Monday's session at Giant Center had Hershey readying itself for the third contest in an Atlantic Division Semifinals matchup against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Blueliner Ryan Chesley went through the full workout and looked poised to rejoin the group, but the veteran Sonny Milano sat out the skate entirely. A bout of sickness now makes his availability for Tuesday's game doubtful.
Speaking with reporters, including RMNB, after the practice, Derek King indicated that Milano would be evaluated by a physician that day because of the illness. The Bears bench boss admitted he wasn't certain about the exact diagnosis, explaining that the medical staff briefs him in terminology he doesn't fully follow, and that his main concern is simply whether the player will be able to go. He expressed hope that clarity would arrive shortly.
The winger stayed behind rather than joining the club for the trip to Wilkes-Barre across the first pair of contests in the five-game series, with each side claiming a win on the road at Casey Plaza's Mohegan Arena.
Following Game 2, King told RMNB there was little sense in dressing a player who isn't healthy. He noted that certain players require feeling completely right in order to perform, so Milano would visit the doctor while the staff worked to determine the issue.
His most recent action dates back to the 23rd of April, when an empty-net tally came off his stick in the second game of Hershey's opening-round set against Bridgeport.
The 29-year-old came aboard in Hershey on February 26, the day Washington exposed him to waivers around the league to clear room for activating Connor McMichael, a forward, off injured reserve.
Late in the year, the winger ranked among the club's sharper offensive threats, piling up over 16 appearances a 13-point haul built on five goals and eight helpers while putting 36 pucks on net.
The stretch he has spent sidelined coincided with word becoming official that he agreed to suit up next year, in 2026-27, for Switzerland's SC Bern in the National League.
Experienced minor-leaguers headed across the Atlantic now and then lock in deals well before North America's slate concludes, given that European circuits get underway around early September. Take former Hershey center Mike Sgarbossa as a recent case: word that he was joining HC Lugano surfaced May 8, right in the thick of the franchise's 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs run, and he went on to dress for three more postseason outings even after the report circulated.
Milano is closing out the final year of a three-campaign agreement struck with Washington in 2023, one that averages $1.9 million per year. He passed the bulk of 2025-26 in Washington, generating across 31 outings a total of eight points on four goals and four assists.