HERSHEY, PA — The Hershey Bears and Rochester Americans are now tied in their Eastern Conference Finals series one game a piece.
Hershey defeated the Americans 2-0 in Game Two at Giant Center after two late second period goals by their veterans.
HERSHEY, PA — The Washington Capitals signed Finnish center Henrik Borgstrom as an unrestricted free agent over the offseason. With Nicklas Backstrom out due to hip resurfacing surgery, Borgstrom provided the organization with center depth at the NHL level — the six-foot-three, 199-pound forward had played 110 career games with the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks coming into the year — and the 25-year-old would be a welcome veteran presence with the Hershey Bears if he couldn’t stick in DC.
Fast forward 10 months later, Borgstrom provided his biggest goal to date for the organization, scoring the overtime winner in Game One to give the Bears a 1-0 series lead over a hot Hartford Wolf Pack team.
By Ian Oland 2 weeks ago
HERSHEY, PA — The 2022-23 Hershey Bears found their inner grizzly this season and are fully embracing their nickname both on and off the ice. After goals, some courageous and bold Hershey players do their best standing bear pose, raising their arms (and one leg) while showing their teeth. Then they let out a big roar as they approach the bench for fist bumps.
But, why?
“I don’t know really the story behind it but it’s definitely contagious,” Bears forward Sam Anas, the AHL’s 2019-20 scoring leader, said laughing when I asked how it all began. “It fires the boys up on the bench. It’s just a fun thing.”
When I asked around, a majority of players and staff pointed me toward one guy: Mike Vecchione.
Vecchione is a first-line forward on the Bears, making up one of the most dangerous trios in the AHL along with Michael Sgarbossa and Ethen Frank. During the 2022-23 campaign, Vecchione finished second on the team in points. His 23 goals, 32 assists, and 55 points were all career highs. He also is a part of the team’s leadership group and an alternate captain.
By Ian Oland 1 month ago
The Washington Capitals are dipping into Hershey once again to finish out the 2022-23 season. Tuesday, the team announced that it was recalling Henrik Borgstrom from the Hershey Bears.
Borgstrom will make his Capitals debut against the Boston Bruins. The Capitals were set to play with only 17 skaters again before news of Borgstrom’s promotion was announced.
The Washington Capitals are the 12th-worst team in the NHL and could take some figurative TNT to their roster over the next two weeks. So let’s turn our attention to one of the very best teams in the American Hockey League, the Hershey Bears, who may supply some players to the Capitals’ roster in the coming weeks.
The Bears were asked an interesting question from their social media team: Who is the most famous person in your phone, and do they pick up if you call them?
Some answered seriously and others joked around. The video is a good barometer of how many likable characters the team has.
By Ian Oland 3 months ago
The Washington Capitals have made the final cuts to their preseason roster in preparation for Wednesday night’s Home Opener against the Boston Bruins. Brett Leason, Henrik Borgstrom, Lucas Johansen, and Axel Jonsson-Fjallby have all been placed on waivers.
The news was announced by the Capitals on Sunday afternoon.
By Chris Cerullo 8 months ago
The Washington Capitals have made it quite clear for some time now that younger players are not guaranteed spots in their lineup. General manager Brian MacLellan said as much in his free agency wrap-up presser in July.
“It’s a competitive situation,” MacLellan said then. “I don’t think we’re coming in guaranteeing young guys spots in the lineup. I think, you know, you have to earn it to a certain degree.”
Head coach Peter Laviolette was asked Thursday on the first day of Training Camp about the involvement of youth in his squad this season and about his message to them for camp and the preseason.
By Chris Cerullo 8 months ago
The Washington Capitals did something incredible this summer during free agency. They acquired a bunch of guys that were already dudes with each other.
“It’s kind of funny,” Dylan Strome said in his introductory press conference with Capitals media. “It seems like everyone Washington signed or traded for, I had played with already.”
Capitals GM Brian MacLellan added, “Some of our players already know some of these guys. I think it should be pretty easy for us to incorporate them into the lineup.”
There’s also one player that seems to be the Kevin Bacon of the group: Tom Wilson.
By Ian Oland 10 months ago
The Washington Capitals were one of the busiest teams in free agency, adding or re-signing 8 different players.
Monday, the Capitals officially announced the players’ new numbers, several of which are rare picks that will take some getting used to. One of them may also bring a side of emotional pain too.
Not noted below, Marcus Johansson will retain number 90 and Matt Irwin will rock Mike Green’s number 52 again next season.
By Ian Oland 10 months ago
The Washington Capitals signed depth center Henrik Borgstrom late in the afternoon of free agency day, Wednesday.
Borgstrom, 24, inked a one-year, two-way deal that will pay him league minimum at the NHL level and $400k in Hershey.
By Ian Oland 11 months ago
