Bears, Capitals Announce Multiple Transactions

November 16, 2019

The Hershey Bears and Washington Capitals announced multiple transactions today. The Capitals have assigned defenseman Tyler Lewington and goaltender Ilya Samsonov to the Bears. Additionally, the Capitals have recalled forward Travis Boyd and goaltender Vitek Vanecek from Hershey. The announcements were made by Washington's senior vice president and general manager, Brian MacLellan. 

Lewington, 24, returns to the Bears after skating for Washington in last night's 5-2 loss to Montreal. In total, Lewington has appeared in six games with the Capitals this season, registering 17 penalty minutes. He made his Hershey season debut on Wednesday at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ahead of his recall to Washington. The defenseman recorded 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 65 games with Hershey in 2018-19 and collected 121 penalty minutes. In 241 career AHL games with the Bears, Lewington has posted 49 points (12 goals, 37 assists) and 501 penalty minutes. 

Samsonov, 22, is 5-2-1 with the Capitals this season with a 2.65 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. Last season with the Bears, Samsonov had a record of 20-14-5 with a 2.70 goals against average and a .898 save percentage. He helped Hershey to a playoff series victory over Bridgeport, including making 29 saves in the decisive Game 5 win.  
Boyd, 26, returns to Washington after playing in one game with Hershey during his latest re-assignment. He has six points (four goals, two assists) in four games with the Bears this season. With Washington, he has recorded four assists in six games this year. The 6-foot, 190-pound forward has collected 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 67 career games with the Capitals. 

Vanecek, 23, is 4-2-1 with Hershey this season with a 2.65 goals against average and a .894 save percentage. Last season with Hershey, Vanecek posted a record of 21-10-6 with a 2.62 goals against average and a .907 save percentage in 38 games. He was named to the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic and was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 21, 2018.

The Bears host the Charlotte Checkers this evening at 7 p.m. at Giant Center. It's Hockey Fights Cancer Night. The Bears will be wearing special jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game to benefit the American Cancer Society and Hospice of Central PA. Additionally, the first 6,000 fans will receive fuzzy socks tonight, courtesy of Penn State Health. Ticket information is available at HersheyBears.com.