Bjorklund eyes bounce back as Sandelin returns to family roots in Hershey
The Bears goaltender is on an AHL deal after his entry-level contract expired, while tryout forward Ryan Sandelin is practicing where his father once played.
Garin Bjorklund's goal for this season is simple. "Just win the day, just have fun with it," the Hershey Bears goaltender said after Thursday's practice at Hersheypark Arena.
The simplicity is the point after a season that swung hard. Bjorklund opened his first extended AHL campaign 3-0-1 with a 1.71 goals-against average, a .931 save percentage and his first AHL shutout, a 25-save game at Providence on Nov. 1. Over his final 13 appearances he won just two more games for Hershey and spent time back in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays.
"Maybe last year I didn't think it might have went the way that I was really picturing in my head," he said. "This year it's just about keep playing my game, have fun, and do what I can to give the team the best chance of winning every night."
His entry-level contract with Washington, which drafted him in the sixth round in 2020, expired this summer. Instead of a qualifying offer, he signed an AHL contract with the Bears.
"Not signing back with Washington was a tough one," Bjorklund said. "I could always still earn an NHL contract."
He has a model in the room. Mitch Gibson signed an AHL deal with Hershey after his entry-level contract expired in 2025, then earned an NHL contract by mid-February that runs through the end of this season. Bjorklund said that path factored into his decision to re-sign.
A homecoming for Sandelin
Forward Ryan Sandelin is in camp on a tryout. He signed an ECHL contract with South Carolina on Aug. 11 and brings 149 combined AHL games with Colorado and Iowa from his first three pro seasons.
"I've never really been in an [AHL] tryout position before, so it's a new experience for me, but it's something that's exciting," he said.
The building is familiar family ground. His father, Scott Sandelin, played defence in Hershey for parts of three seasons from 1988 to 1991 and has been head coach at Minnesota Duluth since 2000. He met Ryan's mother, Wendy, during his time with the Bears.
"It's a cool experience to be practicing in the same building that he played pro in," Ryan Sandelin said.
