On Monday Hershey Bears’ goaltender Vitek Vanecek was named the AHL player of the week. Vanecek went 2-0-1 with a .949 save percentage and a 1.67 goals-against-average. The 22-year-old Czech also posted his first shutout of the season against the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday.
On Saturday the Hershey Bears recorded their first shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over the Charlotte Checkers. Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves in goal as the Bears handed the Checkers their first loss of the season.
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The Capitals have once again trimmed their roster a day after sending eight players down to Hershey including Axel Jonsson-Fjallby.
Thursday’s cuts include KHL top-20 point-getter Sergei Shumakov and top goaltending prospect Ilya Samsonov.
On Saturday, the Capitals took to the ice at Medstar Capitals Iceplex for the second day of training camp. With the camp roster and invites split into three group, each group spent time doing on-ice practice, off-ice training, and video review.
Although the roster has gone through their first cuts, such as sending first-round draft pick Alexander Alexeyev back to his junior league team, Saturday’s practice featured everyone. Alexeyev, who had an impressive training camp, was in Group White with Caps vets Braden Holtby, Nicklas Backstrom, and TJ Oshie. Group Red paired goalies Pheonix Copley and Ilya Samsonov, both of whom are in the running to be number two in the net behind Holtby this season. Group Blue featured Alex Ovechkin and the Caps’ Russians, who along with Tom Wilson were on the celebratory end of a competitive two-on-two drill–Ovi was jumping up and down on his skates celebrating the win.
Four more Capitals players returned to MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Wednesday with rookie camp and training camp nearing.
Jakub Vrana, Christian Djoos, Axel Jonsson-Fjällby, and Vitek Vanecek joined 22 other teammates on the ice for the team’s informal skates led by strength and conditioning coach Mark Nemish.
The Hershey Bears’ Outdoor Classic, Saturday, is approaching fast. The Bears practiced on the Hersheypark Stadium ice today, as well as hosting a family skate.
Goalies Vitek Vanecek and Pheonix Copley showed off their new masks for the Outdoor Classic. Other players donned sunglasses to help with glare on the ice.
On Sunday, December 3, the Hershey Bears held their annual teddy bear toss game at the Giant Center.
Fans are encouraged to bring teddy bears to the game and throw them on the ice immediately after the home team scores its first goal. The stuffed animals are then donated to hospitals and local charities during the holidays.
Hershey’s teddy bear toss was initiated by a goal from Liam O’Brien in the second period. While there is nothing better than getting plunked in the head with a pink teddy bear during a goal celebration, the photos of Lucas Johansen and Mason Mitchell being swallowed whole by mountain of stuffed animals is a close second.
Last week, Hershey Bears goaltender Vitek Vanecek was sent down to play for the Bears’ ECHL affiliate in order to rehab a lower-body injury from training camp. After playing two games with the South Carolina Stingrays, Vanecek has been re-assigned and will rejoin the Bears in Hershey as he continues to recover from his injury.
While in South Carolina, Vanecek performed well in the two games in which he played. Although the the Stingrays lost 3-2 in Vanecek’s first game with the team, he stopped 36 shots, 16 of which came in the second period alone. The team bounced back two days later with a 3-1 win over the Jacksonville Icemen, with Vitek making 22 saves against the Winnipeg Jets’ ECHL affiliate.
After both he and netminder Pheonix Copley were both injured in training camp, goalie Vitek Vanecek will finally be back on the ice, but not for the Bears quite yet. Vanecek has been reassigned to Hershey’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, for the time being so that he can continue to rehab his lower-body injury.
Vitek finished third amongst the AHL’s rookie goaltenders last season, going 18-10-7 for the Bears. Vanecek returned to the ice in Hershey alongside Copley for the first time Tuesday since he was injured, and was thrilled to be back practicing with his teammates.
The Hershey Bears have struggled to start the season, compiling a 3-5-1 record through the first month of the season. That mark has the team sixth in the Atlantic Division. However, the Bears have shown signs of life recently, winning their last two games.
As Hershey attempts to turn their season around, they may be getting much needed reinforcements. Goalies Pheonix Copley and Vitek Vanecek both returned to practice from injury Tuesday.
