The Washington Capitals announced that they have loaned winger Ivan Miroshnichenko to the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Monday.
Miroshnichenko heads to Hershey ahead of the NHL’s Opening Night roster submission deadline at 5 pm. The Capitals are now down to 24 players at training camp, with one or both of their injured defensemen, Matt Roy and Dylan McIlrath, expected to be placed on injured reserve, bringing them up to or below the 23-player maximum.
The writing was on the wall for Miroshnichenko when he was not included in Monday’s line rushes at practice, instead skating on an extra defense pairing with Vincent Iorio. The extra forward spot on the roster appears to have gone to Sonny Milano, who shared practice reps with Anthony Beauvillier on the Capitals’ third line.
Miroshnichenko was one of three Capitals players to play in five of the team’s six preseason games. The 21-year-old Russian recorded three points (1g, 2a) during the exhibition matchups, last playing 12:16 of ice time against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. He recorded the primary assist on Declan Chisholm’s second-period goal.
The Capitals selected Miroshnichenko with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and he has played two full seasons in the organization ahead of this year. In 39 career NHL appearances, he has recorded 10 points (3g, 7a).
Miroshnichenko has also played 100 games with the Bears in the AHL over the past two years, recording 67 points (32g, 35a). He was part of the 2024 Calder Cup champion Bears, posting 12 points (7g, 5a) during their successful postseason run.
As he’s still on his entry-level contract, Miroshnichenko was freely allowed to be assigned to Hershey without needing to clear waivers first. He will be a restricted free agent next offseason.
The Bears began their training camp under new head coach Derek King last weekend and played their final preseason game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday. Hershey’s regular season begins at home on October 11 against the Syracuse Crunch.
