Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
No lifting the Calder Cup, no celebrating late into the evening, no parading the trophy.
It was a markedly totally different finish to the season for the Hershey Bears in 2025.
On Thursday morning, the Bears gathered at Large Middle for break-up day. Exit conferences, packing up gear, wrapping up free ends, saying good-byes.
By 1:30 p.m. the hallway exterior of the Bears’ dressing room sat largely quiet. Gamers had began to scatter to their offseason properties all over the world.
Wednesday evening’s elimination didn’t merely reduce brief Hershey’s three-peat bid. It additionally might properly have ended one of the dominant runs in league historical past. Each summer time brings turnover to an AHL roster, however the Bears could possibly be in for way more than traditional. The dad or mum Washington Capitals have a number of incoming draft picks and signings who might want to develop in Hershey, and far of the present solid – together with a number of gamers with the workforce for each the 2023 and 2024 titles – are eligible to grow to be unrestricted free brokers this summer time.
The missed alternative this spring and the uncertainty of what comes subsequent made for a stressed evening Wednesday. Hendrix Lapierre mentioned he replayed the loss as he tried to fall sleep afterward. Head coach Todd Nelson spent the early hours of Thursday morning attempting to handle the loss, lastly deciding on the 1987 film Summer season Faculty to take his thoughts off the result.
“It nonetheless hasn’t actually sunk in, to be sincere,” Nelson mentioned. “It’s been an excellent run. To win one championship is hard. To win back-to-back is unbelievable. Going after three, it could have been unbelievable, nevertheless it simply didn’t work out.”
Hershey received a league-record 9 consecutive playoff collection. The earlier document of eight was held by the Bears’ back-to-back Cup groups of 2009 and 2010. Coincidentally, the Charlotte Checkers ended each streaks.
“We had a particular group,” mentioned Lapierre, the MVP of the 2024 playoffs. “We actually thought we may win all of it.”
Nonetheless, the Bears can take a lot from these previous three seasons. The 2 championships each got here with historic, dramatic moments. The beautiful comebacks within the 2023 Finals towards Coachella Valley, first successful three straight residence video games after being shut out in Video games 1 and a pair of after which rallying from 2-0 right down to win Sport 7 in additional time. Shedding a 3-0 collection lead in final 12 months’s convention finals earlier than one other Sport 7 OT win to place away the cussed Cleveland Monsters. Matt Strome’s Cup-winning additional time purpose to once more vanquish the Firebirds final June. In three years underneath Nelson, the Bears have received a exceptional 172 regular-season and playoff video games.
And the Hershey pipeline continued to learn Washington. Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael had breakthrough years with the Capitals. Dylan McIlrath spent the complete season with the Caps after captaining the Bears’ two title groups. Ethen Frank shined in his first style of the NHL after three straight 20-goal seasons in Hershey.
“I’m extraordinarily pleased with the work we did final 12 months,” mentioned defenseman Chase Priskie, a member of the 2024 Calder Cup workforce. “(And) extraordinarily pleased with the work we did this 12 months. We had a terrific 12 months. I believe a number of guys took huge steps ahead. They need to be pleased with that.”
All of that work had clearly taken a toll, nonetheless, by the point they encountered the Checkers. The fatigue, bodily and psychological, grew to become way more obvious. Forty-eight playoff video games over the past three springs signify two-thirds of a complete extra 72-game season. They fought off elimination – surviving 4 win-or-go-home video games throughout their reign. They trailed in 4 of the 9 collection they received. And so they overcame opponents bringing forth their greatest efforts nightly. Spencer Smallman, who signed with Washington final July, mentioned that he seen early within the season that opponents’ celebrations after wins towards Hershey carried just a bit bit further emotion.
“It was a troublesome 12 months,” Nelson defined. “Each sport we performed this 12 months, we knew it was going to be a troublesome sport. It didn’t matter who you performed. It doesn’t assist when groups are available right here, they usually’re on the ice skating round, and unexpectedly they are saying, ‘Welcome again your back-to-back Calder Cup champion.’ Plus now we have a brand proper in the midst of the ice with ‘Again-to-Again Champions’ staring you within the face.”
Nelson incessantly makes use of the phrase “household” to clarify what he needs to instill into his groups. Demanding however sociable, he makes the rounds within the Hershey dressing room, chatting together with his gamers, preserving a lightweight temper. He doesn’t panic. His gamers took on that persona as properly. Expectations are clearly outlined. Communication is frequent. Every little thing the Bears do is with goal. It’s a direct, simple method. There may be not merely a hope of successful, a thought that if all the things goes proper, then possibly, simply possibly, they could win. They anticipate to develop, to win. And so they vocalize each goals. The Bears by no means shied away from discussing their pursuit of a 3rd straight Calder Cup title.
“Our teaching philosophy as a gaggle, and me personally,” Nelson mentioned, “is to have the blokes wanting to come back to the rink each day and be part of a household ambiance, coming right here to work exhausting, make themselves higher. However it’s important to do it in a enjoyable atmosphere. I need them to leap away from bed and say, ‘I wish to get to observe and see the boys, the coaches, make myself higher.’”
Having a powerful group dynamic helped to make the Bears champions. It additionally helped them to cope with the elevated stress that comes with an increasing number of success. That stress comes externally in addition to internally.
“It’s a number of stress, however I relish that,” Nelson mentioned. “I believe everyone who involves Hershey understands what it’s all about. That’s what makes this place so particular. It was robust on our guys, so I’m pleased with how they dealt with it.
“We’re all proud to work for the Hershey Bears and the Washington Capitals. We’re pleased with their expectations. That implies that you’re champs, and also you’re champs for all times.”
On the American Hockey League beat for twenty years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally presently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a daily contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
