Braden Holtby talks about his stint with the Capitals, how he can improve, & achieving a childhood dream

Above: Braden Holtby performs one of my favorite Holtbyisms – “The Water Squirt” – during a stoppage in play.

On December 4th, I went up to Hershey again to see my first ever Teddy Bear Toss Night. Not only were over 7,000 stuffed animals donated to charity, but Braden Holtby shut out the Binghamton Senators to lead the Bears to a 4-0 victory. In fact, it was his second shutout in three games since being returned to Hershey.

Holtby, who is currently posting a scintillating .934 save percentage and a 1.86 goals against average, caught up with me after the game to talk extensively about his time in Washington, how he can improve, and what it was like to finally achieve his childhood dream.

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Andrew Gordon talks about social media, his favorite Holtbyism, & playing dryer hockey with Crosby

Andrew Gordon

On November 20th, I went up to Hershey to celebrate my 26th Birthday in style, hoping to break my own personal curse and finally see a Bears victory in person (0-4). Despite Andrew Gordon’s heroic two goals and Semyon Varlamov in net, the Bears couldn’t garner enough offensive power to overcome the dreaded Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Undeterred, after the game, I caught up with the current AHL goals (15) and points (30) leader for an exclusive one-on-one interview to ask for his thoughts on a wide range of topics. This includes life in the AHL, the Bears new Captain, goalies, Holtbyisms, and his experience playing dryer hockey with one Sidney Crosby.

In the weeks to come – if my first-ever video interview with an athlete does not result in me being kicked out of the Bears locker room forever – we’ll continue to do these Q/A’s. So make sure to check out for more profiles on your favorite Hershey players and let us know what you think in the comments below. Okay! Let’s do this.

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The Hershey Bears 2009-10 Championship Rings

Photo by Tim Stough

After four months of waiting, the returning players of the 2009-10 season finally got to put a ring on it Saturday Night at Giant Center and receive their Championship rings. And much like everything else the Bears organization does, they handled the ring ceremony with style, class, and creativity.

Since last year’s Bears club became the first Hershey team to win a Calder Cup on home ice in 30 years, the organization invited members of the 1979-80 class back to Giant Center to hand out the rings.

“The ceremony was real nice,” said right winger Andrew Gordon. “The rings are really well done. They’re big this year, too. I really want to put it side by side with my [2008-09 ring] and see how it stacks up.”

Mathieu Perreault gets his ring from Bears great Lou Franceschetti

Mathieu Perreault, one of the Capitals final cuts during training camp, got to receive his ring from one of the most popular Hershey Bears of all-time, Lou Franceschetti. Franceschetti played parts of 5 seasons in with the Bears scoring 314 points in 374 games and went on to have a solid NHL career playing 459 games with the Capitals, Sabres, and Maple Leafs.

When asked about the ring post-game, Perreault got a big smile on his face. “It’s unbelievable,” exclaimed Perry. “Last year’s was unbelievable and this year’s was even better. The ring is so beautiful. It’s so special. It’s unreal!”

So what’s the fuss all about?

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