The Washington Capitals fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday. After the game, Alex Ovechkin held a jersey swap with Evgeni Malkin.
But thanks to some excellent reporting by FOX 43’s Ed Albert (@ealbert410 on X), we learned there was another notable meetup among friends as well.
Former Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears players — Connor McMichael, Aliaksei Protas, and Dylan McIlrath — met up in the hallway outside of the locker room with former Bears head coach Todd Nelson.
Albert’s video shows Nelson and Ovechkin shaking hands before McMichael, Protas, and McIlrath amble over and share several laughs with their former mentor and bench boss.
After three electric years in Hershey, which included two Calder Cups to begin his reign, Nelson moved on to the Penguins over the offseason, signing a deal to be an assistant coach on Dan Muse’s new staff.
“It was an absolute pleasure to be the head coach of the Hershey Bears and leaving my post with this organization was an extremely difficult decision,” Nelson said, per the Bears. “What we accomplished over the past three years was truly special, and being part of this historic franchise was the honor of a lifetime. I want to thank the Washington Capitals, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, and everyone involved with the Bears organization – from the players, to the staff, to the outstanding fans – for making my time in Hershey so memorable. I’m excited to join the Penguins and take the next step in my career, but Hershey will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Under Nelson’s tutelage, all three players graduated to the NHL. McMichael and Protas became Calder Cup champions in 2023 and are now important top-six players with the Capitals. McIlrath was the captain of both Bears’ teams that became champions under Nelson. Since last season, he’s been with the Capitals as a reserve defenseman.
While Albert was there, he also asked Nelson for his thoughts about Patrick Wellar serving as an assistant with the Capitals. Wellar got moved into the position after Mitch Love was suspended and later fired by the team.
“Well, I’m looking forward to seeing him tonight, as well as everybody with their coaching staff,” Nelson said. “And obviously both clubs want to win games, but I’m proud of Wellsy. You know what, he just did a great job for us. He’s doing a good job up in Washington, and I couldn’t be happier.”
