HERSHEY, Pa. — Hendrix Lapierre hopes to never do this again.
Once he finishes his second playoff run with the Hershey Bears, Washington’s American Hockey League affiliate, the only time Lapierre wants to be in the Giant Center is to see the banner raised for what the Bears hope will happen. be a second consecutive Calder Cup championship.
Last season, Lapierre scored the goal that forced overtime in Game 7 of the finals against Coachella Valley. It was his third goal and sixth point in 20 playoff games. This time, as the Bears prepare for a rematch against the Firebirds that begins Friday in Hershey, Lapierre is tied for the league lead in postseason scoring, with 15 points in 14 games.
The Capitals sent Lapierre back to Hershey for these playoffs because they wanted him to produce. Lapierre has welcomed the challenge, and while he tries not to think about it too much, he knows that living up to Washington’s expectations now would likely be his ticket to staying with the Capitals (and not returning to Hershey) in the fall.
“I’d like to see the offense down there,” Washington general manager Brian MacLellan said after the Capitals’ season ended. “I thought he got a little more confident here as we went along. … Going in there, with some confidence, knowing that he can do it at this level, I hope to see him score some goals and make some big plays and help that team in the playoffs.”
That is exactly what Lapierre has done.
“I feel different than I’ve ever felt before,” Lapierre said, “and I accept the challenge.”
When the Capitals selected Lapierre with the 22nd pick in the 2020 Draft, after trading two spots, there was a real risk associated with the selection. Lapierre played just 19 games in his draft season, and it wasn’t the coronavirus pandemic that shut down junior hockey in March 2020.
Multiple injuries, initially thought to be concussions before Lapierre was diagnosed with a neck injury that was causing his symptoms, put his future in doubt as he headed toward the draft. He was medically cleared in April 2020 after his last injury in November 2019, but due to the pandemic, he did not return to action until just four days before the October draft.
“When my junior career ended, I wasn’t really satisfied with what I was doing,” Lapierre told the Washington Post last month. “I didn’t play many games and I wasn’t as good as I wanted to be. But I like to think that everything happens for a reason. I have learned from that. I feel very good now. I learned to take care of my body and stuff.
“Sometimes I think about the draft and how everything played out. How the Caps, at that time, took a chance on me. Obviously I want them to feel good about that choice.”
Four years later, Lapierre is on the verge of becoming a full-time NHL player. His 51 games in Washington this season were driven in part by the Capitals’ needs, especially after Nicklas Backstrom departed in November and Evgeny Kuznetsov was traded in March, but Lapierre showed flashes of being an impactful center who drives the game and that can be key. the gear of Washington’s future.
His goal in Game 4 of Washington’s Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers was a highlight, and the skills that allowed him to achieve it (speed, confidence, and high-level puck skills) They are the main attributes that will take him to the NHL.
“He is one of our leaders”
In Lapierre’s first game with the Bears, just three days after Washington was eliminated, he scored a goal in less than four minutes. In the next game, he had a goal, an assist, and a +3 rating at the end of the night. . Hershey has a roster full of veterans, but even at just 22 years old, Lapierre has established himself as one of the Bears’ best players and is becoming a leader within the team.
“He’s producing for us right now. That was an expectation,” Bears coach Todd Nelson said after Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. “We expected that. The organization expected that of him. He understands that he is still a young guy, but he is one of our leaders. He has to enjoy the fact that he will be the person he turns to.”
Lapierre scored a goal and had six assists in seven games against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals. The goal, which came in the first game of the series, again demonstrated his speed, skill and confidence with the puck, and his determination to be the difference-maker.
“It’s special,” Hershey forward Mike Vecchione said. “They just spin the puck and skate for the guys. I think he caught the goalie a little off guard with that shot, he made it five holes. You can see the way he skates with the puck. He’s cutting, making the guys move back and forth, and he just walks past them. “If he can continue to do that, it will obviously draw a lot of eyes on him.”
Added center Garrett Roe: “He’s just handling everything. Everyone sees what kind of player he is. He is leading the game and continues to play with his speed. His speed is his biggest asset and now he has that confidence himself.”
Last season, Lapierre wanted to make an impact but knew that as a rookie, his main goal was to learn the league and adapt. This season, his mentality has changed.
No longer content with not making mistakes, he wants to be the player that leads Hershey to another Calder Cup and then graduate to the Capitals and never look back.
“I want to make a difference,” Lapierre said. “I want to help the team win as much as I can. … I love being here in Hershey, but obviously my goal is for this to be the last time I’m here. I want to make the most of it. I want us to go to the end. I want us to be successful. “It’s been a fun couple of years and I’m really enjoying every second here, but I want to make the jump.”
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