With Washington Capitals rookie camp officially wrapped up and players gearing up for training camp that begins on Thursday, Hershey Bears head coach Todd Nelson discussed several topics following the last day of camp. This included his thoughts on how the camp went and players from his last Calder Cup-winning team taking the next step this season.
Todd Nelson’s Thoughts on the Rookie Camp
Todd Nelson was asked about players who stood out to him on the last day of Capitals rookie camp. Nelson responded, “They all looked really good. We were commenting on this. Nobody really separated themselves from anybody else. It’s early on. You’ll see that separation as camp goes on. The quality, I was really impressed with…I thought it was a really, really good camp.” Nelson went on to say that he wanted the players in the camp to get their tempo up for training camp, and getting them to feel comfortable. Nelson added, “…As a group, some of these guys, it’ll be their first NHL training camp. I’ve been though that, it’s nerve-wracking. You get a bit nervous. So, I think it’s good for us to get away and come here as a group and spend the four days together. I think the guys are all feeling pretty good about going into main camp.”
Nelson also talked about the rookie camp aspect before training camp, as opposed to doing a tournament like Traverse City, which he has been a part of in the past. One of the downsides he discusses with doing prospect games are the potential for injuries. “…Those are highly competitive games. But, what you see is a lot of guys get injured. And I think with this format, you’re working on just pro habits. Getting them up to speed, getting their tempo. Understanding it’s not junior hockey anymore, it’s not college…that’s the whole thing is just trying to get them to be a pro on and off the ice, and I think it was a really quality camp. You know, the other format of seeing them play, that’s great for management and the scouts to see how they do in game situations, but also you run the risk of injury.”
Players Taking the Next Steps from the Last Bears Squad
The Hershey Bears won their second straight Calder Cup championship in 2024, when they defeated the Lehigh Valley Firebirds for a second straight time to clinch the trophy. Todd Nelson was asked about players from last year’s team that he is hoping to see take that next step. A couple of the names he brought up were Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko.
“Well, you know obviously, you look at Hendrix Lapierre. He played a lot of games last year,” said Nelson. “He’s getting better and better. I don’t expect to see him. Another guy is Miro. You know, a young guy. He had a good first pro season. We’ll see how he is in training camp.”
The third name he brought up was Ethen Frank. The 26-year-old forward has become a significant contributor to the offense the last couple AHL campaigns for the Bears. Since coming to Hershey, he has produced the following numbers:
- 2021-22: one goal in five games
- 2022-23: 30 goals and 19 assists for 49 points in 57 games
- 2023-24: 29 goals and 18 assists for 47 points in 64 games
Frank also scored 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points in 18 postseason games for the 2024 playoffs. It will be interesting to see how he does in training camp for the Capitals, and where he ends up in the organizational system.
Todd Nelson on Andrew Cristall
One of the other players who attended rookie camp who was discussed was forward Andrew Cristall. Washington picked him in the second round (40th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He played junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the Kelowna Rockets. Last season, he suited up in 62 games for the club and scored 40 goals and registered 71 assists for 111 points. Nelson was asked about him as well.
“I think he grew as a pro,” said Nelson. “You can see him in these practice sessions. His creativity and his mind and how skilled he is. His skating’s improved. That’s one thing that they wanted him to improve on. He’s taking the steps in the right direction.”
Nelson Got His Day with the Calder Cup
Unlike for the 2023 Calder Cup championship, Todd Nelson got his day with the Calder Cup this time around after Hershey won the 2024 championship. “I got it this year. No, I didn’t get it the previous year. It was lost in the shuffle. I got it about four days late,” Nelson said. “…It was funny. The first year, we had about 70 people come for the Cup party and the Cup didn’t show up, so this year we only had about maybe 30 and it showed up. So we just did a pool party in the backyard…it was pretty casual.”
Todd Nelson and the Hershey Bears will try to win their third straight Calder Cup championship this upcoming 2024-25 AHL season. As for Washington Capitals training camp, Media Day takes place tomorrow. The preseason begins Sunday with a home game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Then, the regular season for the club’s 50th Anniversary starts on Saturday, October 12 against the New Jersey Devils.
