Ethan Bear

Ethan Bear (born June 26, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman[1] currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Ethan Bear
Born (1997-06-26) June 26, 1997
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 197 lb (89 kg; 14 st 1 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
NHL team Edmonton Oilers
NHL Draft 124th overall, 2015
Edmonton Oilers
Playing career 2017–present

Playing career

He was drafted in the fifth round in the 2015 Draft by the Edmonton Oilers and played for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL.[2] He was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Oilers on July 2, 2016.[3] Bear made his NHL debut on March 1, 2018, in a game against the Nashville Predators.[4] He recorded his first NHL goal in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks on March 25, 2018.[5]

Bear was the first player to wear a jersey with his name written in Cree syllabics during an exhibition match against the Calgary Flames on 28 July 2020.[6]

On December 28, 2020, Bear signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Oilers.

Personal life

Bear was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and raised in the Ochapowace Nation near Whitewood, Saskatchewan.[4][7] His older brother, Everett, also played hockey.[1] He is of Cree descent.[8] He faced racism from hockey fans relying on stereotypes for being a "lazy" player while growing up, but that motivated him to work harder and he drew inspiration from his brother and other Indigenous hockey players, including Carey Price, Jordin Tootoo, Brandon Montour, Arron Asham and Micheal Ferland.[9] In the summer, he gives back by running a youth hockey camp in Ochapowace.[9]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2012–13 Yorkton Harvest SMHL 38 7 28 35 30 5 1 1 2 0
2012–13 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2013–14 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 58 6 13 19 18 9 2 2 4 6
2014–15 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 69 13 25 38 23 6 1 2 3 0
2015–16 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 69 19 46 65 33 18 8 14 22 8
2016–17 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 67 28 42 70 21 17 6 20 26 12
2017–18 Bakersfield Condors AHL 37 6 12 18 12 — — — — —
2017–18 Edmonton Oilers NHL 18 1 3 4 10 — — — — —
2018–19 Bakersfield Condors AHL 52 6 25 31 34 8 2 2 4 4
2019–20 Edmonton Oilers NHL 71 5 16 21 33 4 0 0 0 0
NHL totals 89 6 19 25 43 4 0 0 0 0

International
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2014 Canada Western U17 9th 5 0 1 1 0
2014 Canada IH18 5 1 1 2 2
2015 Canada WJC18 7 0 3 3 6
Junior totals 17 1 5 6 8

Awards and honours
Award Year
SMHL
First All-Star Team 2013
WHL
West First All-Star Team 2016, 2017
Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy 2017 [10]

References
  1. Klinkenberg, Marty (March 1, 2018). "First Nations celebrate as Indigenous player Ethan Bear makes NHL debut with Oilers". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  2. Bruce Mccurdy (June 25, 2015). "Oilers select Bear from the Thunderbirds". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  3. "Oilers sign Ethan Bear to entry-level deal". Edmonton Oilers. July 2, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  4. Bartko, Karen (March 2, 2018). "Indigenous hockey player Ethan Bear makes NHL debut with great fanfare". globalnews.ca. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  5. Wilkins, Reid (March 26, 2018). "Ethan Bears gets first NHL goal but Edmonton Oilers fall to Ducks in OT". globalnews.ca. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  6. Tucker, Amy (July 29, 2020). "'An honour': Edmonton Oilers defenceman wears jersey with Cree syllabics". cbc.ca. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  7. "Ethan Bear's debut with Oilers has Ochapowace First Nation beaming with pride". cbc.ca. March 1, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  8. Klinkenberg, Marty (March 1, 2018). "First Nations celebrate as Indigenous player Ethan Bear makes NHL debut with Oilers". Globe and Mail. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  9. Muzyka, Kyle (October 3, 2018). "The next generation of Indigenous hockey players is aiming to break down stereotypes and inspire others". CBC. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  10. "Oilers have award winning defenseman in Bear". thehockeywriters.com. March 3, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2018.


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