Five years ago today, the Washington Capitals hoisted the Stanley Cup. Now, their prospects are writing their own story as the Hershey Bears enter the Calder Cup Finals.
Five years ago on this day, there were 7:37 minutes left in regulation of a tied Game 5 between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights. Lars Eller saw the puck sitting in the crease and had the game of the year on his stick. All it took was a flick of the wrist, and he buried a loose puck past Marc-Andre Fleury to make it 4-3.
As Eller shook with excitement and ran to the boards to celebrate, he was almost certain that he would be hoisting the Cup in a few minutes.
"I had a pretty good feeling that we were [gonna win]… I just had a strong feeling we were gonna close this one out,” Eller told The Hockey News.
He was right. The score held, and he and Washington would secure their first-ever Stanley Cup while making their mark in NHL history.
Fast forward to now, and the Capitals have been home for the summer, watching Vegas power their way to a 2-0 lead in the 2023 Final.
However, Washington's prospects are writing their own story with the Hershey Bears, who are set to kick off the Calder Cup Finals against the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Thursday.
"You have to seize the opportunity because it may never happen again," Hershey head coach Todd Nelson said. "Making the playoffs is one thing, but then when you go to the final round and hopefully you succeed, it’s an unbelievable feeling. I've always said it: you win a championship, you're a champion for life. No one can take that away from you. I told them, 'Your lives are gonna change if this happens because everybody wants a winner."
A number of rising stars in the Capitals organization are out to prove their worth, as Hendrix Lapierre, Connor McMichael, Joe Snively, Aliaksei Protas, Beck Malenstyn, Ethen Frank, Lucas Johansen, Vincent Iorio and Hunter Shepard have been working to make a statement while trying to elevate their game to the next level for a chance to play in D.C. sooner rather than later.
Now, they're four wins away from a league-leading 12th AHL championship, and they're excited to prove what they can do.
"It’s a special moment that you have to be able to soak in because you hear it from guys who are at the latter ends of their career; they’ve maybe had one whack at it, this may be their first one. You don’t know how many times you’re gonna get back here," Malenstyn added. "You have to relish those moments. But gonna be intense hockey. we gotta be able to control our emotions. But it’s what we all play for. We love it. It’s gonna be high stakes, high emotions. As long as we can control all of that, I think we’ll be alright.”
McMichael, who started the year up with Washington but saw a drop in confidence amid limited ice time, numerous scratches and a demotion to Hershey, said that the chance to play now for a Calder Cup makes every moment worth it, and those ups and downs have motivated him as he looks to write his own legacy.
“It’s really exciting. You kinda feel that nervous energy in a good way... it’s just enjoying it, soaking it all in. You never know if you’ll get another opportunity like this," McMichael said, adding, "[This year's] been kind of a whirlwind... this is where the end journey has taken me and I'm really excited, the chance to win a Calder Cup in my third year."
Malenstyn also said it's key for the Capitals prospects to come together and get that playoff experience, as it's something that will also be beneficial with them trying to secure a full-time role in the NHL.
"I think any experience you can get in the playoffs is massive. You step over the boards for every single shift, and it’s extremely meaningful hockey, right? Every single time you step on the ice, there’s something at stake," Malenstyn said. "And to be able to produce and handle those kind of situations is gonna be really big for the guys who wanna make the jump."
At the end of the day, a Calder Cup is more than just a statement. It's a symbol of the ride of a lifetime and the start of a legacy. It also tells the story of winning a championship with your teammates, and that, along with the entire experience, is something that Johansen placed the most importance on.
“We’re a close group and we got each other’s backs out there," he said. "We’re just looking forward to taking care of business.”