Dylan McIlrath captained the Hershey Bears to two consecutive Calder Cup championships. Now, the 32-year-old defenseman is experiencing what he’s helped other prospects do in the minors: graduate to the NHL.
Tuesday, McIlrath officially made the Caps’ Opening Night roster for the first time as a member of the organization. Usually, 14-year veterans are aging out of the sport or have already hit their ceilings. Instead, McIlrath has seen a renaissance in his early 30s, earning him another shot in the show due to both circumstance and his dedication to the sport.
“It’s unbelievable. Special moment for me and my family,” McIlrath said. “Nice to officially talk to the coaches and really know that I’m here. It’s a long time coming. I think it’s been eight years since I’ve made an Opening Night roster.”
McIlrath beat out puck-mover Ethan Bear, who the Capitals signed last season to a two-year contract but struggled in 2023-24. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound rearguard will join Alex Alexeyev as one of two reserve defensemen, giving the Capitals eight D as their first game awaits on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery saluted McIlrath and Jakub Vrana — two players who beat the odds to earn a roster spot — out on the ice at Capital One Arena after practice concluded Tuesday.
“Best part of the job, being able to deliver good news,” Carbery said. “Mac has been through so much in his career. He’s played in the minors so many games and been a captain, won Calder Cups. To be able to share that with the group and see how happy the guys are for him puts a smile on your face for sure.”
“These guys are unreal,” McIlrath said of his teammates. “So much support, even all the call-ups throughout the years, happy for me, and then really pulling for me this Training Camp, knowing I had a legitimate shot. And, yeah, walking through the doors into Cap One, pretty rare. And then to see I’m still here, it was exciting and to see all the guys’ faces (that) made it even more special.”
McIlrath was drafted tenth overall by the New York Rangers in 2010, but he has only played 75 games in the NHL– nine of which have come with the Capitals. He’s a gritty, imposing player who will give the Capitals’ D corps a different dimension when he’s called upon.
“He feels like his game individually has just gotten better and better and better as he’s gotten older, which is a great quality,” Carbery explained earlier during Training Camp. “Usually you hit that ceiling or your prime at 25 and then you just kind of [plateau]; he feels like he’s a better defenseman than he was when he started.”
Carbery said McIlrath earned the opportunity “based on what he did last year for us when he played, and based on his Training Camp and based on what he’s done in Hershey and all the intangibles.”
McIlrath’s promotion to Washington comes after he became a respected and unassailable leader both on and off the ice in Hershey.
“For us, as a coaching staff, we’re very proud when anybody can graduate,” Todd Nelson told RMNB after Friday’s Hershey Bears preseason game. “Dylan’s case, he’s a veteran, he’s been around for a while. He was our captain. He’s had a good camp, they know what he’s able to do, and we’re proud of him.”
Despite becoming a top-tier minor league defender, McIlrath has never stopped working to improve as a player and return to the next level.
“First and foremost, his conditioning’s unbelievable,” Nelson said. “He leads all the skates. And that’s one skill that he has, he’s a good skater. Like, for a big man, he gets up, moves really well. And you saw that with the skates, with his conditioning. Not only was he fast up there, but he had the endurance. I think that gave him confidence.
“Anytime that he’s coming to camp, he’s in really good shape,” he continued. “And he has in the past, he’s been a really good pro. And that’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. He just has to worry about his play. And I think being captain, back-to-back championships, that’ll help his confidence as well. And if he makes the club, we’re proud of him. That’s our job, is to promote players. In his case, it’s a bit different. Usually, it’s the other guy going up. But he’s been around, he’s been up and down many times. But I think when he played in Washington at the end of the season, like in the playoffs, I think he did a really good job. And so he gave himself a chance.”
McIlrath’s performance was solid, if not spectacular, in his three 2023-24 regular season games with Washington. The Capitals held positive differentials at five-on-five in shot attempts (+3), scoring chances (+1), and goals (+1) while McIlrath was on the ice. They also had a 64.9 percent expected goals percentage.
McIlrath got a chance to prove himself in a key moment last season, when a slew of injuries to Washington’s blue line led to his call-up for the final two games of the year as the Capitals chased a playoff spot. When the Caps’ postseason hopes came down to a single night for Game 82, McIlrath made a big play to push them over the top, notching an assist on Alex Ovechkin’s 853rd goal. The tally helped the Capitals secure that playoff-clinching win.
In McIlrath’s four playoff games that immediately followed, the Caps’ numbers at five-on-five were even better. The team boasted an edge in shot attempts (+10), scoring chances (+7), and high-danger chances (+6) with McIlrath on the ice. The Capitals scored two five-on-five goals and did not allow any. McIlrath’s expected goals percentage bounced up a smidge to 65.2.
“You saw a lot of it last year,” Bears’ alternate captain and 2023 Calder Cup hero, Mike Vecchione, said. “He got called up towards the end of the season. The first round of the playoffs, I was watching every game, and I was just so happy to see him succeeding out there and playing well.
“We all know how much he cares and how much he gives to this team and how big of an emotional leader he is, even on and off the ice. He’s been going through so many years of just being a captain, grinding, and doing all the little things right. It’s just nice to see him get rewarded like that because he does literally everything for this team.”
The Bears now have a leadership vacuum with McIlrath up in Washington, and it’s unclear how they’ll move forward. The Bears were off on Tuesday and no determination was made by the coaching staff on if the team will name a new captain or not.
Defenseman Aaron Ness, a US Olympian and veteran of 72 NHL games, would be a worthy replacement, as would Vecchione, a former Hobey Baker finalist. Vecchione became especially close to McIlrath over their last two seasons together, sitting beside him every bus ride and spending long hours together on the road. The 31-year-old forward plays in all situations and is the heart and soul of the team.
“We’re obviously going to miss [Dylan] if he’s up there,” Vecchione said, “but he’s worked so hard to get back to where he belongs. Hopefully, he stays up there and plays some games and he makes an impact. Obviously, a big loss on our end, but at the same time… to see all his hard work paying off is just so amazing.”
