The Hershey Bears announced on Thursday that the club has re-signed defenseman Benton Maass, and signed defenseman Nick Leivermann to an AHL contract for the 2023-24 campaign.
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Maass, 24, skated in two games with the Bears last season, registering one assist. He also served as a Black Ace during the club’s run to a 2023 Calder Cup title. Last season, he played 55 games with Hershey’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, registering 11 points (4g, 7a) in his rookie campaign. He tallied his first professional goal for South Carolina on Dec. 14 at Atlanta. He also appeared in five Kelly Cup Playoff games.
The native of Elk River, Minnesota was selected by the Capitals in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft. After four years at the University of New Hampshire, Maass transferred to Minnesota State University for the 2021-22 season, helping the Mavericks to the NCAA Tournament title game. The 6’2″, 205-pound blue liner collected 51 points (13g, 38a) in 162 career NCAA games.
Leivermann, 24, joins the Bears after completing his collegiate career at Notre Dame. The 5’11”, 186-pound defender collected 20 points (6g, 14a) in 29 games in 2022-23 for the Fighting Irish, serving as team captain. He led the team’s defenders in scoring. He was named a 2023 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and claimed Academic All-Big Ten honors for the fourth straight season.
The native of Eden Prairie, Minnesota was an alternate captain for the Irish in 2021-22, and in five years at Notre Dame, posted 78 points (23g, 55a). He was originally selected in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.
Both likely destined for South Carolina.
I think Maass has earned a serious tryout in Hershey. He was very effective in North Charleston last year.
He’ll surely get a chance. But in Hershey just down the right side there is Iorio, McIllrath, Day, Priskie, and then others. So yeah, he can compete for 3/4 slot with Day Priskie and others for a shot, but he may need to go be the man in SC.
And if he does, I won’t object since I do watch the Rays on FloHockey and would love to see them go farther in the playoffs this year. But he was one of their best players last year and I do want him to get a serious opportunity with the Bears. He deserves it.
Looks like there will be a lot of competition in the Bears camp.
Yeah, the competition for spots in Hershey is going to be real. We really need to have Malenstyn, CMM, and Protas in Washington next year. And Alexyev for that matter. If nothing else to make room in Hershey for people who can develop for the NHL. Lots of AHL veterans on the Bears roster.