Boyd Kane, the former Hershey Bears captain, has left the team in pursuit of a new opportunity with Madvescak Zagreb.
Kane, a veteran of nearly 950 AHL games, has spent the past four seasons in Hershey where he put up a stellar 127 points (58-69). The Bears, without his veteran presence, will be left with a sizeable hole to fill. Kane, 35, played a strong two-way game for the Bears.
Kane’s most recent four-year stint with the Bears was his second tenure with the team. In 2005-06, Kane was a member of the Bears Calder Cup winning team. Kane, again as a member of the Bears, would win another Calder Cup in 2009-10.
Tim Leone, who has covered the Bears for a number of years, wrote the following on Twitter:
Kane leaves a legacy that should someday put him in the Bears Hall of Fame: Five seasons and Calder Cups in 05-06 (captain) and 09-10.
— Tim Leone (@timleone) July 3, 2013
Kane will join former Bears head coach Mark French in Zagreb, and joins former AHLers Barry Brust, Luke Walker, and Bill Thomas on the 2013-14 squad.
UPDATE: Kane spoke to Dave Soittle of PennLive.com. It’s worth the time to read it over. From the story:
“We loved our time in Hershey and had a lot of good years there,” Kane said Wednesday from his native Saskatchewan, where he’s vacationing with his wife and two young daughters. “As a family, we loved it, but there’s always a time to move on and this was my time. It’s a great opportunity and I had to jump on it.
“When you win championships, you get close with people. You develop a bond, and not just with teammates and staff, but with those in the community and people who help out. You can’t help but get close, and it’s those friendships I’ll miss the most.”
American Hockey Blog 