Dylan McIlrath will remain part of the Washington Capitals organization.
The 34-year-old defenseman cleared NHL waivers on Monday and was sent to the AHL’s Hershey Bears. The Capitals waived McIlrath on Sunday to free up a roster spot for goaltender Remi Poirier, whom they acquired in a trade from the New Jersey Devils.
McIlrath returns to Hershey for the first time since winning the Calder Cup with the Bears at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. He served as Hershey’s captain for two years, winning back-to-back championships, before making the Capitals’ roster out of training camp ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The veteran rearguard played 192 career games for the Bears from 2021-2024, recording 32 points (7g, 25a) and 301 penalty minutes.
McIlrath played in four games for the Caps this season, averaging just 6:34 of ice time per game. He was surpassed on the team’s depth chart by recent waiver claim Jack St. Ivany, who has four assists in his first three games with the club and formed immediate chemistry with his defense partner, Cole Hutson.
During his three-year stint exclusively with the Capitals, McIlrath played in 34 games, recording two assists and 42 penalty minutes.
McIlrath could return to Giant Center on Wednesday, when the Bears host the Hartford Wolf Pack. So far this season, Hershey is 6-4-0 under head coach Derek King and sits third in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.
Here’s the press release from the Bears:
DYLAN MCILRATH LOANED TO HERSHEY BEARS
Captain of Hershey’s back-to-back Calder Cup teams in 2023 and 2024 returns to Chocolate and White
(Hershey, PA – Nov. 2, 2026) – The Washington Capitals, National Hockey League affiliate of the Hershey Bears, have announced that they have loaned defenseman Dylan McIlrath to Hershey. The announcement was made by Washington senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick.
McIlrath, 34, has appeared in four games with the Capitals this season.
The 6’5”, 240-pound defender skated with the Chocolate and White for three seasons from 2021-24, producing 32 points (7g, 25a) and 301 penalty minutes in 192 games. During his tenure he served as captain of the Bears during back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2023 and 2024, appearing in all 43 playoff games played by Hershey in that span, adding six points (2g, 4a).
McIlrath also represented Hershey as a playing captain at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose.
A veteran of 618 career games in the American Hockey League with the Bears, Grand Rapids, Springfield, and Hartford/Connecticut, McIlrath has 122 points (30g, 92a) to go along with a third Calder Cup championship captured with Grand Rapids in 2017.
The Winnipeg, Manitoba native has also appeared in 109 NHL games with Washington, Detroit, Florida, and the New York Rangers, amassing nine points (3g, 6a).
