Washington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear has entered the NHL player's assistance program today. Bear has played for four NHL clubs in his career, including the Edmonton Oilers. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the news today. Ne noted that he will be in the program for an indefinite period of time but it should be noted that the program has a 30-day minimum stay requirement. <q>NHL/NHLPA announce Ethan Bear is unavailable indefinitely receiving care from the Player Assistance Program. Wish him all the best.</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1773109805789376733'> </a></blockquote></div> Bear is one of a handful of NHL players with indigenous ancestry. The indigenous hockey community showed their support for the Capitals defenseman through a statement on X. <q>Cree defenceman Ethan Bear has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and will be away from the Capitals for an indefinite period of time. We are wishing you the best beasy! 🐻</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/HKYIndigenous/status/1773115572399575344'> </a></blockquote></div> The 26-year-old has proven to be a fan favorite everywhere he goes. As a result, there has been an outpouring of support for bear online since the news broke. <q>Wishing nothing but the best for Ethan Bear. Glad he's getting the help he needs.</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/DNBsports/status/1773114861892870495'> </a></blockquote></div> <q>wishing ethan bear nothing but the best and i hope he gets the help he needs for whatever he's going through</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/capsboybebop/status/1773111790613704857'> </a></blockquote></div> Bear played in 24 games with the Capitals this season, recording a single goal and 4 points. He's played in a total of 275 career NHL games, potting 17 goals and adding 50 helpers in the process. HockeyLatest would like to send our best wishes to Bear as he begins his recovery process.