McMichael Making The Most Of Opportunity With AHL Hershey

Every kid growing up playing hockey has the same dream - to one day make an NHL team and play at that elite level.

For some players, that dream becomes a reality quickly, but for professional hockey players, just making the team isn't enough - especially for younger players like Connor McMichael.

"My goal was to make the team and I did that," McMichael told InsideAHLHockey.com last weekend. "But once you're sitting around and not playing a lot, it's tough."

McMichael, just 21 years old, was Washington’s first round pick (#25 overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

The Ajax, Ontario native played his first year of juniors with Hamilton before spending his final three seasons with London. In his final season, he put up an astounding 102 points (47 goals, 55 assists) in just 52 games, so the excitement for McMichael’s arrival built long before he hit the ice in Washington.

His first professional season was the abbreviated post-COVID season, and he spent that impressing in Hershey. In 33 games, he tallied 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists). Noticeable skills included speed, puck-handling, and shooting ability.

This past season, McMichael made Washington's roster out of training camp - spending the duration of the 2021-22 season in the NHL, posting 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 68 games while also recording one assist in four Stanley Cup Playoffs games.

Life in the NHL though, is quite a bit different than the AHL where teams struggle through three-in-threes with the benefit of having a solid week of practice to work on the game.

"In the NHL, you're playing every other night," McMichael said, "so you kind of have to be ready to go every single game and find that consistency in your game."

Not to mention, teams are flying into and out of cities, so with the travel, pre-game morning skates look nothing like practices at any level.

"It's harder to get the reps in practice, especially when you're not playing and the team's not practicing as much as they would be here [in the AHL]," McMichael mentioned.

When trying to develop a player, even one as highly skilled as McMichael, sometimes there is a step backwards that comes with the giant leap forward, and that step backwards can be welcomed.

So on November 20, after just six appearances on the season in Washington, the Capitals elected to re-assign McMichael to their AHL affiliate Hershey Bears to rekindle some of that offensive confidence he displayed in his debut season at the pro level.

"I was happy to get sent down here and get the opportunity to play and put up some minutes," McMichael admitted to InsideAHLHockey.com.

He's not the only one happy. Hershey head coach Todd Nelson, whose team is off to the second best start in franchise history, has yet another weapon in his arsenal.

"Well, I think the biggest thing is that he gets a chance to play," Nelson said after McMichael’s first game back, a 4-2 loss to Hartford last month. "There were so many penalties, and he's gonna actually kill penalties for us, but we just didn't want to throw into the mix right away, so in the second period a lot of guys didn't play, but I'm looking forward to watching him play and have some fun because he has to get playing and get confidence in his game. I thought he played well [in his first game back]."

After not playing or practicing much in Washington, conditioning was another primary concern as was getting acquainted with Hershey's system, which Nelson admitted early in the season was based off of Washington's with a bit of his own tweaks to fit his talent.

"Yeah, I think the first couple of games back down here, I was kind of figuring it out and getting used to the system and finding my legs after not playing a whole lot," McMichael said of his first handful of games. "So I think I'm starting to find my stride and finding consistency in my game."

That assessment couldn't be more accurate from the productivity standpoint. In his first seven games, he recorded two goals and one assist. In his last eight games, he's scored four goals and assisted on two, including a two-goal performance against Cleveland earlier this month, one of them on the power play.

In addition to the power play, McMichael also has found himself on the penalty kill and is using that time to gain valuable knowledge and insight to transfer to other aspects of his game.

"I think that's huge for my game to play in all different situations and playing on the PK will also develop my five on five defensive play, so I think that's been huge for me, and I'm happy to get that opportunity," McMichael said.

Nelson echoed McMichael's thoughts, "I think he's happy just to be playing it all. It's frustrating when you're up top and you're not playing, so, you know, he's down here. He has a great attitude. He's been working on his game. He played a solid game [last Saturday night]. And that's why he's here - just to get more ice time, get better, get stronger."

Of course, Nelson knows the talent he has and has stretched the opportunity into one other area as well - the shootout. Since McMichael has returned to Hershey, the Bears have been in three shootout situations including the Cleveland game his first night back in a Hershey jersey. He's tallied two of the three shootout opportunities he's had, exhibiting both speed and shooting ability.

For now, honing those skills and making the most out of the opportunity to play and create on-ice chemistry with his linemates are the primary areas of focus with the knowledge that more chances at the NHL are coming.

McMichael has nine points (six goals, three assists) in 15 AHL games with Hershey this season, but has been particularly effective after getting his legs under him in his first few games. He currently has eight points (five goals, three assists) in his last 10 games.

"Our line has been clicking pretty well in the games that we've been playing [together]," McMichael said, adding, "We generate a lot of scoring chances, and we're trying to drive the play out there. But I think just more and more as we get going in the season and as we play with each other, we're just going to keep getting better and better. So I think I have a good opportunity down here to find consistency and when I do go back up it will help my game."

After all, hockey is a game full of chances for young players to step up in situations where illness and injury have created opportunities.

And if they are able to seize that opening and make the most of it, doors will open for them - just as they will again for Connor McMichael.