Michal Neuvirth Returns to Hershey for First Game Since 2010

HERSHEY, PA – Michal Neuvirth looks on during warm-ups Saturday night before his first start in Giant Center since Game 6 of the 2010 Calder Cup Finals (Kyle Mace / Sweetest Hockey on Earth)

June 15th, 2010. 11,002 Bears fans packed Giant Center for the largest crowd in the building’s history. Michal Neuvirth raised his second straight Calder Cup after a 22-save shutout of the Texas Stars. 1278 days later, he stepped back out on the ice in a Hershey uniform for the first time since raising the Calder Cup.

“It was awesome. I was pretty excited before the game and a little but nervous because I haven’t played in a while,” said Neuvirth, who hasn’t played since slipping on a puck when coming out for warm-ups before his start in Washington on November 29th. “I feel a little bit rusty, but I was starting to feel a little bit better as the game went on.” The 25-year-old netminder has missed six games with the Capitals since the incident. “When you haven’t played for awhile you want to face a lot of shots and in the first period it didn’t happen. Gave up one goal on the breakaway so it wasn’t an easy first period.

HERSHEY, PA – Michal Neuvirth adjusts his helmet during warm-ups prior to the game Saturday, December 14, 2013 (Kyle Mace / Sweetest Hockey on Earth)

“The second period I started out better and make a couple saves and started feeling better. My confidence went up but they scored three quick goals. It wasn’t easy on my confidence, but I came back and was pretty happy the rest of the way.”

Neuvirth finished the game with 33 saves on 37 shots, despite giving up a shorthanded breakway and two power play goals on a long five minute major. “We had a one goal lead. Five minutes is a long time. We talked about it before the game, our PK has to be better. The guys got to work on it a little bit if they’re going to fix the PK.”

After that rough second period, “Neuvy” was lights out, not letting one goal pass on 15 shots during the third period. “I told myself after the second I’ve got to shut the door and help the team win the hockey game, and that’s what I did. I’m pretty happy with the third period effort.

“It was great support. It’s unusual when you give up four goals and win a hockey game, but we scored seven. It was a crazy game with a lot of penalties on both sides. It’s just a different game than the NHL. I thought the guys did a great job.”

In a game with 130 less penalty minutes, Neuvirth was named the number one start of the game during Game 6 of the Calder Cup finals, where Hershey won their first championship on home ice since 1980. The team that season was the most dominate in AHL history with 60 regular season wins, losing only six games at home during the regular season, and 23 straight at home, but the goaltender had one main memory of that whole season. “It was an unbelievable season, but you just remember the last game, winning 4-0.

“It was a different crowd then tonight,” chuckled Neuvirth after the game, as a very small crowd attended the game due to heavy snow. “If the weather would be a little bit better outside, I think more fans will show up.”

Neuvirth was back in DC Saturday and is expected to be activated by the Capitals very soon.