Bears Sign Goaltender Ryan Bednard to AHL Contract

August 13, 2021

The Hershey Bears announced today that the club has signed goaltender Ryan Bednard to a one-year, American Hockey League contract for the 2021-22 season. 

Bednard, 24, appeared in 35 games with the ECHL's Greenville Swamp Rabbits in the 2020-21 season. Bednard led all ECHL goaltenders in shutouts (4) and earned ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors three times, while sporting a 20-6-8 record, 2.43 goals-against average, and .915 save percentage. He finished in the top five among ECHL goaltenders in games played (35), wins (20), goals-against average (2.43), saves (1,011), and minutes (2,074). 

The 6'5", 201-pound netminder appeared in two games with the Syracuse Crunch last season, going 1-1-0 with a 2.61 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. The Macomb, Mich. native enters his third professional season after being selected in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers. Bednard debuted in the AHL with Springfield on Jan. 17, 2020 and made 36 saves on 37 shots in a 4-1 win at Syracuse. Two weeks later, he earned his first AHL shutout on Feb. 1, 2020 versus the Hartford Wolf Pack. In 10 career AHL games with Springfield and Syracuse, Bednard has collected a 5-4-0 record with a 3.13 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. 

Prior to turning pro, Bednard appeared in 68 career games at Bowling Green State University where he posted an overall record of 39-19-8 with seven shutouts.

The Bears open the 2021-22 season, presented by Penn State Health, at GIANT Center versus the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, October 16 at 7 p.m. Season Ticket Packages for the 2021-22 season are on sale now featuring discounts and great benefits, with options ranging from Full Season Tickets to Flex-10 Plans. Further information may be found at HersheyBears.com/tickets/season-tickets.php.