#ethan bear

Housekeeping:

All of the NHL players here are covered in my previous primer; I have ported that information over and added to it. Additions are in blue.

Structure: When I wrote the first primer, I was too new a fan to fully understand the AHL/NHL differences and was more focused on what umbrella organization a player was part of. I have structured the primer this year on the principle: “If I want to watch this player, where am I most likely to find them?” As a result of this, for example, Calen Addison is in the AHL section.

Updates:

Goalie Carey Price was traded from the Canadiens, the only team he has ever played for, to the San Jose Sharks. He is not expected to play with the Sharks nor to do a Marc-André Fleury-style retirement game later with the Habs – this was a salary cap move only. Sometimes you just get too injured to come back, and Price has chosen moving forward. He is focused on being a dad, and there’s a nice feature on him from the CBC earlier this year.

TJ Oshie retired from the Washington Capitals after 16 NHL seasons (first with the St. Louis Blues, then nine with the Capitals including during their 2018 Stanley Cup) and has joined the ESPN broadcast team for the 2025-26 season as a studio and game analyst.

Brady Keeper, previously with the Abbotsford Canucks, has not had an active contract since the end of the 2022-23 season.

As before, I am a white immigrant settler living on unceded Indigenous lands. I am learning and very likely don’t have all of the details correct. If you spot any errors, including players I may have missed, please don’t hesitate to let me know and I’ll make corrections!

List of 2025-26 Indigenous Players in the NHL:

Position, name, team, nation, player number

D Ethan Bear - New York Islanders Ochapowace Cree Nation (Saskatchewan) #74 Ethan Bear is a Defenseman for the New York Islanders. He is a member of the Ochapowace Cree Nation and grew up on a reserve within the Cree First Nation in southern Saskatchewan. Ochapowace chief Margaret Bear is his direct relative. He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2017 and made NHL history in 2020 when he wore an exhibition game jersey with his name on the back in Cree syllabics. He plays using sticks with his name in Cree syllabics (see also here with some nice quotes from the Cree Grand Chief). In 2021, he faced racist backlash from some Oilers fans after the Oilers went out in round 1 of the 2021 playoffs. His girlfriend (now wife, who is also Indigenous) spoke out while his nation rallied behind him. If you have a subscription to The Athletic, this is a really great feature on him after that time in his own words; this one from Bleacher Report isn’t paywalled. He was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, and they wrote a great feature on him too with a focus on his heritage.

After a strong start with the Canes, he had a slow bounceback from COVID and didn’t see any NHL minutes at the start of the 2022 season, which led to a trade to the Vancouver Canucks. In 2023, he sustained an injury at the IIHF world championship in the spring. His subsequent shoulder surgery came with a six-month recovery time, during which he became a UFA and signed a two-year contract with the Washington Capitals. He has expressed gratitude that the Capitals did not rush his recovery. Following a season full time in the NHL, he played the entirety of the 2024-25 season with their AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears until a call-up for the NHL playoffs. The Capitals agreed he could talk to other teams about offers, and he signed a one-year contract for 2025-26 with the New York Islanders, where he is expected to be a depth defenseman. 

He runs a summer hockey skills camp for Indigenous youth in Saskatchewan, which was featured in the 2022 “Camp of Dreams” documentary. Contract status: UFA 2026

LW/C Connor Dewar - Pittsburgh Penguins Red River Métis (Manitoba) #19 Connor Dewar is a Left Wing and Center for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is Métis, specifically a descendent of the Red River Métis, and grew up in The Pas, Manitoba. He recorded a feature called “Growing Up Metis” that you can watch here and has been honored for his community work. He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2018 and played with them until he was traded at the deadline in 2024 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, becoming the Leafs’ first Métis player since 2008. Another deadline trade in 2025 took him to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he signed a one year contract in the off-season. Contract status: UFA 2026

D Travis Hamonic - Detroit Red Wings Métis (Manitoba) #52 Travis Hamonic is a Defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings. He is Métis and grew up in Manitoba on his family’s farm and later in Winnipeg. He lost his father at age 10 and later received the NHL Foundation Player Award for his program supporting children who’ve lost a parent. He was drafted in 2008 by the New York Islanders and also played for the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks before being traded to the Ottawa Senators late in the 2021-22 season. He played with the Senators through the end of the 2024-25 season, when he became a UFA and signed a one year contract with the Red Wings. When he played in Calgary, he and his wife partnered with the Flames to run The Northern Project and host Indigenous kids from the Northern Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut in Calgary to get the chance to see hockey games. Contract status: UFA 2026

D Brandon Montour - Seattle Kraken Mohawk, Six Nations of the Grand River (Ontario) #62 Brandon Montour is a Defenseman for the Seattle Kraken. He is Mohawk, and grew up near a reserve within the Six Nations of the Grand River, the most populous First Nation in Canada. It is in Southern Ontario and includes the Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Tuscarora Nations. You can learn some fun facts here. Montour was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2014, traded to the Buffalo Sabres mid-season in 2019, and to the Florida Panthers at the end of the 2021 season. He’s spoken about his pride in his heritage and works with the NHL Player’s Association’s Goals & Dreams fund to try to ensure kids have access to the same kinds of opportunities he did with two arenas within the reserve. In the off-season, he sometimes visits other reservations and works with kids. 

Despite a Panthers-Leafs playoffs matchup in 2022-23, his family and community were watching and cheering - even though many were Leafs fans. The Panthers did not win the cup that season, but it was a personal best season for him, in which he doubled his previous points total and played an incredible 57 minutes in an historic four-overtime game. He also sustained a shoulder injury that required surgery and held him out of the lineup until well into the 2023-24 season - but would still go on to finally become a Stanley Cup Champion and take the cup home to his town of 1,500. In the most incredible possible news for the author of this piece (I am a massive fan of the Seattle Kraken), he signed with the Kraken as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024 and became an immediate anchor for the team on the ice and in the locker room. Nice interview here about building a home in Seattle. Near the end of the summer in 2025, Montour had a minor ankle surgery that held him out of training camp, but he is expected to return to the lineup in time for the regular season. Contract status: UFA 2031

Bonus content: Please enjoy a photo of Montour modeling the Indigenous Peoples Night jersey for the Kraken last season; the linked article talks about the related activities and connection to the Every Child Matters campaign. The Seattle Kraken are the first NHL team to have their jersey patch partner as an Indian Tribe, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, a partnership that began in 2019 when members of the Muckleshoot Tribe blessed what would become Climate Pledge Arena, located on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish people. The Tribe is a Founding Partner of the Kraken organization.

D Zach Whitecloud - Vegas Golden Knights Dakota #2 Zach Whitecloud is a defensemen for the Vegas Golden Knights, who signed him in 2018 after he went undrafted. He’s a member of and first NHL player from the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, a self-governing nation on the banks of the Assiniboine River in Southwestern Manitoba. It was a short distance from where he grew up in Brandon, Manitoba and his father serves as a band councilor. Whitecloud says he considers both Brandon and the reservation, where he has extended family, home, and has talked about the incredible support he gets from his community and inspiration from Indigenous players who came before him. The community has a fund that supports travel costs and league fees for youth players, including Whitecloud. Late in the 2022 season, Zach spoke about his pride in his heritage following an incident in which an ESPN anchor made fun of his name on air. His grandparents and uncle are survivors of Canada’s residential school system, which he talked about in 2022 in a post related to reconciliation.

You can read his Nation’s media statement celebrating his run in the 2023 playoffs here, and there’s a nice recent interview with him about how he got there and what the playoffs mean to him. When he won the Stanley Cup in 2023, he had the opportunity to take the cup to both his hometown in Brandon and to the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. VGK made a documentary about his journey in 2024. He is defensively responsible, with his stats building every year across hits and blocks, even while he fights a slump in offense generation. Hoping for a bounceback year for him in 2025-26. Contract status: UFA 2028

AHL:

For veteran AHL players, I have included their number and a little more information.

D Calen Addison - New Jersey Devils / Utica Comets (AHL) Métis (Manitoba) #2 Calen Addison is a Defenseman with the New Jersey Devils organization. He is Métis and grew up in Brandon, Manitoba. He was drafted in 2018 by the Pittsburgh Penguins but never played an NHL game with them before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild mid-season in 2020. His opportunities grew in Minnesota, and he played 62 games in the NHL in the 2022-23 season. During the 2023-24 season, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks, and he spent the 2024-25 season with more than one team at the AHL level before signing a one year deal with the New Jersey Devils for 2025-26. His new contract is two-way, and he is currently playing at the AHL level with the Utica Comets. Contract status: RFA 2026

G Carson Bjarnason - Philadelphia Flyers / Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation (Manitoba)

C Max McCue - Columbus Blue Jackets / Cleveland Monsters (AHL) Odanak First Nation (Quebec)

D Joe Hicketts - Los Angeles Kings / Ontario Reign (AHL) Esketemc First Nation (British Columbia) #27 Joe Hicketts is a career AHLer who has played for the Grand Rapids Griffins (Calder Cup 2017) and the Iowa Wild before joining the Ontario Reign, where he serves as Captain. Contract status: UFA 2027

LW/RW Kole Lind - Dallas Stars / Texas Stars Métis (Saskatchewan) #17 While playing for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the Kraken organization, Lind led the team in points (65) in their 2022-23 Calder Final season. He is on a two-way contract with the Dallas Stars and can be expected to play games at both levels. Contract status: UFA 2026

C/RW Garrett Pilon - Ottawa Senators / Belleville Senators (AHL) Métis (Saskatchewan)

ECHL:

C/W Israel Mianscum - Montreal Canadiens / Trois-Rivières Lions (ECHL) Cree Nation of Mistissini (Quebec)

JUNIORS and COLLEGE:

I did a little more of a dive on Carter Bear since he is playing in my region.

C/LW Carter Bear - Detroit Red Wings / Everett Silvertips (WHL) Peguis First Nation (Manitoba) #41 Carter Bear is a forward with the Detroit Red Wings organization, currently a prospect in the WHL. He grew up in the large Peguis First Nation in Manitoba and has spoken positively about the power of awareness nights in hockey. He is the cousin of New York Islanders Defenseman Ethan Bear of the Cree Nation. He was drafted 13th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 2025 following a successful WHL season with the Everett Silvertips. He signed a three-year ELC with the Red Wings in July 2025. The Peguis First Nation had a draft watch party for him and he did a signing event with them over the summer. He had a strong Red Wings training camp but is expected to spend another season in the WHL with the Silvertips. Contract status: RFA 2028

LW Kalan Lind - Nashville Predators / Red Deer Rebels (WHL) Métis (Saskatchewan)

C Jack Nesbitt - Philadelphia Flyers / Windsor Spitfires (OHL) Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory (Ontario) Drafted in the first round (12th overall) by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2025, but is not under contract yet.

W,C Cayden Lindstrom - Columbus Blue Jackets / Michigan State University Driftpile Cree Nation Though Lindstrom is a member of the Driftpile Cree Nation (Alberta), he is from Chetwynd British Columbia. He was drafted 4OA in 2024 and is both Black and Indigenous. In the 2022-23 season, he was named rookie of the year for WHL Central Division.

C Gracyn Sawchyn - Florida Panthers / Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) Métis (Alberta)

C Carey Terrance - New York Rangers / Erie Otters (OHL) Akwesasne Mohawk Territory (New York)

D Corbin Vaughan - New York Rangers / Prince George Cougars (WHL) Lower Nicola Indian Band (British Columbia)

G Chase Wutzke - Minnesota Wild / Red Deer Rebels (WHL) Métis (Saskatchewan)

THE FUTURE:

Another Bear cousin, Connor Bear, a defenseman from the Ochapowace First Nation, is playing with the Regina Pats in the WHL and hoping to be drafted into the NHL in the future.

Thank you to everyone who has reminded me that the talk of the coming season is also going to revolve around future superstar and projected 2026 draft 1OA Gavin McKenna, of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation which is super far north

He represented Team Canada at World Juniors last year and also represented the wolf clan at the competition with a hide vest made by his grandma

After three seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), he's currently playing college hockey in the NCAA at Penn State. The CBC just did a really nice long feature piece on him that you can read here!

Indigenous hockey is the past, present, and future of hockey.

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Full list of prospects with thanks to hockeyindigenous.com