Hershey Bears Win Calder Cup

The Hershey Bears, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Washington Capitals, defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds 3-2 in overtime in Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals to capture the franchise's AHL-record 12th championship.

Mike Vecchione scored the Calder Cup-clinching goal 16:19 into overtime, while Henrik Borgstrom and 2022-23 AHL All-Rookie Team member Ethen Frank recorded the assists.

The Bears have won their fourth Calder Cup since becoming the top development affiliate of the Capitals in 2005-06, with Hershey also winning in 2006, 2009 and 2010. The Capitals and Bears were previously affiliated for seven seasons from 1977 to 1984, including Hershey's 1980 Calder Cup championship.

Nine Bears that were dressed for Game 7 also appeared in games with the Capitals this season, including Washington draft picks Connor McMichael (2019 NHL Draft, 1st rd, 25th overall), Aliaksei Protas (2019 Draft, 3rd rd, 91st overall), Vincent Iorio (2021 Draft, 2nd rd, 55th overall), Lucas Johansen (2016 Draft, 1st rd, 28th overall) and Beck Malenstyn (2016 Draft, 5th rd, 145th overall), as well as Herndon, Virginia native Joe Snively.

Hershey overcame a 2-0 second-period deficit to claim the Calder Cup. McMichael scored his team-leading sixth goal of the playoffs on the power play in the second period to cut Hershey's deficit to 2-1. 2020 first-round pick Hendrix Lapierre deflected an Iorio slap shot past Coachella goaltender Joey Daccord 3:17 later to even the score 2-2.

Protas, who has recorded 24 points (7g, 17a) in 91 career NHL games with Washington, including 15 points (4g, 11a) in 58 games in 2022-23, tallied an assist in Game 7 and finished the playoffs with 13 points (5g, 8a) in 20 games.

Snively led the Bears in playoff scoring with 15 points (2g, 13a) in 20 games.

Goaltender Hunter Shepard stopped 45 of 47 shots faced and was awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as Calder Cup Playoffs MVP.

Fourteen former or current Bears played for Washington this season, including two-time Calder Cup champion John Carlson, Tom Wilson, Martin Fehervary and Alex Alexeyev.