While Alex Ovechkin did not show up in Hershey, the Bears got a shot in the arm from several former teammates on their Calder Cup championship teams in 2023 and 2024.
With their NHL season over with the Washington Capitals and Hershey’s season on the line, Dylan McIlrath and Ethen Frank showed up at Giant Center to root on the Bears along with Joe Snively, who spent last season in the Detroit Red Wings organization.
McIlrath read the starting lineup in the Bears’ locker room with an intensity only he has.
Dylan McIlrath: LET’S F***ING GO! LET’S F***ING GO!”
(Someone starts barking)
Dylan McIlrath: “Alright, boys. You’ve been here before. Backs against the wall before. You know how to win. Just go out and f***ing do it. Trust your f***ing brothers, trust yourself. Get a f***ing win tonight.
Dylan McIlrath: Up front, we got Lappy, Limo, Smalls, Nesser, Bearsy, Shep-Daddy. LET’S F***ING GO!”
The three former Bears were then shown before puck drop on the Giant Center jumbotron, where McIlrath pumped up the fans while Frank and Snively waved rally towels. Capitals rookie forward Ryan Leonard was also briefly shown before ducking out of the frame.
“Let’s go, Bears,” McIlrath could be heard saying over the PA system. “Let’s go, Bears. Wooooo!”
Leonard was in town to show support for his brother John Leonard, a star player for the Checkers. John scored in the second period to give the Checkers a 3-2 lead.
