Development Arc, Roster Depth Proves Key to Success
Bears players exceling at both NHL and AHL Levels
In life, we all achieve for stability. It gives us a piece of mind.
Hockey players are very routine driven. From various pregame routines to handshakes with
teammates, they are extremely detail oriented.
No matter what level of hockey, players are always told to stay ready as they never know what
might arise.
That has been the theme of the 2023-24 Hershey Bears team. From various injuries to being
sellers at the deadline and needing stylistic fits at the NHL level, a plethora of Bears have seen
action in DC this season.
The following players, who have played more than 10 games in Hershey this season, have been
thrust into duty for Capitals bench boss Spencer Carbery:
Forwards
Hendrix Lapierre
Ivan Miroshnichenko
Mike Sgarbossa
Pierrick Dube’
Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Defensemen
Dylan McIlrath
Vincent Iorio
Lucas Johansen
Goaltender
Hunter Shepard
The scenario was far from ideal from Hershey’s perspective, but what is telling is that the current
development strategy works. The Capitals, who squeaked into the playoffs by somewhat
unconventional measures, desperately needed contributions from current and past Bears at the
most critical points of the season.
In a win-and-in scenario on Tuesday in Philadelphia, Bears captain Dylan McIlrath notched a
primary assist on Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin’s 31st tally of the regular season. According to
Capitals PR on X, formerly known as Twitter, players from Hershey’s 2023 championship team
have combined for 114 (42 goals, 72 assists) of Washington’s 584 (215 goals, 369 assists) points
this season – which was good for 19.5% of the big club’s output – at the time of the goal.
Players currently on the NHL roster from the 2023 Calder Cup winning team are forwards
Connor McMichael, Aliaksei Protas, Beck Malenstyn, Lapierre, Sgarbossa, as well as blueliners
McIlrath, Iorio and Johansen.
This season, the past and present members of the Bears squad have suited up to play a combined
415 games for the big club. With recalls and injuries of their own, the Chocolate and White
played sizeable stretches of the season without a good chunk of their regulars. This team could
have felt sorry for themselves and crumbled. Instead, they exercised the “next man up” mentality
to win games in bunches for the AHL’s most decorated franchise.
Head coach Todd Nelson said credit belongs to the hockey operations staff here and in DC.
“We tried to replicate what our line-up looked like last year,” Nelson began.
He explained that losing a player like Mason Morelli, they looked to Jimmy Huntington to fill the spot.
“When you put a team together in the summer, you kind of look at, okay, we got to replace Carlsson… we want some size on the back end. So that’s what goes through the process and also can these players help the Washington Capitals. That’s probably the biggest thing, to have good depth down here so they can go up and help the big club. We’re seeing it right now.”
Yes, yes we are seeing that.
Nelson mentioned that players such as Henrik Rybinski and Bogdan Trineyev have developed
well with full-time duty in Hershey. Nelson has deployed Rybinski up and down the lineup while
Trineyev has proven to be a reliable bottom-six player.
No matter if the player is a 20-plus goal scorer (Ethen Frank, Dube, or Alex Limoges) or a
bottom-six player, the roster as constructed has blossomed in performing their respective roles
well.
The two Virginia natives, Limoges and Joe Snively, are leading in overall production with 50-
plus points each. The Bears – the team Limoges grew up watching – are the third AHL team he
suited up for. His high level of play throughout the season is a testament to talent evaluators and
coaching for identifying and setting him up for success.
However, credit does not only belong to guys with NHL contracts.
Jimmy Huntington, playing in his first season with the Bears on an AHL contract, is shining in
all facets. Sitting fifth in goals (16) and seventh in points (33), Huntington’s addition to the team
in the offseason is paying dividends. On Sunday, he praised his teammates for rising to the
occasion in a playoff-style thriller.
“We are missing five guys in the lineup right now, but we have got some guys coming into the
lineup that are efficient like [McIlrath],” said Huntington. “[Dmitry Osipov] came into the lineup
and made the difference for us.”
Alternate captain Mike Vecchione – the Bears’ Mr. Game 7, glue guy and beloved face of the
team – is someone the team relies upon to help acclimate young players to the pro game and be a
steadying influence when adversity strikes.
“Every single day we have a good practice plan and the guys come in committed to win,” said Vecchione.
“The depth of this team, obviously the Caps have a lot of our guys and we have been able to push forward and the next guy up has been able to fill in for who has been called up or injured. It’s kind of like a machine, we just don’t stop.”
It is a treat to watch this team compete night in and night out. They make the fans proud, and
they leave everything out on the ice. We have been spoiled with front row seats on a historic
season. We are drawing closer to the beginning of the Calder Cup defense, and we cannot wait to
see the boys fight tooth and nail to retain the league’s most coveted prize.
