The Washington Capitals recalled Alex Alexeyev from his conditioning loan with the Hershey Bears on Thursday.
The 25-year-old Russian defenseman spent six days with Hershey and played three games with the farm team after being loaned on March 1. Alexeyev notched two assists and had a +5 plus-minus rating. He was eligible to be with Hershey for a maximum of 14 days.
Despite not playing in a hockey game since November 8, 2024 — nearly four whole months — Alexeyev impressed Bears head coach Todd Nelson during his short time with the club.
“I thought he was very good,” Nelson said. “He was sticking and pinning in the D Zone. He’s been working out a lot, hasn’t been playing. He’s a big man and I thought he did a great job for us tonight. I was wondering if there was gonna be a bit of rust. There’s maybe a couple passes he might want to have back, but other than that, he was really solid for us.”
Alexeyev’s return to the Capitals comes a day before the NHL trade deadline on Friday. The Capitals put Jakub Vrana on waivers Thursday in an apparent cost-saving move.
With Alexeyev moved back up to the NHL, the Bears recalled defenseman Hudson Thornton from the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears and defenseman Jayden Lee from the South Carolina Stingrays.
Here’s the full press release from the Capitals:
Capitals Recall Alex Alexeyev From Conditioning Loan With Hershey
Defenseman has appeared in five games with Washington this season
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled defenseman Alex Alexeyev from his conditioning loan with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today.
Alexeyev, 25, played three games with Hershey after being loaned on March 1 and recorded two assists and a +5 plus-minus rating. Alexeyev has appeared in five games with Washington this season.
The 6’4”, 229-pound defenseman played a career-high 39 games during the 2023-24 season and appeared in four Stanley Cup Playoff contests. In 77 career NHL games with the Capitals, Alexeyev has recorded eight points (1g, 7a).
Alexeyev, who was drafted by Washington in the first round (31st overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, has registered 52 points (6g, 46a) in 145 career AHL games with Hershey.
