Hendrix Lapierre, in all likelihood, wrapped up his final stint in the AHL on Monday night after accomplishing all he had left to achieve with the Hershey Bears.
Lapierre, the Washington Capitals’ first-round draft selection in 2020, took home the AHL’s equivalent of the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, as the MVP of the playoffs after helping Hershey repeat as Calder Cup champions.
The 22-year-old center recorded 22 points (7g, 15a) en route to the first major individual honor of his professional career. He can now claim two wins of the Calder Cup after also playing a smaller but vital role on last year’s winning Bears team. Lapierre played 51 games in the NHL before returning to the AHL for this postseason role.
“It’s fun,” Lapierre told John Walton postgame. “I think it’s just a reward for the hard work that I’ve put in but [the Calder Cup] means a lot more. It’s really special, back-to-back. I love these guys to death, they’re brothers for life. It feels good.”
Lapierre’s growth from his first full pro season with Hershey last year to this year was substantial. The Quebec-born forward amassed six points (3g, 3a) for Hershey in last year’s playoffs, mainly deployed on the team’s third line. He more than tripled his production this year as the team’s first-line center, earning him MVP recognition.
The talented forward capped off his incredible playoffs with a two-point night (1g, 1a) in the Game 6 victory, his eighth multi-point game of the postseason. With the two points, he tied Josef Marha (1996-97) for the sixth-most points by a Bears player in a single postseason and finished the playoffs as the AHL league leader in overall scoring.
He is just the eighth Bear to take home the playoff MVP trophy and just the 16th Bear in franchise history to lead the AHL postseason in scoring, and the first since Alexandre Giroux (15g, 13a) and Chris Bourque (7g, 20a) did so in 2010.
“It’s incredible,” Lapierre said. “Last year, we only celebrated with our families. This year, it’s families, fans, everyone. It’s super fun.”
Hershey secured their second consecutive championship series victory through an overtime goal from fourth-line winger Matt Strome. Lapierre says he believed Strome’s line also featuring Riley Sutter and Bogdan Trineyev was destined to play hero for Hershey.
“[Matt Strome’s] goal was one of the most electrifying goals I’ve ever seen and the place going nuts,” Lapierre said. “It’s unbelievable.
“I’m not surprised. He’s been really good for us all playoffs long, doing his job. They were playing against really good players all the time, shutting them down. That line deserved a goal and they got one. We’re so happy for every one of them. They work so hard and it was always going to be them.”
Lapierre will now head into the offseason heading into the final year on the entry-level contract he signed with Washington in 2020. With the Capitals’ center depth taking a massive hit last season with the departures of both Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov, Lapierre could be set for the most NHL responsibility he’s ever had.
The Capitals did acquire fellow Quebecer, Pierre-Luc Dubois, to bolster them down the middle but there’s still a hole on the team at third-line center. Lapierre’s main competition for that spot, Connor McMichael, has yet to sign a new deal with Washington as a restricted free agent. Both players have also been used by head coach Spencer Carbery on the wing.
