Lyon, France is a city known for its historical landmarks, silk production, soccer club and cuisine. One thing Lyon is not known for is producing hockey players. Truthfully, France is not known for hockey players in general. There have been only 12 players from France in NHL history and none of those were born in Lyon.
It is from this landscape that Hershey Bears winger Pierrick Dube, 22, has emerged. Fortunately for Pierrick, hockey was in his family as his father Roger played professionally for 19 seasons in France. Dube has been one of the most dynamic and productive players for the American Hockey League (AHL) leading Bears this season.
After playing his rookie season with the Laval Rocket last season, Dube signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals organization in July. It has proven to be a very savvy signing thus far.
Dube showed signs of being an offensive threat as a rookie in Laval. He potted 16 goals and dished out 16 assists in 44 games. This came on the heels of a strong year with the Shawinigan Cataractes in his final year of juniors where the winger tallied 19 goals and had 44 assists in 36 games. Dube helped the Cataractes capture the QMJHL championship, posting 12 goals and six assists in 16 playoff games. Despite these signs of potential from Dube, the Montreal Canadians failed to lock the winger up on an NHL deal. This allowed the Capitals to swoop in.
In 30 games this season, Dube has matched his goal total from his rookie campaign. The Frenchman is currently on a three-game goal scoring streak and has found the back of the net in four of his last five contests. Dube has been especially hot in December, potting eight goals in 10 games. He not only leads the Bears in goal, but also ranks among the American Hockey’s league’s best. The winger is in a three-way tie for the league lead in goals with 16.
Simply put, Dube has been clutch. When he records a point, Hershey wins. This is not an exaggeration. The Bears are a perfect 16-0 when the Dube gets on the scoresheet. He leads the team with five game-winning goals and ranks second in the AHL in the category. The five game winners do not include his deciding conversion in the shootout in a 4-3 win in Springfield on December 22. Dube provided the difference in three straight Hershey victories with the shootout winner sandwiched in between game winners over Springfield on December 17 and Providence on December 23.
What is the secret to Dube’s success? It certainly is not his size. At 5`9, he is undersized and that is likely one of the reasons he was overlooked by evaluators. By looking only at his height, one misses the positives Dube brings to the ice. His biggest asset is his speed. Calling him speedy, probably does not do Dube justice. The winger absolutely flies on the ice. He is Usain Bolt on skates. Dube’s acceleration is impressive and he almost always pulls away from the defender when he gets up to speed.
Another key to Dube’s success is his shot. He has a precise wrist shot that rarely misses the net. Dube always seems to put the puck where he wants to, whether that is over the glove, under the blocker or over the shoulder. In Charlotte on December 1, the winger elevated a shot over the shoulder of Spencer Knight. Against the Providence Bruins on December 13, Dube snapped a wrister under the blocker of Brandon Bussi to tie the game at two in the third period.
The December 13 goal versus Providence always shows another strength of Dube, his ability to move into open space. He was amidst four defenders and getting banged around a bit. When teammate Mike Sgarbossa controlled the puck in the right circle, Dube slid higher in the slot. This created enough room for him to one time a wrist shot home. If he stayed where he was, Sgarbossa would not have been able to get the puck to him. The slight move made all the difference.
The movement in his game is an example of Dube’s hockey sense. He knows when to move. He knows when to shoot and when to keep control of the puck to wait for help. Dube is a smart player and that aids his game.
If Dube keeps playing the way he is, the Capitals will be forced to take notice and give him his first NHL recall. Hard to ignore a player who simply scores and comes up clutch. Jonathan Marchessault was the Conn Smythe winner for the Vegas Golden Knights last season and he is the same height as Dube. The two have similar games and Dube has said that he models his game after Marchessault. If Dube turns into a player akin to Marchessault, then the Capitals will have one of the biggest steals in recent memory. For now, Dube is key cog in the Hershey Bears machine.
By Eric Lord