The Washington Capitals recalled Russian forward Ivan Miroshnichenko from the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Tuesday. Miroshnichenko, 19, was the Capitals’ first-round draft selection in the 2022 NHL Draft and has played the entirety of his first North American professional season with the Bears until Tuesday’s announcement.
Miroshnichenko has recorded 15 points (8g, 7a) in 27 games for Hershey. The Russian winger was originally sent down to the AHL in October after an impressive Capitals Training Camp saw him last until the final roster cuts before the Caps set their 23-man roster.
Miroshnichenko could make his NHL debut as soon as Wednesday against the New York Islanders. The Capitals still have Sonny Milano on injured reserve and TJ Oshie is dealing with a lower-body injury that kept him out of Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
NEWS | The Capitals have recalled forwards Ivan Miroshnichenko and Hendrix Lapierre from the Hershey Bears. https://t.co/J6OOQOaqpm
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 19, 2023
Miroshnichenko has played up and down the Bears’ lineup this season. To start his AHL career, he spent most of his time on the third line with fellow Capitals first-round draft pick Hendrix Lapierre and Lapierre’s junior teammate Pierrick Dube. He’s had a spell on the fourth line and as of late has recently filled in for injured winger Mike Vecchione on the first.
The 19-year-old forward has had many milestones this season, including his first AHL point, his first AHL goal, and his first AHL fight.
Miroshnichenko also scored on the Bears’ Hockey Fights Cancer Night a year after he beat Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The talented youngster missed parts of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns in Russia due to the cancer diagnosis he was delivered on his 18th birthday in 2022.
Following his victorious battle with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2022, Ivan Miroshnichenko tallies a goal in @TheHersheyBears‘ #HockeyFightsCancer night 💟 pic.twitter.com/PAgSRAp3Nx
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) November 12, 2023
In mid-November, Miroshnichenko was a surprise healthy scratch against the Bridgeport Islanders. Head coach Todd Nelson framed it as a positive thing, hoping a game from the press box would help the young forward be more consistent on the defensive side of the puck.
Nelson placed Miroshnichenko with Riley Sutter and Matthew Strome to get him more in tune with the smaller details needed to be successful both on the forecheck and in his defensive responsibilities. After several games with that unit, Miroshnichenko kept up his point production and helped make the Bears’ fourth line one of the most effective lines in the league.
Miroshnichenko’s great play with that fourth line led to a promotion to the team’s top line. He scored a goal on his very first shot with that top trio.
First shot of the game and Miro’s got us on the board with his seventh of the season! 🚀
🍎Frank https://t.co/hMFJWscdqw pic.twitter.com/DicLQp92YY
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) December 14, 2023
Miroshnichenko ranks sixth in overall scoring on a dominant Bears team and fourth in goals. Among all rookie skaters in the AHL, he’s tied for fourth in goal scoring. Now, he’ll see if can translate that level of production into the NHL.
The Primorsky Krai native will join a Capitals team sporting fellow Russians Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alex Alexeyev, and Miroshnichenko’s idol Alex Ovechkin. Miroshnichenko, who has been using Ovechkin’s sticks in Hershey, skated on a successful preseason line with his idol. The Capitals could use Miroshnichenko’s youthful, offensive spark to try and get Ovechkin’s scoring going again as their legendary captain is without a goal in a career-worst, 13-straight games.
Miroshnichenko was recalled along with Hendrix Lapierre before the NHL’s holiday roster freeze. NHL rules state that he now cannot be sent back down to Hershey until midnight on December 28. The Capitals play four games during that stretch that Miroshnichenko could get into.
If Miroshnichenko plays fewer than 10 NHL games with the Capitals (including the playoffs) this season, his entry-level contract to slide a year. .
Here’s the Capitals’ press release announcing the move:
Capitals Recall Ivan Miroshnichenko and Hendrix Lapierre
2022 and 2020 First-Round Picks Called Up to Washington
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled forwards Ivan Miroshnichenko and Hendrix Lapierre from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.
Miroshnichenko, the Capitals’ first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft, has recorded 15 points (8g, 7a) in 27 games in his first season with Hershey. The 6’0”, 192-pound forward leads Bears rookies in goals, assists and points and ranks tied for seventh among AHL rookies in goals. Miroshnichenko ranks tied for third among all Hershey skaters in goals, but his seven even-strength goals are the second most on the team.
The Ussuriysk, Russia native recorded four points (3g, 1a) in 23 games with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) last season, where he averaged 8:27 of ice time per game. Miroshnichenko also recorded three assists in four games with Omskie Krylia of the Supreme Hockey League (Russia-2) and 14 points (10g, 4a) in 12 games with Omskie Yastreby of the Junior Hockey League (Russia-Jr.) in 2022-23. Miroshnichenko tallied seven points (2g, 5a) in 16 playoffs games with Omskie Yastreby, which ranked tied for eighth on the team.
Miroshnichenko spent the 2021-22 season with Omskie Krylia and recorded 16 points (10g, 6a) in 31 games. In addition, Miroshnichenko captained Russia to the gold medal at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he recorded nine points (4g, 5a) in five games. Miroshnichenko’s nine points during the tournament ranked tied for fourth among all skaters and his +7 plus/minus rating ranked tied for second. Miroshnichenko also represented Russia at the 2021 4 Nations Tournament, where he recorded two points (1g, 1a) in three games.
Miroshnichenko was ranked third among European left wings and 11th among all European forwards by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Lapierre, 21, has recorded three points (1g, 2a) in 11 games with the Capitals this season. The 6’0”, 188-pound forward registered all three points in Washington’s 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 18, which marked his first career multi-point game. Lapierre was credited with the game-winning goal against Columbus, which marked his second career goal and his first since his NHL debut on Oct. 13, 2021 versus the New York Rangers. In eleven games with Hershey this season, Lapierre has registered eight points (2g, 6a).
Lapierre, the Capitals’ first-round choice (22nd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft, recorded 30 points (15g, 15a) in 60 games during his first professional season with Hershey in 2022-23. Lapierre ranked second among Hershey rookies in goals, points, power-play points (10) and shots (114). In addition, Lapierre ranked third on the Bears in power-play goals (5). Lapierre added six points (3g, 3a) in 20 playoff games, including the game-tying goal in Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals.
The Gatineau, Quebec native appeared in six games with the Capitals during the 2021-22 season. Lapierre made his NHL debut and scored his first career goal versus the New York Rangers on Oct. 13, 2021, becoming the first Capitals rookie since 2014-15 to make his NHL debut at the age of 19 and the fifth-youngest player in franchise history to score in his debut. In 17 career games with Washington, Lapierre has recorded four points (2g, 2a).
Headline photo: Ian Oland/RMNB
