Bears Sign Brkin to Tryout, Fucale Recalled by Capitals

March 18, 2023

The Hershey Bears announced today that the club has signed goaltender Bailey Brkin to a professional tryout agreement. Additionally, the Washington Capitals announced today that goaltender Zach Fucale has been recalled from Hershey.  The announcement was made by Washington's senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan.

Brkin, 23, was signed by the ECHL's Reading Royals on Wednesday. He has appeared in 14 ECHL games this season with Iowa and Wheeling, posting a 5-7-2 record with a 3.08 goals-against average and .903 save percentage. 

The native of Sherwood Park, Alberta has played in 25 career ECHL games over the past two seasons with Wichita, Orlando, Rapid City, Fort Wayne, Iowa, and Wheeling. The 6'3", 175-pound goaltender has gone 9-13-2 with a 3.33 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage in his ECHL career.

Brkin will wear #1 for Hershey. 

Fucale, 27, has posted a record of 19-10-2 with one shutout, a 2.57 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage in 33 games with Hershey this season. He ranks tied for sixth in the AHL in wins.

Fucale appeared in four games with Washington during the 2021-22 season, posting a record of 1-1-1 with a 1.75 goals- against average and a .924 save percentage. Fucale stopped all 21 shots faced in his NHL and Capitals debut at Detroit on Nov. 11, 2021, becoming the first Capital in franchise history to record a shutout in his debut. Additionally, Fucale set an NHL record for the longest career-opening shutout sequence (138:07), passing former Minnesota Wild goaltender Matt 
Hackett’s mark of 102:48 by over 35 minutes at Minnesota on Jan. 8.

Hershey continues the 2022-23 season, presented by Penn State Health, when the Chocolate and White return home to GIANT Center where they will host the Rochester Americans for Hall of Fame Night and Print Works On Demand Poster Night tonight at 7 p.m. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.