The Capitals prospect has been playing overseas in his native Germany.
The Washington Capitals will see one of their rising forward prospects make the transition to pro North American hockey, as Haakon Hanelt has signed an amateur tryout to join the AHL's Hershey Bears.
Hanelt, who was taken in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, has spent the season back in his native country of Germany, playing in the DEL following two years in the QMJHL with the Gatineau Olympiques. In 38 games with the Cologne Sharks, he has a goal and assist.
The 20-year-old said before the season that the move overseas was to show D.C. that he could keep up with the speed of the pro game and stack up well against other men.
"I want to play pro again," he told The Hockey News in July. "Like, get into that big game with the big guys. If you want to play in 'The Show,' you got to play against big men, like pro game. So I think that will help me a lot. I got used to the small ice, so I think that will help me in getting to the next step."
The 20-year-old brings some forward depth to the Bears, who have seen Matthew Phillips, Mike Sgarbossa, Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko join the Capitals amid the team's playoff push. Hanelt will wear No. 36.
It's a good move for Hanelt, who has struggled with injuries as he continues to develop. He said the biggest strengths in his game are his stickhandling, quick hands, hockey IQ and smooth skating ability.
"I'm trying to work on that. When I look at the top guys here, they have exceptional hands," he said. "Good speed, really good hockey IQ, so I mean to keep up with them, you got to practice that all day, and that's what I'm trying to do so that I can play one day too and win the Cup here."
For the Capitals, they'll get to see Hanelt and how he adapts to the North American game with the top-ranked Bears, and the team also hopes that he can remain healthy.
"That's part of the adversity that you go through... for Haakon, it's just a matter of staying healthy, having a good year, getting his confidence back," assistant general manager Ross Mahoney said of Hanelt over the summer. "It's hard sometimes, even though it's injuries, they're physical, it becomes mental."