The Washington Capitals’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, have had a ton of success in the last couple seasons. They are back-to-back Calder Cup champions, and they have a lot of talent who helped them accomplish those feats. Someone who played a significant role for the Bears during their 2024 championship was forward Ivan Miroshnichenko. The 20-year-old winger played his first AHL and NHL hockey in 2023-24, and he showed the potential of how important he could be for the Capitals in the near future.
Ivan Miroshnichenko’s Hockey Roots
Ivan Miroshnichenko mainly developed his game in Russia with the MHL and the VHL. In the MHL, he played for the Omskie Yastreby. When he was in the VHL, he suited up for the club Omskie Krylya. While with both the MHL and VHL, Miroshnichenko tallied the following numbers:
- 2020-21 (MHL): five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 20 games
- 2021-22 (MHL): zero points in one game
- 2021-22 (VHL): 10 goals and six assists for 16 points in 31 games
- 2022-23 (VHL): three assists in four games
- 2022-23 (MHL): 10 goals and four assists for 14 points in 12 games
Miroshichenko played his lone campaign in the KHL in 2022-23 with Omsk Avangard. In 23 games, he scored three goals and recorded one assist for four points. The 2022-23 season wrapped up his time over in the Russian leagues.
Miroshnichenko Joining the Capitals’ System
The Capitals drafted Ivan Miroshnichenko in the first round (20th overall) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Former GM Brian MacLellan signed him to a three-year entry level contract back in 2023. He split the 2023-24 season with both the Hershey Bears and Washington. For Hershey, he scored nine goals and produced 16 assists for 25 points in 47 games. He also suited up in 20 postseason games for the Bears, where he notched seven goals and five assists for 12 points. That was good enough for seventh on the squad in points. The others ahead of him during that playoff run were Hendrix Lapierre (22 points in 20 games), Joe Snively (18 points in 20 games), Ethen Frank (17 points in 18 games), Jimmy Huntington (14 points in 20 games), Chase Priskie (14 points in 20 games), and Alex Limoges (13 points in 20 games).
The Bears faced the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the 2024 Calder Cup Final. It was a rematch of the Cup Final from the previous postseason. Like in the 2023 Final, Hershey won the Calder Cup. This time, they defeated the Firebirds in six games. It was great for someone like Miroshnichenko, as he already had a championship under his belt in his young career.
First NHL Experience for Miroshnichenko
Most of Miroshnichenko’s 2023-24 campaign was in the AHL. However, he did play some NHL games for the Capitals too. He suited up in 21 regular season games for the club. In that span, he scored two goals and tallied four assists for six points. Also, he played in one of the four playoff games in the series against the New York Rangers. He did not register a point.
The 2024-25 season will be important for Miroshnichenko. If and when he plays for Washington, it will be interesting to see how much ice time he gets. Does Spencer Carbery keep his ice time about the same or do the Capitals give him more to see how he does? Do the Capitals find a spot for him on the roster right away or does he start the campaign with the Bears? I believe Miroshnichenko starts in Hershey. It was great that he got some NHL experience in 2023-24, but another season in the AHL will not hurt his development. He can be one of the first forwards called up if Washington needs someone. He is someone who has a great deal of potential, and fans will get a better idea of his NHL game with this upcoming season when he does play for the Capitals.
