The Washington Capitals, the National Hockey League affiliate of the back-to-back Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears, announced today that they signed forwards Luke Philp and Spencer Smallman to one-year, two-way contracts. The announcement was made by Washington president and general manager Brian MacLellan.
Philp, 28, played in just 15 games last season with the American Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs after missing the majority of the season due to an injury. He posted six points (2g, 4a) and added another two points (1g, 1a) in four playoff games.
In 2022-23, he was named Rockford's most valuable player, leading the team in goals (29), power play goals (11), plus/minus (17), and finishing second in shorthanded goals (2), and third in points (53). He skated in three NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, logging one assist.
Philp scored 21 goals for the AHL's Stockton Heat in 2021-22 under the direction of current Capitals' assistant coach Mitch Love. The 5'10", 185-pound forward has posted 151 points (79g, 72a) in 223 career AHL games with Stockton and Rockford.
Smallman, 27, skated in 53 games last season for the AHL's Colorado Eagles, scoring 21 points (12g, 9a). He also added one goal in three playoff games.
The native of Summerside, Prince Edward Island was a member of the 2022 Calder Cup Champion Chicago Wolves, scoring a career-best 27 points (10g, 17a) in 65 games that season while adding six points (2g, 4a) in 18 postseason games, including assisting on the game-winning goal in the clinching contest of the Calder Cup Finals.
The 6'1", 198-pound forward has scored 95 career points (38g, 57a) in 244 career AHL games with Charlotte, Chicago, and Colorado. He was on Charlotte's roster during the team's run to the Calder Cup in 2019, but he did not appear in a postseason game.
Prior to turning pro, Smallman played five seasons with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the then-Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In 2016-17, Smallman scored 79 points (30g, 49a) and added 22 points in the playoffs (11g, 11a) as Saint John won the QMJHL title.
The Hershey Bears are the 2024 Calder Cup Champions, winning the title for a league-best 13th time and for the second consecutive season! Championship merchandise is available online via HersheyBears.com. Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now, and fans are asked to stay tuned to HersheyBears.com as a schedule for the upcoming season will be released later this summer.
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