This is one hat trick Dylan McIlrath won’t soon forget.
The Winnipegger recently captained the Hershey Bears to an American Hockey League championship, which gave him three Calder Cups on his resume — including back-to-back titles with the primary affiliate of the Washington Capitals.
“It was pretty surreal, to be honest. It hasn’t fully sunk in. Going back to back with the Bears, it’s been a wild two years,” McIlrath said in a recent interview. “A lot of hockey. But it’s been great. Really exciting times.”
Tori Hartman/Hershey Bears Scott Howson, president of the American Hockey League, presents Dylan McIlrath with the Calder Cup.
Exciting times indeed.
Every championship usually has a few bumps along the journey, but the playoffs this spring were exceptionally entertaining for the bruising defenceman.
During the Eastern Conference final, the Bears got out to a 3-0 series lead over the Cleveland Monsters, only to see the top farm team of the Columbus Blue Jackets roar back to tie things up and force a seventh and deciding game.
In Game 7, the Bears had another third-period lead before the Monsters forced overtime, leaving Hershey a shot away from being on the wrong side of history.
Instead, Garrett Roe delivered the OT winner to propel the Bears back into the Calder Cup.
“That was probably the biggest challenge of the playoffs,” said McIlrath, who also won a Calder Cup with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2017. “That Game 6 was a roller coaster. We think we’re going to win, going up 2-1 with about a minute left. They came back and tied it (before winning in overtime). It really tested our mental toughness. Going to bed that night, it was one of the worst feelings I’ve had in hockey. Just knowing that we had the chance to close it out (and didn’t).
“Then, a Game 7 overtime winner to win the series. If we sweep Cleveland, I don’t know how the final goes, if we didn’t go through that adversity.”
That win meant the Bears were set to meet a familiar opponent, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the primary affiliate of the Seattle Kraken.
The same Firebirds who pushed Hershey the distance in the 2023 Calder Cup final.
“We kind of had a feeling all season. It seemed like destiny that we were going to have a rematch,” said McIrath. “We only really had a day to regroup and get ready for that series. We were immersed in the whole playoff experience and didn’t have much time to think, just go out and play and obviously. It was a pretty big rivalry, having beaten them last year. It was a little testy.
“That helped us, in a way, emotionally. Just having all of the guys returning, knowing what we were going to face and how they were wanting revenge. It was a good back-and-forth series.”
Tori Hartman/Hershey Bears Dylan McIlrath, 32, now has three Calder Cup wins under his belt.
That back and forth saw the Firebirds win Games 1 and 3 to take a 2-1 series advantage before the Bears broke through to win three consecutive games to close out the campaign — including an overtime thriller in Game 6 on home ice at Giant Center.
“That was pretty electric to win at home in that scenario,” said McIlrath. “With an OT winner, it doesn’t get much more exciting than that as a hockey fan. It’s something I definitely won’t forget; hoisting that Cup in front of the home building is pretty special.”
It was a riveting ending to a special season for McIlrath, who also found himself playing regular minutes for the Capitals in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the New York Rangers — the team that originally selected him 10th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft.
“It was another unexpected phone call,” said McIlrath, who averaged 11:33 of ice time in four playoff games with the Capitals. “Once I did get in the lineup, they trusted me and I definitely had nothing to lose. I played with confidence and they were relying on me to play some important minutes. It’s something that if you had asked me halfway through the season if I would be playing in the playoffs against the Rangers, I wouldn’t have believed you. It was just another thing where you’re trying to soak in the moment.
“Anytime you’re in the NHL and you’ve been in my situation, you never know when the last (NHL) game is going to be.”
With 75 NHL games on his resume, McIlrath recognizes the type of game that makes him successful and he’s flourished in a mentorship role in the AHL while showing he can be counted on when called up.
“I had never been a captain before coming to Hershey and it definitely comes with a lot of expectations,” said McIlrath. “At this stage of my career, mainly playing in the minors, this is what I’m looking for — a chance to compete and win championships at this level. It’s been the best decision coming to the Washington organization. It probably couldn’t have gone any better than it has during the last three years.”
McIrath, 32, is another great example that the development path for a high draft pick isn’t always linear.
“I’ve really come to terms with how my path and my journey is different than some Top-10 picks,” said McIlrath, who has one more season left on his two-way contract with the Capitals. “They usually get an extended stint in the NHL and mine hasn’t really been that path. But I kept grinding away and I’m able to contribute when I get called up.”
McIrath was also chosen to be one of the playing captains in the AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose in February during a showcase usually reserved for young prospects.
Tori Hartman/Hershey Bears Dylan McIlrath celebrates the recent win with his family.
“I’d never thought I would be part of an All-Star Game, just with my style of play,” said McIlrath, who produces more penalty minutes than points but has blossomed in a shutdown role. “Being a part of the AHL and them rewarding me for a lot of hard miles that I’ve had in this league, it was a really good celebration. I take a lot of pride in what I do and it’s nice to get recognized for that. It was a great experience. I was almost a decade older than half of the people there.
“Being in that role, I was able to really enjoy myself because I know it’s probably the only chance I’m going to have to be in an All-Star Game.”
Bryan Helmer, the Bears’ director of operations, is one of many people in the organization who appreciates what McIlrath brings to the table.
“It’s his presence,” said Helmer, a former defenceman with the Manitoba Moose. “He went through a lot in his career, a lot of ups-and-downs. He’s grown a lot on and off the ice and guys respect the heck out of him.
“He plays the game hard and he plays it the right way.”
ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca
X: @WiebesWorld
Ken Wiebe
Sports reporter
Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.
Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
