How a Year of Growth Is Helping Hendrix Lapierre Through the Calder Cup Playoffs
Hendrix Lapierre has had quite a season. He’s spent time with both the Chocolate and White, as well as the Red, White, and Blue with the Washington Capitals. Lapierre scored his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal on April 28, when the Caps lost their first round playoff series against the New York Rangers. His weaved his way through the Rangers defense for a backhanded score, at the time, tying the game in front of a home Washington crowd, a monumental moment in a young Lapierre career.
But, that was Sunday, and Capitals season ended in a 4-2 loss to finish a 4-0 sweep. Surely, most Washington players were disappointed with the season ending loss but also recognized the months of summer they would have to relax and reset for 2024-25. But not Lapierre.
Lapierre had two days.
Lapierre didn’t play a game Monday or Tuesday, but by Wednesday it was time to start a new playoff journey in the AHL with the Bears, facing the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the first step to repeating the roar, the coined term that Hershey’s adopted as they look to repeat as Calder Cup Champions, and win their 13th title.
By Wednesday, Lapierre was scoring in the AHL, putting the Bears up 1-0 in the first period of their first playoff game against the Phantoms. He was assisted by two starters, Chase Priskie and Ethen Frank, different teammates for Lapierre than he was accustomed to in Washington, just one more variable for Lapierre to work past.
“Everyone can play. Whether it’s at this level, whether it’s at this level or up in the NHL. When you’re on the ice, you try to play your game, you try to play the same style. I don’t feel like (the transition) is too tough mentally, it’s just that the game is played differently, and you have to adjust to certain situations differently.”
The Bears went on to win that first game, 2-1. Overall, they beat the Phantoms 3-1 in the series, advancing to play the Hartford Wolf Pack, the affiliate of the New York Rangers.
In the first game of the series against Hartford, Lapierre was in on two power play assists in the second quarter to Ethen Frank just four minutes into the period, and another in the period to Alex Limoges 13:28 into the second.
“I’m very comfortable here.”, Lapierre said after practice between game one and two on Friday, “I think I can be a lot better than what I am right now. I want to make a difference even more, and have an impact on the game.”
The thing is, Lapierre was expecting another full year in Hershey for development. He spent all of his season last year in Hershey, and tallied six points throughout last year’s run to the Calder Cup. This year, it was likely that Lapierre would return to Hershey for his second AHL season. Instead, Washington Capitals legend Nicklas Backstrom stepped away in November, and Evgeny Kuznetsov was traded away at the trade deadline. These two pieces of news, adding in injury issues for the Caps forwards, left Lappy the man to fill a big spot for the Capitals, and he filled the shoes well.
Lapierre scored his first three point game, his first multi-goal game, and (as mentioned) scored his first ever playoff goal, going one on four to tie an elimination game in front of a home crowd.
Now, the 22 year-old promising youngster looks to do a full 360, and lift another Calder Cup trophy.
