Ethan Bear facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ethan Bear |
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Bear with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021
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| Born | June 26, 1997 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams |
Washington Capitals Hershey Bears (AHL) Edmonton Oilers Carolina Hurricanes Vancouver Canucks |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 124th overall, 2015 Edmonton Oilers |
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| Playing career | 2017–present | ||
Ethan Bear, born on June 26, 1997, is a talented Canadian ice hockey player. He is a defenceman, which means he plays a key role in protecting his team's goal. Ethan is a member of the Cree Ochapowace Nation. He currently plays for the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League (AHL) and is signed with the Washington Capitals in the top league, the National Hockey League (NHL). He was chosen by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Draft. Ethan also proudly represents Canada in international games and helped his country win a gold medal at the 2023 World Championship.
Contents
Ethan Bear's Hockey Journey
Starting in the WHL and Joining the NHL
Ethan Bear began his journey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Edmonton Oilers picked him in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft. On July 2, 2016, he signed his first professional contract with the Oilers.
Ethan made his big debut in the National Hockey League (NHL) on March 1, 2018. This exciting game was against the Nashville Predators. He scored his very first NHL goal on March 25, 2018, during a game against the Anaheim Ducks.
Wearing Cree Syllabics on His Jersey
On July 28, 2020, Ethan Bear made history. He was the first player to wear a jersey with his name written in Cree syllabics. This special moment happened during an exhibition game against the Calgary Flames. The Cree word for his name, Maskwa, means "bear."
Moving to New Teams
On December 28, 2020, Ethan signed a new two-year contract with the Oilers. After playing four years with the Oilers, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on July 28, 2021. During the 2021–22 season, he scored five goals and had nine assists. This gave him 14 points in 58 games.
In the summer of 2022, Ethan signed another one-year contract with the Hurricanes. However, he was traded again on December 28, 2022. This time, he went to the Vancouver Canucks along with Lane Pederson.
Dealing with Injuries and New Opportunities
While playing for Canada in the 2023 World Championship, Ethan injured his shoulder. He needed surgery and had to rest for six months to recover. After his recovery, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
The Washington Capitals showed interest in him. On December 28, 2023, Ethan signed a two-year contract with the Capitals. He played his first game for them on December 30, 2023, also against the Nashville Predators.
In March 2024, Ethan entered a player assistance program. He was cleared to return to his team in April. On October 3, 2024, the Capitals placed him on waivers. After clearing waivers, Ethan started the 2024-25 season playing for the Hershey Bears, the Capitals' AHL team.
Playing for Team Canada
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Canada |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2023 Finland/Latvia | |
On May 5, 2023, Ethan Bear was chosen to play for Canada men's national ice hockey team at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. He played in eight games during the tournament. He helped Canada win a gold medal! However, he got injured in the quarterfinal game against Finland. This injury made him miss the final two games.
Ethan Bear's Life Off the Ice
Growing Up and Finding Inspiration
Ethan Bear was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. He grew up on the Ochapowace Nation near Whitewood, Saskatchewan, and is of Cree descent. His older brother, Everett, also played hockey.
As a young player, Ethan sometimes faced racism. People would unfairly stereotype him as "lazy." This motivated him even more to work hard and prove them wrong. He looked up to his brother and other Indigenous hockey players. These included famous names like Carey Price, Jordin Tootoo, Brandon Montour, Arron Asham, and Micheal Ferland.
Every summer, Ethan gives back to his community. He runs a youth hockey camp in Ochapowace. This camp helps young players learn and grow.
Family Life
In October 2021, Ethan and Lenasia Ned got engaged. They welcomed their first child, a daughter, in January 2023. The couple got married in Kelowna, British Columbia, in July 2023. In July 2024, they had their second daughter.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2012–13 | Yorkton Harvest | SMHL | 38 | 7 | 28 | 35 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 58 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2014–15 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 69 | 13 | 25 | 38 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 69 | 19 | 46 | 65 | 33 | 18 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 8 | ||
| 2016–17 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 67 | 28 | 42 | 70 | 21 | 17 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 12 | ||
| 2017–18 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 37 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 18 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 52 | 6 | 25 | 31 | 34 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2019–20 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 71 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 43 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 58 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 61 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 24 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 275 | 17 | 50 | 67 | 112 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Canada Western | U17 | 9th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Canada | IH18 |  |
5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2015 | Canada | U18 |  |
7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2023 | Canada | WC | |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 17 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | ||||
| Senior totals | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| SMHL | ||
| First All-Star Team | 2013 | |
| WHL | ||
| West First All-Star Team | 2016, 2017 | |
| Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy | 2017 | |
