Bear on his 2025-26 WHL season: ‘How I saw the game improved a lot’

DETROIT -- Certain everything he learned with the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips during the 2025-26 season will help him become an even better player in the future, Carter Bear credited the experience with strengthening his approach to the game while continuing to build on his skill set.

 “When you get older, I think you just learn the game more,” the 19-year-old forward prospect told DetroitRedWings.com last week. “You start to develop those things, those little details. Obviously, I think my skating got a lot better and I made some improvements. Everything needs to improve because no one is perfect, but I think how I saw the game improved a lot.”

The Red Wings’ first round pick (No. 13 overall) in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft led Everett in goals (36), ranked second in points (77), tied for fourth in assists (41) and had the fifth highest plus-minus rating (+45) on the club in 53 regular-season games. Bear went on to record 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 18 postseason contests, helping the Silvertips capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions, and had five points (four goals, one assist) in five games at the 2026 Memorial Cup.

It was a “long year, for sure,” the 6-foot, 180-pound forward said. When asked what he’ll remember most from his most recent WHL campaign, Bear’s answer included a lot of perspective.

“The first thing that comes to mind, and for the whole team, is the bond off the ice,” Bear said. “I think it’s just how close we were as a group. If one guy goes down, we’re all picking him up. You do it for the guy next to you in the stall…I think it makes a huge difference translating on the ice. It’s those relationships and connections that turn into something on the ice. Those guys are going to be my friends for life for sure.”

Having first joined the Silvertips for two stints in the 2022-23 campaign before stepping into a full-time role the following season, Bear has plenty of incredible memories to look back on and believes the friendships he formed -- perhaps more than the statistics -- have defined his junior career.

“A lot of pro players say that juniors are the best years and the most fun,” Bear said. “You don’t get that many years in juniors, so what stands out to me is just all the memories I made with my best buddies. That’s the most important thing to me, is just developing as a person. I enjoyed every day with the guys and had a lot of fun.”

Bear also appreciated the opportunity to form new relationships with Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he appeared in two games and took home a bronze medal.

“It’s every little Canadian kid’s dream to play on that World Junior team,” the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native said. “You watch it every year during Christmas time when you’re around your family. It’s different when you’re playing though, because you’re not home for Christmas, but overall, it was a really cool experience for me and to get to know all the staff.”

Bear didn’t play after March 9 in the 2024-25 season due to an Achilles injury. While it was disappointing to be sidelined for the final stretch of that campaign, the left-handed shot has since put that adversity behind him.

“I’ve learned more about what I can be as a player than what I am right now,” Bear said. “By seeing everything and going through the injury too, I learned a lot about going through the process. You can’t be mad at it or be mad in the moment because you can’t play. You have to be focused on the future.  You have to worry about what’s ahead of you and when you get healthy. When I got drafted by Detroit, that was just unbelievable.”

Absorbing as much information as he could during his first NHL Training Camp and preseason slate last fall, Bear said he went back to Everett hungrier than ever before.

“When you go in that pro environment, obviously you’re taught a lot of stuff and I think that just makes you want to be more of a pro,” Bear said. “It gives you more motivation to be like those pro players. You want to do everything well, take advantage of every chance you can get and every step you can take. Being in that pro environment where I was for a little bit gave me more motivation, just seeing how they treat the players and how much support you get.”

That attitude is exactly how Bear, who signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Red Wings last July, has reached this point in his development -- and it will be what continues to help him achieve his goals moving forward.

“I’m just worried about right now and the present,” Bear said. “Just focusing on myself and working on my game. I’m trying to get better in the gym and on the ice. I’m also trying to spend time with family and friends too, since it’s summer, so having a little fun. But I have got to be focused, and I want to be a pro next year. Next season, I’m going to work my ass off. I’m going to trust what the Detroit Red Wings organization wants for me.”