On July 24th, forward Tyson Empey signed with the Hershey Bears to a one-year AHL contract after spending two seasons with the Tucson Roadrunners. Additionally, on July 25th, the Hershey Bears signed forward Kevin O’Neil to a one-year AHL contract.
A Feisty Forward
Tyler Empey, the 28-year-old, 6’2″, 205-pound forward, played in the Arizona Coyotes organization for two seasons. A majority of his time in the organization was in the ECHL. He played a total of 83 games with the Rapid City Rush (Coyote’s former affiliate before switching in 2022-23) and the Atlanta Gladiators (new affiliate with Arizona). He produced a total of 27 points (10g, 17a) during his time in the ECHL. When the forward played in his 79 AHL games with the Roadrunners, he collected 15 points (4g, 11a) with 127 penalty minutes, including 10 fighting major penalties. Needless to say, Empey is very feisty, which will be a great addition for Hershey. This aspect of the team has been missing in a forward since Kale Kessy was traded to the Colorado Eagles.
Before his career in professional hockey, he attended the University of New York, he majored in accounting and played for their NCAA team, the Geneseo Knights. Tyler was a top forward in the NCAA Division III ranks. In his sophomore and junior year of college, he was rewarded with SUNYAC Second Team All-Star Honors. He generated 103 points (54g, 49a) in his time at New York.
From the ECHL to a PTO to a contract
Kevin O’Neil, a 25-year-old, 5’11”, 180-pound forward, is no stranger to the Hershey Bears. The New York native played two games on a professional tryout for Hershey in the 2022-23 season. He joined the team on December 27th and scored his first AHL goal on December 31st against the Providence Bruins. He played the bulk of the season with Hershey’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays. While he played for the Stingrays, he collected 50 points (24g, 26a) in 53 games. O’Neil received honors for becoming ECHL player of the week after scoring 6 points (5g, 1a) in 3 games.
Photo Credit: The Hershey Bears
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