HERSHEY, PA — Terik Parascak’s professional career started with a viral moment at last year’s draft.
“With the 17th selection,” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said, “Washington picks Terik Parascak from Prince George in the Western Hockey League.”
Mouth agape, a humble Parascak turned to his father in shock. Draft analysts projected the forward prospect would be a late first or early second-round pick. But after posting gaudy numbers with a great team as a 17-year-old — 105 points (43g, 62a) in 68 games — the Caps went off the board to select “The Super Rookie.”
Parascak participated in the Capitals’ Development Camp and signed his three-year, entry-level contract at the end of the week. A few months later, the right wing was invited to his first NHL Training Camp, where he was quickly introduced to Capitals’ captain Alex Ovechkin.
“You go straight into a practice with a lot of battle drills,” Parascak said. “And I’m pretty sure my first rep was against Ovi, and he just toe-dragged me. So that was a big eye-opener right there for sure.”
Parascak played his first NHL preseason game, registering his first NHL exhibition point on an Ivan Miroshnichenko power-play goal and gaining “lots of confidence.” Notably, Parascak registered a game-high 9 individual shot attempts (3 scoring chances and 2 high-danger opportunities) in 14:58 of ice time.
Returned to the WHL’s Prince George Cougars on October 1, Parascak, without linemate and 67-goal-scorer Zac Funk, notched 23 fewer points during his sophomore season. Prince George, after setting franchise records for points (102) and wins (49) in 2023-24, finished the year with 14 fewer standings points and second in their division.
Arguably, Parascak’s biggest highlight of the season came in Game 1 of the team’s first-round series against the Portland Winterhawks. The talented forward notched three points and scored the overtime winner in their 7-6 comeback victory.
In total, Parascak posted 10 points (4g, 6a) in 7 postseason games.
“Parascak’s year was good,” Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney said earlier this week. “[His] team wasn’t as good as it was the year before, where they had a contending team. He probably played too much, him and a few other forwards on that team. I think the coach really shortened the bench in a lot of games, and it was probably a little bit of a fatigue factor for him later in the year.”
The Capitals re-assigned Parascak to the Hershey Bears on April 13 to conclude his season. There, he earned enough trust from head coach Todd Nelson to make his AHL debut in Hershey’s final game of the regular season on April 19 — a 4-3 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Parascak took the ice for his professional debut at the young age of 18 years and 326 days.
He finished the year as a black ace during Hershey’s playoff run, gaining more pro experience. He also mingled with top Capitals prospects like Ilya Protas and briefly Andrew Cristall.
What’s next for Parascak is an important summer where he needs to continue to bulk up, and then take another step in his development in junior.
Below is my full interview with Terik Parascak while he served as a black ace with the Hershey Bears during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.
RMNB Q&A with Terik Parascak
Q: What’s one word to describe your year? How would you sum it up?
Terik Parascak: I would say exciting. Yeah, I think a lot’s happened in the past year for me. Life kind of changed a bit, and the pro lifestyle is definitely different than junior, but it’s all super exciting.
Q: How’s your life been since you got here, and maybe what’s your day-to-day life being a Hershey Bear?
Terik Parascak: Yeah, it’s been awesome. The guys and organization, everyone’s been super welcoming, and it’s a great group to be a part of, with a good culture and a good history. And day-to-day life, kind of come to the rink every day and go on the ice, work hard, kind of practice, and then hit the gym after and get a really good workout in. Then, after we’re at the hotel, so there’s a lot of boys staying there, so it’s been good to kind of get to know them and spend some time with them, and we’ve had fun.
Q: Who would you say you have become really close to while in Hershey?
Terik Parascak: I’d say there’s a few guys, kind of that hotel group, Ludwig [Persson], Leon [Muggli], and David Gucciardi, those guys we’ve kind of hung out a little bit, play some video games at the hotel, and go for dinners. So, yeah, it’s all been super good.
Q: Now, the first time I learned of you as a Capitals fan was when you were drafted, and then you had that viral moment with your dad. Can you walk me through how exciting that milestone was for you, even almost a year later now?
Terik Parascak: Yeah, I mean, it’s pretty surreal. The whole experience of the draft process and everything was super special and super cool. Just get to know all the organizations in the league and go through that whole process, and then obviously get into Vegas and the draft and just the whole city, the atmosphere, everything. The sphere is an amazing building. So, yeah, in that moment, I don’t even know. I blacked out in that moment. I don’t really remember the walk until I kind of got on stage. And then after that, it was just great to meet everybody in the organization, and they’re all super great.
Q: Was there any particular excitement, too, because it was the Capitals and how great their minor league system is? I’m not sure how familiar you were with Hershey and how much success they’ve had, but if you end up starting here once junior’s over, it’s one of the top places to play.
Terik Parascak: I think with the Hershey thing, definitely kind of learned as I go. I didn’t know a lot about the AHL. Obviously, coming to an organization like this, it’s special, and it’s a super, super honoring opportunity. And then with Washington, obviously, you have guys like Ovechkin. You know those guys and big names. Yeah, super cool history with the organization and everything. Yeah, super honored.
Q: Looking back, maybe into the fall, especially with training camp, are there any moments that stick out to you of like, ‘Oh, my God, that happened?’ You know what I mean? ‘I reached this point where I get to play with some of the best players in the NHL and learn from them as well.’
Terik Parascak: Yeah, I mean, the very first skate out there on the ice in the same group as guys like Ovi. And it was, I mean, that moment, just stepping on the ice with a guy like that, it’s unbelievable. And then obviously getting a chance to play in a preseason game in Capital One, it was, yeah, just a special moment. My family was there, so that made it even more special for me. So, yeah, the whole experience was amazing.
Q: So you recently made your AHL debut. Can you walk me through that game, like maybe what you learned, what you maybe were like, ‘Oh, this is what I need to work on to get better as I get older here?’
Terik Parascak: I think obviously it’s pro, these guys are men, it’s not juniors anymore. I mean, everyone’s stronger, they’re bigger, they’re faster. Just the basic things, but you really feel it out there, especially when you’re a younger guy. The size difference is a big thing, so obviously getting in the gym as much as possible for me is going to be huge this summer, and come ready back to camp.
Q: You ended up with a lot more responsibility because Zac Funk left, and other players were gone. Can you kind of walk me through your junior season and how that added responsibility, how you worked with it?
Terik Parascak: Yeah, I think our team this year went through a lot of adversity. It wasn’t an easy year like the past year was. And we had to really work hard and got to a deep series there with Portland, which just fell a little short. But, yeah, all season it was adversity, pushing through and just trying to get better every day. I think becoming a leader with that group, it was important for me to learn that side of the game. I mean, the year before I was a rookie, so it was kind of like I said, Zac and those other top players kind of led me through it. But it was my turn this year to flip a page and do that for other guys. So, I learned a lot about what it takes to be a leader and how to be professional.
Q: For a first-round pick like yourself, how do the Capitals kind of reach out to you during the junior season, and how do they kind of work you along as the season goes? Is there much communication?
Terik Parascak: Yeah, I talk to the player development staff pretty often, and they kind of throw their little pieces of advice at me. And obviously, the whole organization knows what I need to work on, and that’s talked about. Yeah, they just help you any way you need to try to get better. As much as I want to make it there, they want me to as well. So it’s a good dynamic, and, yeah, they’ve been awesome.
Q: What was your nickname before, back in junior?
Terik Parascak: My nickname was Perry. Yeah, the announcer called me the Super Rookie. They called me the Super Sophomore this year at times.
Q: I want to ask everybody about this kind of from afar, but seeing Alex Ovechkin hit 895, break the NHL’s goals record. For you, I think you said he kind of walked you in the first practice, the first time you were on the ice. What did that mean to you to even see that from afar, being a member of the organization?
Terik Parascak: It’s obviously a super special moment in hockey history, and to even be part of the organization at that time, it’s an honor, and obviously a player like that, so special. Yeah, I mean, that moment was unreal to watch, and kind of the whole everything leading up to it was super cool, and yeah, it was unbelievable.
Q: As essentially a beer leaguer myself, I may not appreciate the smaller details maybe as much as you do as a really talented player. What makes Ovi so special?
Terik Parascak: Yeah, I mean, just that natural scoring talent he has. I mean, you can’t really teach that. You can teach it to an extent, but to have that touch and to watch him do what he does, to put the puck in the net like that, it’s ridiculous. He shouldn’t be able to do it like that, but, yeah, I mean, his shots, it’s unbelievable.
Q: Have you kept tabs on, like, Cole Hutson, Ilya Protas, like some of the other young prospects across the spectrum that you’re going to be growing up with in this organization? Like, are you really excited for the future with them? It just seems like everything is clicking, from my perspective, everywhere, even in the ECHL with this organization. How much do you pay attention to other players and what are your relationships with them?
Terik Parascak: Yeah, obviously, those two guys, Ilya and Cole, they had unbelievable seasons. I know Pro was, I think, top five in scoring and had an unbelievable playoff, too. And Cole, you see all his highlight reels that he puts up every once in a while. And obviously, the World Juniors. Yeah, I talked to [Ilya] a little bit. Just congratulate him on those kind of things, the accolades he has, and probably obviously getting to see him here and talk about our seasons and how good of a year he had. Yeah, obviously it’s nice to watch those guys and see them doing well, and hopefully play with them one day.
Q: Does it put even more, I don’t want to say pressure, but good pressure, on you that everyone seems to be succeeding so much and growing so fast at the same time?
Terik Parascak: I wouldn’t say pressure. I would say kind of more of opportunity. But to have those guys, obviously, I think to push each other is huge. You get on the ice and work with them, and they’re all special players. So if we’re able to push each other, we can hopefully all make it there one day.
Q: I think you mentioned NHL 25. Do you play as the Capitals? How do you usually do it?
Terik Parascak: We usually just do random teams, and we’re at the hotel playing as each other. But, yeah, we play as the Capitals a bit.
Q: Who do you model your game after?
Terik Parascak: Yeah, I think TJ Oshie. Obviously, getting to the Capitals organization now. It’s cool that way. Kind of looked up to him and his style of game, kind of my whole way up, and just trying to model as much as I can from him.
Q: And among the prospects, maybe even that you were with during development camp, going into rookie camp and stuff like that, who did you get closest to at that point?
Terik Parascak: I would say I remember Cole Hutson at development camp, so I got to know him a bit. And then I remember Patrick Thomas at rookie camp, so him as well. And I had my two Prince George teammates, Zac Funk and Hudson Thornton, there at dev camp and rookie camp. So, it was good to have those guys, familiar faces. So, yeah, everyone in the whole organization is awesome and good guys to hang around with.
Q: And I guess the last thing I want to ask you is, going into, obviously, spring and then in the summer, what are the things that you want to work on? As a Caps fan who’s following you really hard, what are the things that they should be looking for you this summer?
Terik Parascak: Yeah, the biggest thing for me is to put on some size. I think I’m definitely not the biggest guy, but get a little bit more strength on me, and I think that kind of will translate to a lot of areas in my game. Puck battles are a big one. My skating, I’ll get faster with the more strength I put on, and my shot will get better, too. So, I think just overall strength in the gym is what I’m looking to improve the most.
