The Washington Capitals announced on Wednesday morning that they have recalled forward Pierrick Dubé from the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Dube leads the Bears in goal-scoring with 24 markers in 50 games and is ranked second in the league overall, trailing the leader by just one tally.
Head coach Spencer Carbery was asked after the team’s practice on Wednesday how much he’s seen of Dube and why the French winger was chosen to be recalled ahead of the Capitals’ trip down south to play the NHL’s two Floridian teams.
“Film wise, a little bit just from tuning in to a few games,” Carbery said. “Seen some highlights and obviously have talked to [Todd Nelson] quite a bit about him. He’s having a fantastic year. First year in the organization, got familiar with him in Training Camp and exhibitions. He went down there and has done a tremendous job. Felt like he had earned the opportunity for this call-up.”
Dubé, who is a former junior linemate of Hendrix Lapierre, has 34 total points (24g, 10a) this season. The Capitals signed the 23-year-old to an entry-level contract last July after he spent the 2022-23 campaign in the Montreal Canadiens organization.
If Dubé were to make his NHL debut on this road trip, he’d be just the 13th French-born player in the league’s history. Two of the previous 12 have also been Capitals, Cristobal Huet and Andre Peloffy. The Capitals, in the last NHL draft, also drafted a French-born goaltender, Antoine Keller, in the seventh round.
Dubé is on a rare cold streak in the AHL lately, going without a goal in four straight games for just the third time this season. He tallied the primary assist on Lapierre’s hat-trick goal against the Belleville Senators on Monday.
The Capitals will play the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night and then the Florida Panthers on Saturday night before returning home to meet the Ottawa Senators early next week.
