HERSHEY, PA — Plenty of ex-Bears and NHL well-wishers filled Giant Center over the weekend for Hershey's pair of home dates.
Saturday's contest drew Hendrix Lapierre, now of Washington, and Vincent Iorio, now with New York's Rangers — onetime Hershey roommates who claimed two straight Calder Cup crowns alongside the franchise across 2023 and 2024. Joining them were a few more title-winners from those squads: Chase Priskie (Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL), Jake Massie (Barys Astana of the KHL), and Garrett Roe, who has since retired. Also part of the group was Washington assistant Patrick Wellar, fresh off seven straight years manning Hershey's bench in that same capacity.
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On Sunday, Washington's No. 1 pivot Dylan Strome turned up in Matt Strome's corner, accompanied by spouse Tayler along with their kids. McIlrath, a blueliner for the Capitals who had earlier worn the captaincy while guiding Hershey to its repeat crowns across 2023 and 2024, was likewise present with relatives in tow. As for Iorio and Lapierre, the duo made a repeat showing across both weekend dates.
The appearances meant something to the current roster, which needed standings points over its closing pair of regular-season dates to better its seeding. A Sunday overtime win nailed down fifth place within the Atlantic Division, arranging a best-of-three with Bridgeport and guaranteeing one home postseason game the club would have lost out on with a defeat.
Matt Strome called the backing terrific, saying it spoke to the tight bonds his recent squads had shared. To have the alumni make the trip down, take in the action, and visit with the present group was, in his words, a real treat to experience.
Andrew Cristall felt the turnout showed off what a unique spot Hershey is, deeming it pretty awesome that so many former players were eager to revisit and throw their support behind both ex-linemates and the newest members. Seeing them, he said, was neat, and the squad was happy to send the visitors off on the right note with a win.
The man at the helm in Hershey, Derek King, chimed in that the gathering spoke to the esteem in which the franchise is held. Catching sight of a handful of those faces was a pleasure, he said, expressing hope that if the team lands another title in the years ahead, its champions will return in kind to drop by — the way these alumni did — and that all the upbeat tales make their presence a welcome one.
The visiting group watched from a box owned by Bryan Helmer — a one-time Hershey player, enshrined in the AHL's Hall of Fame, and nowadays the franchise's hockey-ops VP — and were seen trading words as the contest rolled along. While Sunday's matchup played out, the Strome family escorted their youngsters down to rinkside during warmups, giving the kids a chance to greet uncle Matt.
Both siblings had already enjoyed a turn skating together for Washington back in the fall, when the Capitals took on Philadelphia's Flyers in a September preseason tilt held at Giant Center.
Matt called the moment special. Preseason or not, he said, pulling on the identical jersey as his sibling delivered on something he'd long dreamed about, and getting that shot inside a club that has done so much for the two of them left him in a bit of disbelief.
Back in 2024, Dylan had turned up for a playoff outing of his kid brother — an occasion that closed a roughly nine-year stretch since he'd last watched the younger Strome compete in person.
When his brother landed in Washington and settled in, Matt Strome explained, skating beside the most prolific marksman the sport has ever produced reduces the job to one thing: delivering the puck to his stick. He spoke of his delight at the run of success his brother has enjoyed and of his wish that it continues into the year to come.
Beyond knuckle taps and supportive remarks, several of the returnees offered a window into how things have gone since relocating their careers abroad — a move that has become increasingly common among experienced AHL hands now that the circuit keeps getting younger.
Matt Strome described the exchanges as out of the ordinary, since a good many of the group had logged their debut season over in Russia's top league. He fired off questions about how it all felt, the degree to which they took to it, the local food, and anything else that set it apart — with every last one of them speaking glowingly. Picking up those insights proved worthwhile, he said, as did reconnecting with the fellas.
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