Wednesday was a busy day for the Hershey Bears as the team added several young players to their roster. Hershey added defenseman Hudson Thornton on an American Hockey League contract for the 2024-25 season. The Bears added a pair of Washington Capitals prospects to their roster on amateur tryout agreements (ATOs) in forward Brett Hyland and defenseman Cam Allen. The Bears have the opportunity to get to know a few new names ahead of time see them in action. Hershey has five games left on the calendar in the 2023-24 season.
Thornton Signs on the Dotted Line
The biggest addition for the Chocolate and White is Thornton, who inked a contract for the 2024-25 season. His current team, the Prince George Cougars, are in the midst of preparing for the second round of the Western Hockey League’s postseason. The defenseman finished fourth in the WHL in points from the blue line with 74 (18 goals, 56 assists) and a plus-28 mark in 68 games played. Thornton hit 74 points for the second consecutive season, an impressive feat from the blue line. The 21-year-old has served as Prince George’s captain as the Cougars finished atop the WHL’s Western Conference standings.
With the Cougars in the midst of a playoff run, it’ll be a bit before Thornton suits up at the AHL level. Thornton is teammates with Zac Funk, the team’s top scorer and a Washington signing. Both players will be big parts of Hershey’s team in 2024-25 and serve as the biggest additions so far. Thornton, who was not drafted, is no doubt on radar for the Capitals but will start with the Bears. He’ll follow in the footsteps of players like Ethen Frank and Hunter Shepard, who had a similar path.
Thornton is confident, strong, and deceptive. His puck control and management is incredibly strong and his shots are accurate. In 2022-23, he set the Prince George record for goals from a defenseman with 23. He has excellent vision and passing on breakouts, making tough plays with ease. The offensive element in his game will be a big boost, particularly if he can play on the power play. Thornton will likely visit Hershey once his junior season is complete.
Bears Add Allen and Hyland on ATOs
The Bears weren’t done on this day by adding a pair of Capitals draft picks on ATOs. Hershey added blue liner Cam Allen and forward Brett Hyland for the remainder of the season. Both players were drafted by the Capitals during the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Allen, 19, joins the Bears after concluding the season with the OHL’s Guelph Storm. His season was hampered significantly due to shoulder surgery in August that held him out for the first half of the season. He sustained the injury during Washington’s prospect camp over the summer, not suiting up until late January. It was a slow start for Allen getting back into action, but he’d rebound nicely. He would post two goals and seven assists over 25 games in the regular season as well as skate in four playoff games.
Hyland, 21, completed his fourth season with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings and set new career numbers. He tallied 32 goals and 27 assists for 59 points over 66 games played. Although the Wheat Kings were bounced early in the playoffs, Hyland had one goal and four assists in four postseason games. His counts in goals and points led the team, with the next highest scorer only tallying 20 goals. He has a good shot and isn’t afraid to go to the dirty areas to score a goal. With the Bears sorely depleted up front, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Hyland get the opportunity to make his AHL debut before the regular season ends.
Future Considerations
It’s not uncommon for players to make the leap from juniors to the AHL in this fashion. In Allen’s case, it wouldn’t be surprising if he returned to juniors for another season. Hyland could make the leap full time in 2024-25 if management thinks he’s ready. The big caveat is that neither player is signed to more than the ATO for right now, this season. There will be decisions to be made on every player and their next steps over the summer. This is an important period of evaluation for a few of Washington’s prospects.
The Thornton signing is a piece for the future of the Chocolate and White. Hershey has a strong crop of players already under contract for 2024-25, but depth is important. Washington is getting younger every year, with players like Vincent Iorio moving closer to being full time in the NHL. Building a championship roster is not an overnight process and is a tough science to master. However, it seems the Bears have struck gold with a strong signing full of potential.
