The Hershey Bears announced contracts for two depth players on Thursday.
The team re-signed goaltender Seth Eisele and signed forward Kyler Kupka to AHL contracts for the 2025-26 season.
Eisele, in his rookie season pro, posted a 19-10-1 record along with a 2.30 goals against average and .914 save percentage with the ECHL South Carolina Stingrays. He made his AHL debut with he Hershey Bears during the team’s final game of the regular season, stopping 16 of 20 shots he faced in a 4-3 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound goaltender played for the University of Nebraska Omaha (2023-24) and Lake Superior State University (2019-2023) before signing with the Bears last November.
Kupka, a 26-year-old forward, recorded 53 points (27g, 26a) in 54 games with South Carolina last season — tied for fourth-most on the team. His 27 goals were the most amongst all Stingrays skaters.
Kupka made the ECHL’s end-of-season all-rookie team, becoming the seventh Stingray to earn the honor: Austin Magera, (2023-24), Vitek Vanecek (2015-16), Ryan Zapolski (2012-13), Philipp Grubauer (2011-12), Mark Ardelan (2004-05), and Joey Tenute (2004-05).
“It’s really important to have high-quality rookies in this league, and Kyler has definitely surpassed my expectations,” then head coach Jared Nightingale said in a release. “We’re really happy to have him on board. I love his humility and how he competes. He is a player who can play multiple roles, and he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Kupka played seven games for the Stingrays during the 2023-24 season before joining the team out of college. He then earned a tryout agreement with the Hershey Bears the next fall.
Here’s the full press release from the Hershey Bears:
BEARS RE-SIGN EISELE, INK KUPKA TO AHL DEAL
Netminder Seth Eisele and forward Kyler Kupka signed to contracts for the 2025-26 season
(Hershey, PA – July 24, 2025) – The Hershey Bears announced that the club has re-signed goaltender Seth Eisele to an American Hockey League contract for the 2025-26 season. Additionally, the club has agreed to an AHL deal with forward Kyler Kupka for the upcoming season. The announcements were made by Hershey vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer.
Eisele, 26, made his AHL debut with Hershey in the club’s regular season finale on April 19, stopping 16 shots in a 4-3 loss to Lehigh Valley.
He went 19-10-1 with three shutouts in 31 appearances with South Carolina in 2024-25, his first as a professional. Eisele ranked sixth among ECHL netminders – and first among rookie goaltenders – in goals-against average (2.30) and tied for 13th in save percentage (.914). Eisele was also twice named ECHL Goaltender of the Week, garnering honors for the weeks of Oct. 21 and Jan. 13.
He also went 1-1 in two playoff games for the Stingrays, posting a 2.35 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
The 6’5”, 205-pound goaltender went 4-1-1 in his final NCAA season at the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2023-24, owning a 2.19 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. He played his four prior collegiate seasons at Lake Superior State University.
Kupka, 26, recorded 53 points (27g, 26a) in 54 games with South Carolina last season to finish first on the team in goals and fourth in points. He was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team, ranking second among all first-year skaters in goals, and tied for second in power-play goals (10). He also added three points (1g, 2a) in seven playoff games.
The native of Camrose, Alberta earned a professional tryout with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers and posted two assists in 12 games last season. The 6’0″ 185-pound forward had previously skated with Hershey during the club’s 2024 Training Camp on a tryout agreement.
