Hershey Bears Sign Forward Kyle Jackson to One-Year AHL Contract
The Hershey Bears continued adding depth to their forward group Wednesday, signing forward Kyle Jackson to a one-year American Hockey League contract for the 2026-27 season.
Hershey vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer announced the signing as the Bears continue constructing the roster for their 89th season in the AHL.
Jackson, 23, comes to Hershey after splitting last season between the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL and Bloomington Bison of the ECHL. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound forward has developed into one of the more productive young offensive players at the ECHL level and will now get an opportunity to compete for a larger role in Hershey.
Strong Season in Bloomington
Jackson played 38 games for Bloomington during the 2025-26 season and recorded 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points, finishing fourth on the team in scoring despite playing only a little more than half of the regular season.
His production included one of the longest sustained scoring runs in the ECHL.
Jackson produced an 11-game home point streak from Oct. 18 through Dec. 13, collecting eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points during that stretch. The streak was the longest home point streak in the ECHL last season.
His performance earned him a spot on the roster for the 2026 ECHL All-Star Classic before Hartford recalled him to the AHL.
Jackson appeared in 12 games for the Wolf Pack and registered his first AHL goal along with one assist.
He returned to Bloomington for the postseason and added five assists in six playoff games, finishing third on the Bison in playoff scoring.
Consistent Production at the ECHL Level
Jackson’s offensive success was not limited to one season.
He has totaled 58 goals and 82 assists for 140 points in 158 career ECHL games with the Kansas City Mavericks, Wheeling Nailers and Bloomington.
His 140 points over the last three seasons rank second among ECHL players under the age of 24 entering the 2026-27 campaign.
Jackson’s biggest goal-scoring season came with Wheeling in 2024-25.
He scored 27 goals and added 25 assists for 52 points over 67 games for the Nailers. His 27 goals led Wheeling that season.
The performance earned Jackson his first opportunity in the AHL when he appeared in two games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Jackson began his professional career with Kansas City in 2023-24 and immediately showed offensive ability, producing 14 goals and 30 assists for 44 points in 53 games.
He also helped the Mavericks win the Brabham Cup as the ECHL’s regular-season champions and advance to the Kelly Cup Finals after winning the Bruce Taylor Trophy as Western Conference champions.
Overall, Jackson has appeared in 14 career AHL games between Hartford and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, recording one goal and one assist.
Former Seattle Kraken Draft Pick
Jackson also brings an NHL draft pedigree to Hershey.
The Seattle Kraken selected the Ottawa, Ontario native in the seventh round with the 196th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Jackson was coming off a breakout season with the Ontario Hockey League’s North Bay Battalion when Seattle selected him.
During the 2021-22 season, Jackson scored 30 goals and recorded 32 assists for 62 points in only 45 games. He added nine goals and five assists in 12 playoff games.
He followed that performance by producing another excellent season for North Bay in 2022-23, scoring 31 goals and adding 52 assists for 83 points in 67 games.
Jackson finished his OHL career with 71 goals, 99 assists and 170 points in 186 regular-season games.
Before joining North Bay full time, Jackson played for the Ottawa Jr. Senators of the Central Canada Hockey League. He recorded 24 goals and 30 assists for 54 points in 51 games during the 2018-19 season.
Jackson was named the league’s Rookie of the Year and helped Ottawa capture the Bogart Cup championship.
Another Depth Option for Hershey
Jackson now joins a Hershey organization looking to rebound after an uneven 2025-26 season.
The Bears finished last year’s regular season 32-31-6-3 and fifth in the Atlantic Division. Hershey advanced through the opening round of the Calder Cup Playoffs before its season ended against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Atlantic Division Semifinals.
That came after Hershey established itself as the AHL’s premier franchise during the previous several seasons, including back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2023 and 2024.
Adding Jackson gives Hershey another relatively young forward with size, scoring ability and significant professional experience.
His production at the ECHL level has been consistent. Jackson scored 14 goals in his first professional season, jumped to 27 the following year and produced 17 more in only 38 ECHL games last season.
The next challenge is proving that production can translate to the AHL.
Jackson’s 12-game stint with Hartford last season represented his longest opportunity at that level. Hershey will give him another chance to establish himself as an everyday AHL forward.
With an AHL contract rather than an NHL contract, Jackson enters camp as organizational depth and will have to compete for his role. His scoring history, however, makes him an intriguing addition to a Bears roster that could use additional offensive competition.
Hershey opens the 2026-27 season Saturday, Oct. 3 at GIANT Center against the Charlotte Checkers. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m.
MSB Take
This is exactly the type of low-risk depth signing that has helped the Hershey Bears remain competitive year after year.
Kyle Jackson does not arrive as a guaranteed top-six AHL forward, but there is plenty to like about the production. Putting up 140 points in 158 ECHL games before turning 24 is significant, and he has improved enough to earn increasingly longer looks in the AHL.
Jackson also has good size at 6-foot-2 and showed during his junior career that his offensive numbers are not simply the product of one strong professional season.
The question is whether he can make the next jump.
If Jackson can bring some of his ECHL scoring touch to Hershey, the Bears may have found another useful young forward without having to commit an NHL contract. At worst, he gives the organization experienced scoring depth. At best, Jackson could emerge as one of Hershey’s more interesting under-the-radar additions heading into training camp.
