Capitals' Ethan Bear to Receive Care from NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program
Ethan Bear will be away from the Washington Capitals while he receives care from the NHL and NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Defenseman Ethan Bear will receive care from the NHL and NHL Players' Association's Player Assistance Program.
Bear will be away indefinitely from the Washington Capitals while he receives care, and he'll be able to return to the club when program administrators clear him for on-ice competition.
As is typical when someone receives care from the program, no other details about the decision are shared unless the individual chooses to share that information.
The 26-year-old from Ochapowace Nation in Saskatchewan last played for the Capitals on March 13 and has been listed as a scratch since then. In 24 games this season, he's had a goal, three assists, 31 blocked shots and 14:54 of ice time per game.
Bear signed a two-year contract worth just more than $2 million annually with the Capitals in late December after recovering from shoulder surgery in June. Before that, he played one season for the Vancouver Canucks, a year for the Carolina Hurricanes and three seasons across four years for the Edmonton Oilers, which selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL draft.
Across 275 career NHL games, Bear has 17 goals and 50 assists for 67 points. He also has eight games of playoff experience with the Oilers in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
As The Hockey News' Sammi Silber notes, the Capitals recalled right-shot blueliner Vincent Iorio from the AHL's Hershey Bears shortly after the announcement.