Ivan Miroshnichenko is beginning to inch his way back to the Hershey Bears lineup.
Friday, the Russian forward, who led Hershey in goals last season, skated for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in mid-October.
First spotted by Bears Hockey Nation, Miroshnichenko participated in Hershey’s morning skate as evidenced by a photo the team published on social media. Miro, wearing a white #10 jersey, is on the bottom — third from the left.
Miroshnichenko, who played in Hershey’s first two games of the season, injured himself after crashing into the boards during a Bears practice the week of October 12.
Voice of the Bears Zack Fisch, after speaking to Bears head coach Derek King, relayed during a recent FloHockey telecast that Miroshnichenko was essentially out week-to-week. During Friday’s Bears-Crunch game, Fisch added that while traveling with the team and getting back on the ice were progress, Miro’s skate was just the first step in his return, and he’s being closely monitored.
Miroshnichenko’s absence comes after his best season as a pro, where he posted 42 points in 53 AHL games during the 2024-25 campaign. The Capitals 2022 first-round pick scored a career-high 23 goals and notched two different hat tricks. Miroshnichenko also had four points (1g, 3a) in 18 appearances with the Capitals.
With Miroshnichenko out of the lineup, Ethen Frank and Spencer Smallman have been the two callups to Washington as the team has juggled injuries to centermen Pierre-Luc Dubois and Dylan Strome as well as Frank.
Despite not playing, Miroshnichenko has made the most of his time and still managed to address a pending decision on his future. The prospect forward got new representation and signed a two-year contract extension with the Capitals, beginning next season, that will pay him $925k per year.
