Islanders re-sign Ethan Bear, bolster AHL blue line and NHL depth

Ethan Bear gives the Islanders something Bridgeport needed most: a right-shot defenseman who can move the puck, run minutes and keep the season from bending when the NHL roster gets thin. His one-year, two-way deal keeps a veteran in the system who already proved he can drive offense in the AHL and still step into the big-league picture when the calendar turns harsh.

For Bridgeport, Bear’s value showed up fast. He played the full 2025-26 season with the Islanders’ affiliate and finished with 4 goals and 23 assists for 27 points in 40 games, leading Bridgeport defensemen in points per game. That production matters on a blue line that needs a stabilizer, especially for younger defensemen looking for a partner who can get the puck moving cleanly and help the power play get set before it stalls.

Bear’s AHL track record goes beyond one strong year in Connecticut. He has 191 career AHL games on his resume, with 26 goals, 96 assists and 122 points, and his 2024-25 run with Hershey was the kind of season that changes how a front office sees a depth defenseman. He posted 10 goals, 36 assists and 46 points in 62 games, along with a plus-33 rating, then earned a spot on the AHL’s Second All-Star Team. He also represented Hershey at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic. Those numbers pointed to a defender who could handle top-pair minutes in the minors and still bring offense from the back end.

The insurance case is just as clear in the NHL. Bear has played 275 career NHL games with Edmonton, Carolina, Vancouver and Washington, and he has 67 career NHL points. At 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds, the 28-year-old right shot is not being asked to rewrite a roster; he is being asked to make sure injuries or call-ups do not leave Bridgeport exposed and New York scrambling.

That is why the move fits the Islanders’ wider overhaul of their AHL operation. Bridgeport is coming off a 57-loss season and three straight years outside the Calder Cup Playoffs, and Rocky Thompson was hired to coach the club on June 23, 2025, as part of a broader reset. The Islanders also added Matthew Highmore and Cole McWard on the same day Bear was signed, a clear sign that the organization wanted more than one layer of depth. Bear is the kind of piece that can play heavy minutes in Bridgeport, mentor the next wave and prevent a depth crisis from rippling all the way to Long Island.