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Kyle Stephan: The Second Chance That Became a Championship Career August 27, 2026 | ||||
Posted by: Bob Howard Credit: Binghamton Hockey.net | ||||
August 27, 2026 - by Bob Howard - BinghamtonHockey.net
That is what makes Stephan's story with the Binghamton Black Bears so special. This was not the traditional journey of a player moving directly from college hockey into the professional ranks. Stephan played four seasons of NCAA Division I hockey at American International College from 2016-17 through 2019-20, building toward what was supposed to be the next chapter of his career. Instead, the COVID-19 pandemic brought that chapter to an abrupt and unexpected end. AIC had earned its way into the postseason and Stephan believed his senior year was setting up for one more opportunity to chase a championship. Then the sports world shut down. Looking back during a May 30, 2025 appearance on the Power Play Post Show with Bob Howard, Stephan explained just how difficult that ending was for him. "It felt like I got the game kind of ripped out of my hands. It wasn't my decision to leave or walk away." The disappointment did not simply disappear when the season ended. Stephan stepped away from hockey, believing his playing career was over. For years, he was away from the game he had spent his life chasing. He later admitted that the transition was difficult. "I really struggled with that quite a bit... for the first couple years, I fell into a bit of a hardship mentally." Then came the opportunity that changed everything. Before the trade deadline during the 2023-24 season, Jesse Anderson reached out to the Black Bears on Stephan's behalf. Head Coach Brant Sherwood looked at his background and saw something worth taking a chance on. Stephan had been away from hockey for years. He was not in game shape. He knew getting back would not be easy. But Sherwood gave him an opportunity anyway. As Stephan recalled on the Power Play Post Show, Sherwood told him, essentially, that he knew Stephan had been away from the game but was willing to take a chance. Stephan never forgot that. "Sherwood really didn't have to take a chance on me. You know, it'd been four years. Most people step away from the game. It's hard to get back into it." And it was hard. Stephan said it took him five or six games just to start getting his feet underneath him again. At first, he wasn't even sure how long he would last. But he worked his way back into hockey shape, found his stride, and soon became an impact player for the Black Bears. "Fortunately, I was able to get myself going and find my stride and be an impact player last year." What happened next became one of the great stories of the Binghamton Black Bears' championship era. Over three seasons in Binghamton, Stephan appeared in 86 regular-season games, scoring 33 goals and adding 52 assists for 85 points. In the playoffs, he played in all 24 games during the Black Bears' three consecutive Commissioner’s Cup Championship runs, adding 12 points along the way. More importantly, he became one of just eight players to be part of all three championship teams from 2024 through 2026. But those numbers alone don't tell the entire story. Stephan came to Binghamton looking for an opportunity. What he found was something even bigger: the chance to properly continue—and eventually finish—his hockey career on his own terms. After winning his second championship, Stephan openly discussed retirement with Howard during that May 2025 interview. He was already thinking about the next chapter of his life and understood the emotional challenge of walking away from the game. He knew because he had already done it once. But this time was different. "I'm very happy in a sense that I've already gone through it. I've stepped away from the game. I know what's coming." He spoke openly about the mental and emotional adjustment athletes can face after leaving hockey, the loss of the locker room, the daily interaction with teammates, and the sudden change from being part of a team every day to finding a new routine. For Stephan, one of the biggest lessons from his first time away from hockey was the importance of staying active, finding new passions, and surrounding yourself with the right people. "Being open and being honest about how you're feeling was a huge thing for me." And he made it clear that he wanted to help other players face that same transition. "If anyone out there is listening and you do step away from hockey and you're having a hard time... reach out to me. I'll listen to you all day long." At the time of that interview, it appeared Stephan's second championship would be the perfect ending to his career. But hockey had one more chapter waiting. When Stephan returned to Binghamton in November 2025 to receive his championship ring, a conversation with Black Bears owner Andreas Johansson changed everything. The player who had publicly discussed retirement decided to put the skates back on for one more season. And that one more season ended exactly as the previous two had. With a championship. Kyle Stephan officially retires as a three-time FPHL Commissioner's Cup Champion and one of only eight players to be part of the Binghamton Black Bears' historic three-peat. For a player whose first hockey ending came without warning, there could hardly have been a more fitting second ending. His final chapter included three championships, 86 regular-season games, 85 regular-season points, 24 playoff games, friendships that will last a lifetime, and a permanent place in Binghamton hockey history. But perhaps Kyle Stephan's greatest legacy with the Black Bears is the reminder of what can happen when someone is given a second chance. Brant Sherwood took that chance on a player who had been away from hockey for four years. Kyle Stephan made the most of it. And because of that opportunity, a player who once thought his career was over was able to return to the game he loved, chase his dream of professional hockey, experience the roar of a sold-out Visions Veterans Memorial Arena, and walk away with three championship rings. As Stephan said when reflecting on what hockey had given him: "The memories, the friendships, the stuff that I get to take with me from this point on... they'll fill my cup for the rest of my days." For Kyle Stephan, the game may be over. But what a second chance it turned out to be. THANK YOU Kyle!!
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