Former Hershey Bears inducted into AHL Hall of Fame

Former Hershey Bears inducted into AHL Hall of Fame

HERSHEY, Pa. (WHTM) – Three former AHL players and one former coach were inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame Monday at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic and two of the new members played for the Hershey Bears.

Dennis Bonvie spent 15 seasons in the American Hockey League playing for Hamilton, Portland, Philadelphia, Providence, Binghampton and others. The Nova Scotia native was also part of the inaugural season of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 1999.

Hershey was Bonvie’s second to last team; he played for the Bears before returning to Wilkes-Barre and retiring in 2008. Bonvie finished his career with 84 goals, 191 assists and a pro hockey record of 4,493 penalty minutes.

Following his playing career, Bonvie was a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins. Bonvie has been the director of professional scouting for the Bruins since 2022.

Gerry Ehman spent 19 seasons playing pro hockey, playing 1,100 games between the AHL and NHL. Ehman spent some time with Hershey at the beginning of his career before moving on to the Rochester Americans where he spent seven seasons.

Ehman posted six 30-goal seasons, earned a league-scoring title and hoisted two Calder Cups with the Americans. Ehman is still fourth for scoring in Rochester’s franchise. Across Ehman’s 654 career AHL games, he tallied 311 goals and 365 assists.

Ehman also found success in the NHL, winning a Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1964.

Ehman was honored posthumously as he passed in 2006 at 73 years old.

The other inductees include Gordie Clark who spent nine years playing pro hockey and Roy Sommer who is the winningest head coach in the history of the American Hockey League.

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