McIlrath, 30, made his Capitals debut on Feb. 16 against the Florida Panthers. The Hershey captain has recorded 10 assists in 44 games with the Bears this season and leads the team in penalty minutes (83). McIlrath’s 44 games played rank third among Hershey defensemen and his 10 assists rank fourth.

The 6’5″, 232-pound defenseman has played 67 career NHL games with the Capitals, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings, recording five points (3g, 2a) and 121 penalty minutes. In 544 career AHL games with Hershey, Grand Rapids, Hartford, Springfield and Connecticut, McIlrath has recorded 110 points (27g, 83a) and 1,085 penalty minutes. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native won the 2017 Calder Cup with the Grand Rapid Griffins. McIlrath was selected by the Rangers in the first round, 10th overall, in the 2010 NHL Draft.

The move is likely an indication that the Capitals will be getting back Tom Wilson for tonight’s Stadium Series Game.

With Dylan McIlrath being returned to Hershey, Tom Wilson is no longer listed on IR on the Capitals roster on the NHL media site.

Wilson hasn’t played since blocking a shot off his right ankle on Jan. 24 at Colorado

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) February 18, 2023

Wilson has been participating in Capitals practices for most of the week and participated in the team’s practice at Carter-Finley Stadium on Friday. Wilson hasn’t played since blocking a shot off his right ankle on Jan. 24 at Colorado