto the Calder Cup Finals against Milwaukee.
âGraham Minkâ™s return to HERSHEY is a tremendous lift to the hockey club, both on and off the ice,â said BEARS President/GM Doug Yingst. âThis is a happy day for our team and our fans, and we welcome Graham and his family back to central Pennsylvania.â
Mink played in 70 games in 2010-11 for Peoria (AHL), scoring 24 goals and assisting on 26 others for 50 points in 70 games played. He scored 20 goals in 67 games for Rochester in 2009-10, and has 224 career goals in the AHL with Portland, HERSHEY, Worcester, Rochester and Peoria.
âIt means everything to me to be back, and Iâ™m very excited to be a part of the Hershey family again,â Mink said. âIâ™ve had two very special seasons in Hershey, and I want to have a third. Thereâ™s no one that plays there that doesnâ™t expect success, and Iâ™m glad to be a part of it again.â
The BEARS will open the 2011-12 regular season in early October, with season ticket plans available now by calling (717) 508-BEAR. The American Hockey League is expected to release the 2011-12 regular season schedule in early August.