The youngest members of the Washington Capitals organization hit the ice for the first days of the annual Capitals Rookie Camp over the weekend. These youngsters are a combination of current and future members of the Hershey Bears, their top American Hockey League affiliate.
With the 2023-24 season around the corner, the group got back to work with a little bit of fun mixed in as the camp shifted to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Vincent Iorio and Hendrix Lapierre showed their skills riding the zipline in a post shared by the Capitals over the weekend. The duo’s teamwork made it look easy, no doubt a result of winning the Calder Cup together with the Bears just under three months prior.
Practices took place at McMullen Hockey Arena, a familiar site, as the Capitals took on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Naval Academy back in 2018.
Roaring for More
“Last year was unbelievable,” Lapierre said of his first season in Hershey. “Great group of guys. We knew from the start that we had a really good team, but I was told that it’s really tough to win in this league and it’s a long season. It was a really good experience for me, for the young guys, and I feel I can bring a lot of experience (to camp).”
“I think that winning is a form of experience in itself, seeing the leaders on our team dialed in and managing their emotions during the playoffs. It was really good for me, and it gives me a confidence boost coming into camp. It was a really good year, and I’m super grateful to be a part of it.”
Approved by the Boss
One of those leaders whose sentiments Lapierre echoed is head coach Todd Nelson, who was on hand to talk about the first day of Capitals Rookie Camp. Nelson guided the Bears to a Calder Cup in his first season behind the bench.
Nelson is one of several bosses these young players have to impress to advance in their professional journey. Though, Nelson expects the camps to be a combination of education, fun, and hard work.
“They look good to go,” Nelson said of Iorio and Lapierre. “It was a short summer for them, but it looks like they handled it well and took care of themselves. You can tell which guys have played one season of pro. That was a very intense practice, and those guys were leading the charge. It’s an eye-opener for some young players coming in.”
Stevenson’s Start at Capitals Rookie Camp
Nelson talked about incoming netminder Clay Stevenson, who is set to graduate from the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays to Hershey’s regular tandem for 2023-24. In a packed goalie pipeline, Stevenson looks to build upon a solid stint in Hershey a year prior.
“Just being consistent. He played three games for us, he won all three. He’s a big body and our goalie coaches will be working with him to make him more consistent. I think everybody at the AHL level is working on consistency, because when you get to the NHL it’s day in and day out, you have to bring the work ethic and be consistent.”
Missing Guest
Nelson mentioned that his Calder Cup party over the summer was missing an important guest: the Calder Cup. The Cup didn’t arrive in time for the festivities.
“I had a party, but the Cup wasn’t there, it didn’t make it. It’s a long story, it was supposed to be there on Saturday and didn’t get there until Wednesday. I got to spend four hours with it and then I shipped it off to Aaron Ness.”
Is it Hockey Season Yet?
The Capitals open up their main training camp this week with their preseason opener set for Sunday, September 24 at 2:00 PM. The Bears open their training camp about a week later with their preseason slate starting on October 4 in Wilkes-Barre. It’s expected to be quite the battle to stick on Washington’s roster into the start of the regular season. However, rookies like Lapierre and Iorio look to make it happen with a strong camp.
Hershey begins their defense of their Calder Cup title on October 14, with less than one month until the puck drops on the team’s 86th season. Should Lapierre and Iorio return to Hershey, they’ll be even bigger parts of a team that has as lofty expectations, as the prior year. It’s a chance to earn another notch in their belt at the AHL level in 2023-24.
Safe to say the sky is the limit for these two.
