Riley Barber (19) is Hershey's top returning goal scorer. Sean Simmers, PennLive

Aaron Carr, PennLive

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The 2018-19 campaign marks a new era for the Hershey Bears as the storied franchise prepares to drop the puck on its 81st season.

Hershey has long been one of the American Hockey League’s most successful franchises. The Bears have won a league-best 11 Calder Cup championships since their inaugural season in 1938.

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But the Bears (30-37-4-5) experienced some struggles last season, finishing last in the AHL's Atlantic Division and missing the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.

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A bevy of changes took place within the organization following last year’s disappointing campaign, most notably behind the bench as Spencer Carbery, 36, was hired in June to be Hershey’s next head coach.

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Who will wear the Hershey jersey during Carbery’s first season? Here’s a look at the players on Hershey’s roster to start the year.

Players are listed in order of jersey number.

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Ilya Samsonov

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 1

Position: Goalie

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Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 205 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: The 21-year-old Russian is making his Hershey debut this season. Samsonov, a first round pick (No. 22 overall) of the Washington Capitals in 2015, is the second-highest drafted goalie in franchise history behind Olaf Kolzig (No. 19 overall, 1989). He was named the best goalie of the 2015 U18 World Juniors Championship and helped Russia claim the bronze medal at the 2017 U20 World Juniors Championship.

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Tyler Lewington

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 2

Position: Defense

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Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 189 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: The 6-foot-1, 189-pound Lewington is one of the primary enforcers for the Bears. After logging a team-high 142 penalty minutes in 2016-17, Lewington totaled a career-high 149 penalty minutes last season – the AHL's third-highest total. The 23-year-old had a league-high 11 major penalties and 11 fights. A seventh round pick of the Washington Capitals in 2013, Lewington had two goals and nine assists in 71 games for Hershey.

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Kris Bindulis

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 4

Position: Defense

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Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 181 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: After splitting time between Hershey and South Carolina (ECHL) last season, Bindulis, 23, is hoping to log more minutes for the Bears this year. He totaled four goals and 11 assists in 34 games with South Carolina while recording one assist in 12 games for Hershey. The Riga, Latvia, native played college hockey at Lake Superior State University.

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Lucas Johansen

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 6

Position: Defense

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Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 175 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: Last year Johansen won Hershey's Jack Gingrich Award, given to the team's Rookie of the Year. The 20-year-old led all Hershey rookies with 27 points (six goals, 21 assists) in 74 games during the 2017-18 season. Johansen, a first round pick (No. 28 overall) of the Washington Capitals in 2016, is the younger brother of Ryan Johansen, an all-star forward for the Nashville Predators.

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Connor Hobbs

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 7

Position: Defense

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Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 200 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: The 21-year-old Hobbs posted three goals and 13 assists in 44 games during his rookie year (2017-18) in Hershey. His first AHL goal was the game-winner during Hershey's 3-2 win over the Providence Bruins on October 28, 2017. A fifth round pick of the Washington Capitals in 2015, Hobbs totaled 31 goals and 54 assists in 67 games while playing for the WHL's Regina Pats during the 2016-17 season.

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Shane Gersich

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 10

Position: Forward

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Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 175 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: Gersich finished his college career with 43 goals and 34 assists in 117 games for NCAA powerhouse North Dakota. The 22-year-old scored a goal in North Dakota's 5-1 win over Quinnipiac in the 2016 NCAA Division I title game. He made his NHL debut with the Washington Capitals on March 28, 2018. Gersich had one assist in three regular season games with Washington before playing in two Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Capitals.

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Steven Whitney

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 11

Position: Forward

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Height: 5-foot-7

Weight: 162 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: Playing for Boston College, Whitney totaled 128 points (55 goals, 73 assists) in 160 games during his college career. He ranked second in the NCAA with 26 goals during his senior season (2012-13), and won the Walter Brown Award, given to the top American-born college hockey player. He's totaled 27 points in 73 AHL games while skating for the Norfolk Admirals. Last season Whitney posted 18 goals and 36 assists in 59 games for the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays.

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Beck Malenstyn

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 13

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 180 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: Malenstyn won a junior hockey championship last year while skating for the WHL's Swift Current Broncos. He scored 17 goals and 12 assists in 38 regular season games before tallying four goals and seven assists in 26 postseason contests. The 20-year-old was a fifth round pick of the Washington Capitals in 2016.

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Axel Jonsson-Fjallby

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 14

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 191 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: The 20-year-old forward is a native of Stockholm, Sweden. He was a fifth round pick (No. 147 overall) of the Washington Capitals in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. While skating for Sweden, Jonsson-Fjallby won a silver medal at the 2016 U18 World Juniors Championship and the 2018 U20 World Juniors Championship.

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Jeremy Morin

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 15

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 190 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: Morin, 27, was a second round pick (No. 45 overall) of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009. He's totaled ten goals and 12 assists in 82 NHL games while skating for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets. He's totaled 113 goals and 117 assists in 330 career AHL games.

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Mike Sgarbossa

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 17

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot

Weight: 185 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: Sgarbossa, 26, has 72 goals and 127 assists in 312 career AHL games. He's scored ten points in 48 NHL games while skating for the Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Ducks and Florida Panthers. He played in the 2013 AHL All-Star Classic as a member of the Lake Erie Monsters. Sgarbossa had 40 points in 68 games for the AHL's Manitoba Moose last season.

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Garrett Pilon

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 18

Position: Forward

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Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 175 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: The 20-year-old forward was a third round pick (No. 87 overall) of the Washington Capitals in 2016. Pilon scored 192 points (69 goals, 123 assists) in 207 career WHL games. He's the son of Rich Pilon, who skated in a combined 631 NHL games while playing for the New York Islanders, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues.

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Riley Barber

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 19

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot

Weight: 190 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: Barber scored a team-high 20 goals for Hershey last season, including a team-high ten power play goals and tied for first with five game-winning goals. He added 18 assists. Barber has scored 120 points in 173 career games for Hershey. He starred for Miami (OH) University, scoring 123 points in 116 college games. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native was named Hershey's Rookie of the Year during the 2015-16 season after scoring 26 goals and notching 29 assists.

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Liam O'Brien

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 20

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 215 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: O'Brien enjoyed a solid campaign for Hershey during the 2017-18 season, scoring a career-high 17 goals while playing in a career-best 69 games. He won the Arlene Tighe Award for Bears Unsung Hero last season. O'Brien had at least 117 penalty minutes in each of his first three seasons with Hershey before finishing with 79 penalty minutes last year. The 24-year-old has played in 17 NHL games for the Washington Capitals.

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Hampus Gustafsson

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 21

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 205 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: Gustafsson had three goals and four assists in 29 games for Hershey last season. He totaled 87 points in 146 NCAA games for Merrimack College. He was a nominee for the 2017 Hobey Baker Memorial Award after totaling 15 goals and 11 assists during the 2016-17 season.

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Juuso Ikonen

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 22

Position: Forward

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Height: 5-foot-8

Weight: 172 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: The 23-year-old is a native of Espoo, Finland. He won a gold medal at the 2014 U20 World Juniors Championship while playing for Finland. Ikonen's younger brother, Joni Ikonen, was drafted No. 58 overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

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Sergei Shumakov

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 23

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot

Weight: 196 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: The 26-year-old forward is a native of Chelyabinsk, Russia. Last year Shumakov scored 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 47 games for CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia. He has 74 goals and 71 assists in 282 KHL games.

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Maximillian Kammerer

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 24

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 173 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: The 22-year-old forward is from Dusseldorf, Germany. He skated for Germany in the 2014 U18 World Juniors Championship and the 2014 U20 World Juniors Championship. At 17 years old, Kammerer was Germany's youngest player during the 2014 U20 World Juniors Championship.

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Colby Williams

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 25

Position: Defense

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Height: 6-foot

Weight: 200 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: Williams has skated in 60-plus games in each of his first two seasons with Hershey. Last year he had a career-high 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) with 94 penalty minutes. He was named the 2017 Jack Gingrich Award winner, given to Hershey's Rookie of the Year.

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Derek Hulak

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 39

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot

Weight: 185 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: Hulak has scored 91 points in 159 career AHL games while skating for the Texas Stars and Utica Comets. He missed the 2017-18 season due to injury. Hulak hasn't played in an AHL game since December 3, 2016. The 29-year-old won a Calder Cup with the Texas Stars during the 2013-14 season.

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Aaron Ness

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 27

Position: Defense

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Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 184 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: Ness led Hershey defenders with 29 points (four goals, 25 assists) during the 2017-18 season. A 2015 AHL All-Star, Ness has played in 448 AHL games and 47 NHL games for the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals. He played three seasons at the University of Minnesota. Ness won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2008 U18 World Junior Championship.

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Brian Pinho

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 28

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 195 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: The North Andover, Massachusetts native comes to Hershey after a successful college run at Providence College. He was the team captain during the 2017-18 season and scored 32 points in 40 games. Pinho won the team's Lou Lamoriello Award for Team MVP after scoring a career-high 40 points. He was a sixth round pick of the Washington Capitals in 2013.

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Vitek Vanecek

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 30

Position: Goalie

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Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 190 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: After going 18-10-9 with a 2.54 goals against average and a .909 save percentage during his rookie season (2016-17), Vanecek wasn't as sharp last year. Vanecek posted a 12-13-2 record with a 3.04 goals against average and a .888 save percentage in 32 games for Hershey. He had five shutouts as a rookie but only two last season. The Czech Republic native was a second round pick (No. 39 overall) of the Washington Capitals in 2014.

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Logan Pyett

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 32

Position: Defense

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Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 200 pounds

Shoots: Right

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Puck Profile: Pyett was diagnosed with sarcoma in 2015 and missed two professional seasons. He played in the Asian League last season. The 30-year-old defenseman has totaled 132 points in 362 career AHL games.

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Tobias Geisser

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 33

Position: Defense

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Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 206 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: The 19-year-old defenseman is a native of Stans, Switzerland. Geisser was a fourth round pick (No. 120 overall) of the Washington Capitals in 2017. He played for Switzerland at the 2018 U20 World Junior Championship.

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Jonas Siegenthaler

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 34

Position: Defense

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Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 206 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: Siegenthaler was a second round pick (No. 57 overall) of the Washington Capitals in 2015. The 21-year-old defenseman totaled 12 points and 61 penalty minutes in 75 games for Hershey last season. He has 13 points in 88 career games with the Bears.

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Grant Besse

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Photo courtesy of Hershey Bears

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Number: 36

Position: Forward

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Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 174 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: Last season Besse led all ECHL rookies in scoring with 62 points (30 goals, 32 assists) in 62 games for the Norfolk Admirals. Besse, 24, was a fifth round pick (No. 147 overall) of the Anaheim Ducks in 2013. A former alternate captain at the University of Wisconsin, Besse scored 97 points in 138 college games.

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Mason Mitchell

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Photo courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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Number: 40

Position: Forward

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Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 209 pounds

Shoots: Left

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Puck Profile: Mitchell was Hershey's 2018 IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year for his contributions to Hershey's community. He had five points and 35 penalty minutes in 29 games for Hershey last season. The Calgary, Alberta, Canada native played collegiately at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, scoring 26 points in 50 games.

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Spencer Carbery

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Vicki Vellios Briner, Special to PennLive

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Head Coach

Puck Profile: Carbery was named the 26th head coach of the Hershey Bears in June. Carbery, 36, was an assistant coach with the AHL's Providence Bruins last season, helping the club go 45-26-3-2. Carbery also served as a head coach in the ECHL and Ontario Hockey League.

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Carbery was head coach and director of hockey operations for Hershey's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, from 2011-16. The Stingrays were 207-115-38 in that stretch, which included Carbery winning the John Brophy Award as ECHL Coach of the Year in 2014.

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Prior to joining South Carolina, Carbery, a St. Norbert College (Wisc.) graduate, played four seasons as a forward in the Central Hockey League and ECHL.

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