WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — The Calder Cup made its way to the nation's capital Wednesday.
The Hershey Bears, back-to-back Calder Cup winning champions, brought the silver chalice to Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., to be honored by their NHL parent club, the Capitals.
The night began with some bling as members of the 2023-24 team now playing with the Caps received their championship rings.
Now rocking the red, former team captain Dylan McIlrath and Calder Cup Playoffs MVP Hendrix Lapierre both got to put on their jewelry for the first time, hard-earned while wearing chocolate and white.
Bears Vice President of Hockey Operations Bryan Helmer presented the rings and was joined by assistant coaches Nick Bootland and Patrick Weller.
Watch the full puck drop ceremony here:
The Calder Cup was on display in the Signature Club at the arena where fans took pictures with it.
"It's a great time to be a Bears and a Caps fan. It's very exciting. It's great for [the Capitals] to recognize the Bears and bring the Calder Cup here to Capital One Arena," said Bryan Carnahan, a Bears season ticket holder from Washington, D.C.
Helmer, Bootland, and Weller then went on the ice for a ceremonial puck drop before the Caps played the Nashville Predators.
PHOTOS | Washington Capitals Ceremonial Puck Drop Honoring Hershey Bears Calder Cup Win
Fans also caught a glimpse of the cup on the 100-level concourse during the first period.
Coaches said the support from outside of Chocolatetown means a lot.
"We walked through the concourse with the Calder Cup and there's people saying we came to Hershey. We watched some of the games last year. We love watching you guys on TV. Congratulations. So, you can feel the family feel from Washington all the way up to Hershey," said Bootland.
