Hershey Bears

The Hershey Bears defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 5-0 during Saturday's matchup, but it was the first goal that was most memorable.

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby's goal set off the annual Teddy Bear Toss for the Washington Capitals' AHL affiliate in which fans throw stuffed teddy bears onto the ice. There was a lengthy delay as players on the Bears dove into the piles of stuffed animals in celebration.

It ended up being a world-record celebration, as fans threw 52,341 stuffed animals onto the ice:

The Hershey Bears set a world record with 52,341 stuffed animals tossed onto the ice last night. 🤯

You love to see it.

(🎥: @TheHersheyBears) pic.twitter.com/c3Tfam6RTh

— NHL (@NHL) January 23, 2022

Chris Mautner of Penn Live noted the previous record was 45,650 from the 2019 Teddy Bear Toss game.

The annual tradition calls for fans to bring the stuffed animals to the game and throw them onto the ice after the Bears' first goal. They are then collected and donated to local organizations.        

The Hershey Bears announced Wednesday morning that they have resigned forward Alexandre Giroux to a one-year deal. 

According to Tarik El-Bashir of The Washington Post, it's a two-way contract, meaning he can be recalled to the NHL's Washington Capitals and returned to the AHL without having to pass through waivers.

The 28-year-old Quebec native is coming off of the most prolific goal scoring season in the history of the AHL. He totaled 75 goals over the course of the regular and postseason, setting both franchise and league records.

Giroux also broke Brett Hull's record for goals in consecutive games at the AHL level. Back on January 18, he recorded a goal in his 15th consecutive contest to break the 22-year-old record.

Despite all of these accomplishments, it's surprising that Giroux was unable to secure a one-way deal with an NHL team. No matter what teams think about the guy, you can't argue with results. Anybody that manages to score 75 goals at the AHL level should be given a legitimate opportunity to prove himself in the NHL.

Last month I caught up with Bob Woods, Giroux's former head coach and current assistant coach with the Capitals in Washington. He had this to say about the subject:

"I think somebody's got to give him a look. You score 75 goals in that league, especially at this age; you're doing a lot of good things. You have to look at the situation. Washington has to look and see what their depth is and whether a guy like him would fit or not. That's up to George (McPhee) and those guys. He's a talented player and when he has the puck on his stick he usually knows what to do with it. That's just a natural thing you can't teach."

"We like him a lot," added Bruce Boudreau when asked at the Capitals' development camp last month. "The balls in his court though. He played for us last year and he did quite well.  He had that monster year and I've seen stranger things happen to older guys. So, it wouldn't be surprising for me if he makes it in the NHL whether it's with us or with somebody else.

"It would fit if he beat out one of our guys. More power to him. We want the best team we can get."

Basically, Giroux returns to the organization under the same terms that he played last season. Unless he wows people during training camp, he will most likely start the season with the Bears.

John Walton, the voice of the Hershey Bears, posted this about the signing on his Blog:

With his signing and the players that are already under contract, the Hershey Bears appear very ready to defend its title and try for 11 Calder Cup championships. Giroux and Keith Aucoin (pictured here) together up front, with most of the core from last year’s club joining them. A team that looks to be deeper in goal than it was last season. No reason to think this team won’t be in the hunt again next spring. It is a most exciting day here in central Pennsylvania as the Bears again look to reload, not rebuild.

Give credit to Doug Yingst again for keeping this team at the very top of the AHL in terms of personnel. George McPhee deserves credit too, for the wisdom of keeping Washington prospects in a winning environment to excel at the next level.

I can’t wait to hear the ovation that Giroux gets on opening night. Here’s the official press release.

To be able to have such a prolific goal scorer in your system, the deal is great when you look at it from the organization's point-of-view. But on the other hand, it just doesn't seem right that Giroux was unable to secure a full-time contract with one of the 30 teams in the NHL.

You just have to root for guys like this. Hopefully he gets his chance this year in Washington and sticks.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope

The Hershey Bears announced Tuesday that defenseman Bryan Helmer has re-signed with the club for the upcoming 2009-10 season.

The grizzled 37-year-old veteran performed well last season, his first with the Bears.  He served as team captain and was also named captain of the Canadian team in the AHL all-star game.

Helmer recorded two goals and 27 points in 63 games during the regular season.  He also totaled three goals and eight points in 22 games on the way to leading his team to a record 10th calder cup championship.

Due to a number of injuries in Washington, Helmer was signed and recalled by the Capitals back on November 28th.  He played in 12 games with the big club and totaled three assists during his time in the NHL.  It was the Ontario native's first NHL action since the 2003-04 season when he appeared in 17 games with the Phoenix Coyotes.

The voice of the Bears John Walton seems to approve of the decision to bring him back.  He posted this on his blog Tuesday:

Talk about veteran leadership!  On the heels of signing former Hershey captain Boyd Kane earlier this month, the Bears announced Tuesday afternoon the signing of last year's captain Bryan Helmer to a new deal.  That will put the captains of Hershey's last two cup teams on the same roster for 2009-10.  What better environment for developing young players!

Not only will Helmer continue to make the Hershey Bears one of the best teams in the AHL, he will also give the Capitals a veteran defenseman to recall in the case of an emergency.  It's an AHL contract, so in order to do that Washington would need to sign him to an NHL deal to bring him up.  But in a best case scenario, Helmer will remain in Hershey and help the Capitals' youngster flourish.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope

Being the son of Hall of Famer Ray, Chris Bourque has had a bevy of expectations placed upon him since becoming the Capitals second round selection in the 2004 NHL Draft.  After four years and only a cup of coffee to date at the NHL level, his time as a prospect may be running out.

The 23-year-old Boston native's status now falls under the 19 and 4 rule as described in the collective bargaining agreement.  In simple terms it states that since he was signed as a 19-year-old to his entry-level deal, he was exempt from waivers during his first four seasons in professional hockey.

That fourth season ended in June as Bourque and the rest of his teammates in Hershey celebrated the franchise's record breaking 10th Calder Cup championship.  Now it's time for him to make the jump to the NHL full-time, or be subject to waivers and a possible new organization this fall.

At 5-foot 8-inches and 180 pounds, Bourque has overcome his small frame by always playing with a lot of heart.

"My size, a lot of people look at is as a disadvantage," said Bourque to PennLive.com.  "I feel I've got to be out there exuding energy every shift.

"I don't want to take a shift off, whether it is the regular season or the playoffs, it doesn't matter.  I come out with intensity. 

"I've never looked at my size as something that held me back, really.  I look at it as an asset.  I've got a low center of gravity, and that makes it hard for me to get thrown off the puck.  So, it's an advantage for me, not a negative."

During the 2008-09 season, and for the fourth consecutive year, Bourque put up career numbers at the AHL level.  He totaled 21 goals and 73 points in just 69 games with the Bears, putting him 12th in the league in scoring.

For the second straight year he also received a limited amount of action with the Capitals.  After playing in four games during the 2007-08 season and his only statistics being two penalty minutes, Bourque suited up in eight games last season and recorded his first career NHL goal.

"It was awesome that I got that first one," he told reporters back on Dec. 30th, 2008.  "It was surreal."

In a full-time capacity this fall, he could fill the role of an energy player on the team's third or fourth lines.  Given the opportunity, his all-around skills would be an asset to the penalty kill, and with time he could provide an additional scoring punch to the lineup as a part of the team's bottom-six forwards.

If Bourque wants to score his second goal in a Capitals uniform this year, he's going to have to find a way onto Washington's 23-man roster out of training camp or else he will most likely continue his professional career elsewhere.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope

The Washington Capitals announced on Wednesday that they have renewed their minor league affiliation with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL for the upcoming 2009-10 season.

It will mark the fifth consecutive year that two teams have worked together and also includes an agreement between the Stingrays and the AHL's Hershey Bears.

The Capitals had the most successful minor league system out of all NHL teams last season.  The Stingrays won their 3rd Kelly Cup title in team history tying the record for the most in the history of the ECHL.  While the Hershey Bears won their 10th Calder Cup title in franchise history making them the most prolific team in the history of the AHL.

"We have a lot of pride in our affiliation with South Carolina, highlighted by the Stingrays' run to the Kelly Cup this spring," said Capitals Vice President and General Manager George McPhee.  "It has been an outstanding proving ground for our prospects."

Last season, the Stingrays received seven players who were under contract with the Capitals, including Michal Neuvirth, this year's Jack A. Butterfield winner as the Calder Cup Playoff Most Valuable Player. 

Neuvirth became the first player to see action with the Stingrays and Capitals in the same season.  Josh Godfrey, Washington's second round pick in the 2007 NHL draft and Stefan Della Rovere, a member of Team Canada's gold medal-winning club at the 2009 World Junior Championships, also spent time with South Carolina during the 2008-09 season.

"We are very excited to be affiliated with the Capitals again next season," said the Stingrays new head coach Cail MacLean.  "It's a great situation when you can work with an NHL team that believes in the value of development at the double-a level."

Since the Stingrays affiliation began with the Capitals during the 2004-05 season, seven players have gone on to play for the big club including Maxime Daigneault, Jonas Johansson, Daren Machesney, Joey Tenute, Sean Collins, Andrew Gordon, and Michal Neuvirth.  The latter three are still with the organization and finished up last season on the Hershey Bears roster.

The Capitals can only hope that the success of their minor league franchises translates to Stanley Cup success at the NHL level in the near future.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope

Fresh off of a solid performance at the Capitals summer development camp last week, Joe Finley was arrested early Tuesday on disorderly conduct charges in Grand Forks, North Dakota. 

It seems Finley and former UND Fighting Sioux teammate Matt Frattin were celebrating in a unique way at one of their homes.  The police report states that the two were throwing cups, plates, a kitchen table and a lawnmower onto the street.  Traffic on the road had to be redirected until street cleaners were able to clean it up. 

And who said there's nothing to do in North Dakota?

Perhaps their biggest mistake was not cooperating with police when they arrived to question them on their behavior.  UND Police Lt. Dan Lund said that when he approached them, they ran away.  Finley made the wise decision to stop when told, however Frattin continued to run into the house which led police to charge him with fleeing an officer.

Finley then proceeded to make his second mistake by presenting a false ID.  He was later charged with giving false information to officers.

The six-foot, seven-inch defenseman was the Capitals first round selection in the 2005 NHL draft.  He spent the last four seasons playing for North Dakota where he totaled seven goals, 35 points, and 303 penalty minutes in 154 games.  Washington signed him at the conclusion of his college career and he spent some time with the Hershey Bears of the AHL in the spring getting into one game and totaling seven penalty minutes.

He's a player with a mean streak that once got him in trouble for mixing it up with Buckey Badger, the University of Wisconsin mascot. 

The Capitals even tried him out at left wing during development camp with the thought that he could one day fill the role vacated by Donald Brashear's departure this off-season.  His size and attitude would be a handful for opposing teams to defend.

Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau commented on his possible position change last week saying, "It was out of necessity because of Gustafsson and Della Rovere getting hurt, but we've always thought in the back of our minds that he could be a pretty imposing forward because he can skate, he's got better than average hands, he passes the puck well, and shoots the puck well."

"It's a bit of an experiment, but it's not unique to the hockey world that you try guys in other positions.  We know what he can do and it gives him an idea that this is a spot that might be better suited for him."

Finley seemed excited about the move as well.

"To get to put the defenseman's nose into the glass for once is a nice feeling," said Finley.  "The only time I don't think I was comfortable was a few times in the defensive zone.  I wanted to get on the puck carrier too much and pressure them.  I just had to back off a little bit and make sure I was picking up the late guy."

In the large scheme of things this incident with Grand Forks police will most likely have no effect on Finley's professional career or his position within the Capitals organization.  As the saying goes, boys will be boys, and fans in Washington can only hope that Finley straightens things out and becomes the physical presence up front that the team could definitely use.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope

A legitimate opportunity to secure a full-time position on an NHL team's roster. That is what Alexandre Giroux should receive after putting up 75 goals in the American Hockey League last season. 

The reality is we are roughly three weeks into free agency, and he still has not found a job for the upcoming year.

Giroux, 28, recorded one of the greatest seasons in the history of the AHL with the Hershey Bears during the '08-'09 season. 

He recorded 60 goals and 97 points in 69 games during the regular season, then followed that up by tallying 15 goals and 28 points in 22 postseason games while leading the Bears to the Calder Cup championship.

The French Canadian also put himself into the record book on January 18th by scoring in his 15th consecutive game, breaking Brett Hull's 22 year-old AHL record.

Giroux is no one year wonder either.  He's put up five straight 30-plus goal scoring season at the AHL level.  However, he has only had the opportunity to play in 22 NHL games since turning pro back in 2001 with the Binghamton Senators.

The knock on him has always been his skating ability, but at 6-foot 3-inches and almost 200 pounds, Giroux has learned to complement his weakness with his strong positioning skills in the offensive zone in addition to his knack for putting the puck into the net.

"I think somebody's got to give him a look," said Bob Woods, Giroux's head coach last season in Hershey.  "You score 75 goals in that league, especially at this age; you're doing a lot of good things.  You have to look at the situation.  Washington has to look and see what their depth is and whether a guy like him would fit or not.  That's up to George (McPhee) and those guys.  He's a talented player and when he has the puck on his stick he usually knows what to do with it.  That's just a natural thing you can't teach."

Giroux got into 12 games last season with the Capitals, and while he only scored one goal, it ended up being an important one.  He tallied the game-winner during the team's 3-1 win on December 10th against the eventual conference champion Boston Bruins.

"We like him a lot," said Bruce Boudreau when asked at the Capitals development camp last week.  "The balls in his court though.  He played for us last year and he did quite well.  He had that monster year and I've seen stranger things happen to older guys.  So, it wouldn't be surprising for me if he makes it in the NHL whether it's with us or with somebody else.

"It would fit if he beat out one of our guys.  More power to him.  We want the best team we can get."

Alexandre Giroux has proven to be one of the most productive players not in the NHL over the last couple seasons.  However, he has received barely a cup of coffee so far at the top level. 

His performance has dictated that some team in the NHL needs to give him a true shot at becoming a full-time player in the best league in the world. 

A one-year, one-way contract that allows him the chance to adjust his game at the highest level and see if he can translate his incredible scoring ability to the NHL.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope

ARLINGTON, VA: The Capitals concluded their 2009 edition of development camp with a scrimmage in front of a packed house Saturday afternoon at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

Michael Dubuc continued his strong performance this week by tallying a pair of goals as the white team defeated the blue team 4-2.  The two goals gave the 21-year-old French Canadian a total of seven during the week's three scrimmages which led all scorers.

Dubuc, a player under an AHL contract with the Hershey Bears, spent the majority of last season with the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL.  He scored 35 goals and 58 points in just 49 games as a rookie in the regular season, then followed that up with four goals and seven points in the playoffs during the Stingrays run to the Kelly Cup Championship.  In other words, Dubuc is a goal scorer, something that helped him get noticed by the Capitals coaching staff this week.

"You can't overlook the fact that Dubuc had seven goals in three games," said Bruce Boudreau.  "Goal scorers stand out." 

Dubuc is hoping that his success this week has perhaps earned him a NHL contract and a full-time position with the Bears in the AHL this fall.

Scrimmages like this are good opportunities to try some new things.  One of those experiments was giving defenseman Joe Finley, the Capitals' first round pick in 2005, a look at left wing.  The hulking 6-foot 7-inch Minnesota native would surely give the team a physical presence on the front line if he can make the transition.

"To get to put the defenseman's nose into the glass for once is a nice feeling," said Finley.  "The only time I don't think I was comfortable was a few times in the defensive zone.  I wanted to get on the puck carrier too much and pressure them.  I just had to back off a little bit and make sure I was picking up the late guy."

In a sign of a true team player, Finley added, "I'll play goalie if you need me too.  I just want to get every opportunity to get on the ice.  Anyway I can help the team and get myself to the next level I'm willing to do it."

"It was out of necessity because of Gustafsson and Della Rovere getting hurt, but we've always thought in the back of our minds that he could be a pretty imposing forward because he can skate, he's got better than average hands, he passes the puck well, and shoots the puck well," said Boudreau.  "It's a bit of an experiment, but it's not unique to the hockey world that you try guys in other positions.  We know what he can do and it gives him an idea that this is a spot that might be better suited for him."

For other players this camp could be a stepping stone in their quest to make the big club this fall.  One of the favorites out of this group to do just that is defenseman John Carlson, the Capitals' first round pick in 2008 and one of the team's top prospects.

"I don't know if I played my best," critiqued Carlson.  "I kind of took a little time off after we made the run in Hershey so I'm going to get back on the ice a lot more come August and get ready for that camp.  I thought I did well, but I know I can do a lot better."

With two months to go until training camp, the fans came out in large numbers knowing that this was their last chance to get a look at Capitals hockey until this fall.

"The fans and the publicity around town is unbelievable," added Carlson.  "You can see that this program is just boomed in the past five years or so.  I got a chance to see game 7 against New York in Washington in the playoffs this year and that was unbelievable too.  Those kind of things excite you, force you to want to make it there even more."

Last season six players from the Capitals summer development camp spent time in the NHL with the big club, and Carlson is the odds on favorite from this group to make the jump this year.

Capitals Notes:  The team traded away defensive prospect Keith Seabrook to the Calgary Flames on Friday for future considerations.  The team's second round pick in the 2006 NHL draft played for the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL last season where he totaled 15 goals and 55 points in 64 games.  However, the writing was on the wall when Seabrook wasn't signed this offseason and also was not a part of the summer camp.

Lisa Hillary re-signed with Comcast SportsNet and will once again be the station's Capitals beat reporter for the upcoming season.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope 

The Washington Capitals announced the re-signing of five players Wednesday, but the interesting development is in regards to defenseman Jeff Schultz.

According to TSN and sources close to the Washington Post's Tark El-Bashir, the 23-year old Calgary native did return his qualifying offer to the team.  However, Don Fishman, who is Washington's assistant general manager, has denied receiving anything from Schultz.  This is definitely an odd development in a scenario that should be cut and dry.

What Schultz would gain from declining his qualifying offer remains to be seen.  The young blueliner had a solid but unspectacular season recording 1 goal, 12 points, and a plus-13 rating in 64 games. 

His most memorable moment of the season is one he'd like to forget.  In game one of the eastern conference quarterfinals, Schultz fell down in a one-on-one matchup with the Rangers Brandon Dubinsky in a play that conceded the game-winning goal.

The Capitals went on to defeat the Rangers in seven games.  However, Schultz did not play in the rest of the post-season because of an injury suffered in that game, leaving many fans to debate whether or not he was simply benched.

Obviously, this would not be the most opportune time for him to be asking for more than his qualifying offer.

The players we do know that are confirmed to have re-signed today are defenseman Shaone Morrisonn and forwards Chris Bourque, Eric Fehr, Kyle Wilson, and Steve Pinizzotto.

Morrisonn, 26, signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Capitals.  He recorded 3 goals, 13 points, and a plus-4 rating in 72 games last season as part of the team's top pairing with Norris Trophy nominee Mike Green.

Fehr, 23, finished up his first full season with the big club totaling 12 goals, 25 points, and a plus-8 rating in 61 games.  He will make $771,750 next season as part of a one-year, two-way deal; however, the Capitals would have to pass him through waivers if they wanted to send him to the minors.  Fehr also had offseason surgery on both of his shoulders and most likely will not be ready for the start of the upcoming season.

Bourque, 23, recorded his first NHL goal this past season in limited playing time over the course of eighht games with the Capitals.  The undersized son of hall of fame defenseman Ray Bourque, continued to put up big numbers in Hershey, recording 21 goals and 73 points in 69 games in the AHL.  He signed a one-year, two-way deal and will be looking to make the jump to the NHL full-time.

Pinizzotto, 25, started last season with South Carolina of the ECHL.  He tallied 4 goals and 10 points in 11 games before he was promoted to Hershey for the remainder of the season.  With the Bears, he totaled 4 goals, 11 points, and 61 penalty minutes in 45 games.  While not a traditional fighter in the Donald Brashear sense, Pinizzotto would be better described as a pest that gets under his opponent's skin and knocks them off their game.  He was called up to the Capitals on March 24th but did not appear in a game before being returned to Hershey the following day.

Thursday Morning Update:  According to Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post, Jeff Schultz did sign his qualifying offer and will make $715,000 next season as part of a one-year, two-way deal.

For more on the Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and the NHL follow Allen Pope on Twitter at http://twitter.com/allenpope