On his way back to DC, Nicolas Aube-Kubel made a special stop in Pennsylvania.

Aube-Kubel was honored by the Lancaster Barnstormers and threw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of their game against the Staten Island Ferry Hawks.

Except, instead of throwing the baseball, NAK decided to use his hockey stick to get it to the plate.

I’m going to go ahead and house-rule that a strike.

First baseman Joseph Carpenter was the Barnstormers player that caught NAK’s pitch.

Aube-Kubel’s honor was about the only thing that happened that night at Clipper Magazine Stadium. A line of storms quickly moved in forcing the postponement of the game.

Tonight's game has been postponed due to weather conditions. It will be made up next weekend when the Staten Island FerryHawks return to Clipper Magazine Stadium (date/time TBA).
Tickets for this evening's game may be exchanged for any remaining 2023 home game in the Box Office

— Lancaster Barnstormers (@gobarnstormers) September 7, 2023

Aube-Kubel’s first pitch comes a full year after the feisty forward became a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. Aube-Kubel ended up on the Capitals during the 2022-23 season after the Toronto Maple Leafs put him through waivers last November.

Aube-Kubel has strong ties to the Philadelphia area. He was drafted by the Flyers in the 2014 NHL Draft and spent parts of five seasons with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It was there NAK met his now-wife, Madison, and befriended current Bears forward Mike Vecchione.

NAK spent his summer in Canada and began making the drive back to DC earlier this week.

Screenshot: @madison.aubekubel/IG