Riley Sutter has missed all of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs due to an undisclosed injury. But Thursday, the veteran center appeared ready to return for the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hershey Bears will play the North Division’s Cleveland Monsters in a seven-game series to determine who will go to the Calder Cup Finals.
Bears head coach Todd Nelson had Sutter rock a light blue jersey during Wednesday’s practice at Hersheypark Arena, signifying that the Capitals’ 2018 third-round pick was taking line rushes on the team’s fourth line.
Sutter has not played since the Bears’ regular season finale on April 20 against the Charlotte Checkers, a span of a month and 9 days.
Six-foot-four winger Matt Strome appears to be the odd man out despite being a revelation in this year’s playoffs, posting four points (1g, 3a) in seven games. Sutter looks likely to skate with Henrik Rybinski and Bogdan Trineyev on the wings — if Nelson’s lines hold.
Strome wore red and skated with Matthew Phillips and Ryan Hofer during practice as extras, suggesting Ethen Frank will also return for Game 1. Frank was announced as a scratch minutes before Game 3 of the Atlantic Division Finals due to injury, springing Phillips back in the lineup after he was scratched for three consecutive games. Frank shares the playoff team lead in goals (5) with Ivan Miroshnichenko and is second in points with 7.
The Bears lines and pairings could look like this for Game 1.
Sutter, a regular on the penalty kill, was a major reason why the Bears were able to lift the Calder Cup in 2023, helping form what became the team’s best line in the postseason with Beck Malenstyn and Mason Morelli. The trio shut down other teams’ best lines throughout the spring and set the tone with physicality and hard work along the boards.
During 66 games in the 2023-24 regular season, Sutter set career highs in goals (9), assists (14), and points (23) while also registering the first game-winning goal of his career.
Rybinski played well in Sutter’s absence, and the Bears have kept winning despite several injuries to key players, notching victories in six of their first seven playoff games and outscoring their opponents 26 to 11. Hershey will look to continue their run of good play Thursday at Giant Center for the start of their third series of the playoffs.
Update (5/30): Sutter is indeed back in the lineup for Game 1. Hardy Häman Aktell will not play due to injury.
S/T to Bears Hockey Nation (@HBHNationBlog) on X.
