The Hershey Bears announced on Tuesday that the club has re-signed former South Carolina Stingrays forward Grant Cruikshank to an American Hockey League contract for the 2025-26 season.
The announcement was made by Hershey vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer.
Cruikshank, a left-shot center, started the 2024-25 campaign with the Stingrays. Before being recalled to Hershey on Nov. 19, he led the club with 13 points (6-7-13) in 12 games.
The 26-year-old Cruikshank appeared in 31 games for Hershey in 2024-25, putting up seven points (5-2-7). He made his Hershey debut on Nov. 22 at Rochester against the Americans, and scored his first goal as a Bear the next night at Syracuse against the Crunch.
Cruikshank notched his first career AHL shorthanded tally on Jan. 7 versus Lehigh Valley and finished with a pair of game-winning goals for the Chocolate and White.
The 5-foot-11, 193-pound native of Delafield, Wisconsin has skated in 53 career AHL games with Toronto and Hershey, recording 11 points (6-5-11). He's posted 56 points (27-29-56) in 47 career ECHL games with Newfoundland and South Carolina.
Before turning pro, Cruikshank finished his NCAA career at St. Cloud State in 2022-23, leading the team in goals with 23, which ranked tied for third in the nation.
St. Cloud State players celebrate a goal by Grant Cruikshank during the first period of the game against MSU-Mankato Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. © Dave Schwarz/[email protected] / USA TODAY NETWORK