July 2, 2023
The Washington Capitals, the National Hockey League affiliate of the 2023 Calder Cup Champion
Hershey Bears, announced today that the club has signed forward Pierrick Dube to a two-year, two-way entry level contract, and forward Matthew Phillips to a one-year, one-way contract. The announcements were made by Washington's senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan.
Dube, 22, enjoyed a standout rookie season in 2022-23 with the American Hockey League's Laval Rocket, posting 32 points (16g, 16a) in just 44 games. He ranked fourth on the team in goals, struck three times on the power play, and posted three game-winning markers with the Rocket. The native of Lyon, France had a goal and an assist in his AHL debut on Oct. 15 at Belleville, and registered multi-goal games three different times.
The 5’8”, 172-pound winger also played nine games with the ECHL’s Trois-Rivieres Lions last year, striking for 14 points (9g, 5a).
Dube spent parts of five seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League prior to turning pro, including collecting 44 points (19g, 25a) in 36 games with the Shawinigan Cataractes in 2021-22. He helped the team to a QMJHL title that year, adding 18 points (12g, 6a) in 16 playoff games. In total, Dube recorded 149 points (75g, 74a) in 219 career games in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (where he was linemates with Hershey forward Hendrix Lapierre during the 2020-21 season), and Shawinigan.
Phillips, 25, has been among the American Hockey League's top players the past four seasons. He collected 76 points (36g, 40a) in 66 games for the Calgary Wranglers in 2022-23, ranking second in the AHL in goals and fifth in points. His 15 game-winning goals led the league and tied him with Jeff Hamilton (2003-04, Bridgeport) for the AHL record for the most game-winners in a single season. Phillips collected 31 points (10g, 21a) on the power play in the regular season, and represented Calgary at the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic in Laval. Phillips was named to the AHL’s First All-Star Team in April.
The 5’8”, 160-pound forward scored 68 points (31g, 37a) in 65 games for the Stockton Heat in 2021-22, finishing seventh in the league in goals and ninth in points. He was an AHL All-Star in 2020 with Stockton, scoring 33 points (15g, 18a) in just 38 games. His 90 goals over the past four seasons are the third-highest total in the AHL, and his 198 points over that span rank as the fourth-highest.
In total, Phillips has played 265 AHL games for Stockton and Calgary, scoring 237 points (103g, 134a). He’s also appeared in three games with the NHL’s Calgary Flames, including two in the 2022-23 campaign.
A former 112-point scorer with the Western Hockey League’s Victoria Royals who compiled 281 points (136g, 145a) in 215 career WHL games, Phillips was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft (166th) overall by Calgary.
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