Capitals AHL affiliate signs former second-round pick to extension

The AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, the Hershey Bears, announced on Friday that they have signed defenseman Aaron Ness to a two-year contract extension. Ness returned to the Bears for the 2022-23 season after spending the previous three years split between the Tuscon Roadrunners and Providence Bruins.

Drafted back in the 2008 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders, Ness has almost exclusively plied his craft in the AHL throughout his pro career. During his at-least seven years of NHL action, Ness spent time with the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals and Arizona Coyotes. In 72 games played at the NHL level, he tallied one goal and six assists.

During his AHL career, Ness has played in 660 games, scoring 53 goals with 245 assists while serving as the one of the league's most stable defensemen of the last decade. The most impressive season of his AHL career came during his first stint with the Bears in 2019, when he scored five goals with 50 assists in 71 games played.

Although it is unlikely that Ness sees any NHL action under this contract, he will at least provide consistent play for one of the better teams in the AHL. In this year’s Calder Cup playoffs, the Bears find themselves up in their Division Final series against the Hartford Wolf Pack after one game.