Les Bears de Hershey remportent la Coupe Calder en prolongation contre les Firebirds de Coachella Valley

Mike Vecchione scored with 3:41 left in the first overtime period and the Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup by defeating the Coachella Valley Firebirds 3-2 in Game 7.

The Bears, who are the most successful team in the American Hockey League, added their 12th championship title, and 4th as the Washington Capitals’ affiliate.

Head coach Todd Nelson, on the other hand, won the championship for the fourth time, having previously won as a player (1994), assistant coach (2008), and head coach (2017, 2023).

The Firebirds, who are affiliated with the Seattle Kraken, took a 2-0 lead early in the second period before Quebec native Hendrix Lapierre managed to tie the game late in the period with his third goal of the playoffs.

Connor McMichael scored the other goal for the winners on the power play, while goaltender Hunter Shepard was perfect after allowing the first two goals, finishing with 45 saves.

On the other side, Ryker Evans contributed with a goal and an assist, while Joey Daccord made 35 saves. Fourth overall pick in the latest draft, Shane Wright was held off the scoresheet after registering only one shot on goal.

Evans opened the scoring at 4:41 of the first period with a nice wrist shot after receiving Andrew Poturalski’s pass.

The Firebirds only took 24 seconds after the intermission to extend their lead thanks to Max McCormick’s goal, his 14th of the tournament. McCormick was left completely unmarked on the left wing when Kole Lind set him up. Evans was also credited with an assist on the play, bringing him within one point of the defenseman points record (28) held by Alex Goligoski since 2008.

Connor McMichael narrowed the gap to 2-1 in the second period, and then Lapierre, the Capitals’ first-round pick in 2020, tied the game with just under three minutes left in the period.