Font ResizeAndrew Gordon and Kyle Wilson, last season's "ironmen" for the Bears, were assigned to Hershey by the Capitals on Thursday, along with Oskar Osala, Hershey's rookie of the year last season.
Gordon and Wilson each played in all 80 of Hershey's regular-season games, plus all 22 playoff games. Linemates for much of the regular season and throughout the playoffs, Wilson had 28 goals and 58 points in the regular season while Gordon had 21 goals and 55 points. Gordon had six goals and 10 points in the playoffs; Wilson three goals and 10 points.
Osala, meanwhile, had 23 goals in the regular season and added six more in the playoffs.
Although all three will be in training camp today, they will not play in tonight's exhibition season opener against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
One player recently assigned to Hershey who will play, however, is Steve Pinizzotto, one of the surprise players in the playoffs for the Bears.
After seeing only limited action through the first half of the season, Pinizzotto developed into a regular in the second half of the season, then stepped up to score three goals and two assists while playing in 21 of Hershey's 22 playoff games.
"I got the chance to step up, and I took full advantage of it," said Pinizzotto about his second-half success last season. "I know how I play, I know what I bring to this team, and it's something I'm
Pinizzotto said he would have liked to play in one more preseason game with the Capitals -- he played in the opener against Buffalo but did not dress again -- but he had no trouble adjusting to the return to Hershey.
"I was hoping to get another game up there," Pinizzotto said following Thursday's practice, "but now I'm here and can get prepared for the season. The game tomorrow's gonna help me for sure get back in the swing of things, and hopefully we can do what we did last year."
Hershey coach Mark French is looking forward to having Pinizzotto back on the roster.
"He skates well, he shoots the puck well, he plays with no fear," said French. "I think he can expand his game. He hasn't been asked to in the past. One thing he did last year was he turned into a pretty good penalty killer for us. In the first half, he didn't kill penalties at all but in the second half, when the penalty kill struggled, we turned to him, and he really blossomed. I would like to see him continue to build momentum in his game."
Notes: French said Jason Bacashihua will start tonight's preseason game, and Todd Ford will replace him for the second half of the game. ... Bradon Holtby is scheduled to play the entire game Saturday at Wilkes-Barre. ... The Bears will also be going with a relatively young lineup for tonight's game, and possibly for Saturday's. ... "We've got to make some decisions on some contracted guys," said French. "We'll try to get them into as many games as possible this weekend. It will be a younger lineup."
