^ Posted by Patrick Williams
Game 1 – Coachella Valley 5, Hershey 0 |
Hershey, Pennsylvania. … John Walton It is at the Giant Center as the Hershey Bears fight for the Calder Cup.
No, it’s not 2006 or 2007. or 2009. or 2010.
It’s 2023, but the Washington Capitals’ radio voice has been an integral part of his former team for much of this spring as the Bears chase their 12th Calder Cup championship.
Walton, Hershey’s anchor from 2002 until 2011, is back in familiar territory again.
“That’s why I wanted to be here,” Walton explained of his work covering the AHL’s Washington affiliate in the postseason. “I wanted to see the next generation and see who comes next for us, but hopefully they win too. I think it’s that passion that’s in your blood when you’re there, and once it’s there, you never let it out.
“This is fun. I didn’t grow up in Hershey, but I’m always so grateful when I’m welcomed back. It feels like coming home.”
Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals is set tonight against the Coachella Valley Firebirds (7 ET, AHLTV), 13 years after Walton named the Bears last title. And like that 2010 club — the group that set an AHL record 60 wins in the regular season — this year the Bears have a steep climb ahead.
Walton has been on the microphone in one of the most impressive runs in league history, as the Bears have played in four Finals and won three Calder Cups in a five-year period after they began their association with D.C. in 2005-06.
After the 2010-2011 campaign, Washington recruited Walton to join a growing group of Bears alumni with the Capitals. Bruce Boudreauthen Washington’s head coach, led Hershey to the 2006 championship. The Caps’ blue line was as distinguished as Hershey alumni Carl AlzenerAnd John Carlson And Mike Green. In the foreground were the former bears such as Jay BeagleAnd Cody AkinAnd Mathieu Perrault and future AHL Hall of Fame member Keith Aucoin. Michel NeuwirthMost Valuable Player of the 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs, W.J Braden Holtby were in the network. When the Capitals won their first Stanley Cup title in 2018, they had 14 Hershey alumni on their roster.
Walton has also made a name for himself. Besides his radio call quickly gaining a following in Washington, he went on to broadcast national television for NBC Sports and work hockey at the Winter Olympics in both 2018 and 2022.
Early summers were few during Walton’s time in Washington. But with the Capitals missing a playoff date this spring, Walton’s calendar has been wide open. He filled it in with work chronicling the Bears’ Calder Cup playoff trip.
“It was a trip down memory lane,” Walton said. “It’s nice to see the Caps of Tomorrow play this deep, but for me personally after nine years of being in Hershey…it was great to see people around Giant Center that I haven’t seen in a really long time.”
Heading into the 2004-05 AHL season, the Bears were looking for a new affiliation. Any NHL team would be lucky to connect with the AHL’s top franchise, one that can provide a top-flying facility, an established fan base and franchise stability.
Washington came along, located just over two hours away from Chocolatetown, Boudreau was hired to take over behind Hershey’s bench, and there was a new era of Bears–and Capitals–hockey. Hershey defeated Milwaukee to win the Calder Cup in 2006, and after losing to Hamilton in 2007 defeated Manitoba in 2009 and Texas in 2010.
“The biggest moment in my time at Hershey was their hiring of Bruce Boudreau, because without Bruce you don’t have the 2005-06 season,” said Walton.
Today, Walton is an established NHL voice. But when he came to the Bears nearly 21 years ago, the Ohio native only had five seasons at the AHL level behind him, having been called up to games by the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. At Hershey, he was taking over Dave Mishkinwho left for an NHL job with Tampa Bay.
“I was still learning how to do the job,” Walton admitted. “At Hershey it was, ‘You have to show me something. You have to earn it in Hershey.
“I think there was a homegrown environment in Hershey [Bears general manager] Doug Engst and with [Capitals general manager] George McPhee that fostered a win-win environment. They understood what I think more teams genuinely understand now – that winning is the most important part of development.”
A win also goes a long way toward satisfying a fan base with roots dating back over 80 years.
“It’s a loud, passionate fan base,” Walton continued. “They demand excellence. I don’t think if you’re in the broadcast booth, on the ice, coach, management, tickets…everybody feels it. That’s what Hershey’s done since the ’30s. It’s the grandparents, the parents, the kids, the season tickets that pass down. That’s what Hershey does.” In the winter, Harrisburg, Lebanon, York, Lancaster, and that’s still the case, and I hope that’s always the case. You’re part of something bigger than yourself when you’re there. It doesn’t matter if you go to the NHL whether you’re a broadcaster, a player, or a manager.
“You are a bear. You are a bear for life.”
Patrick Williams has been in the American Hockey League for nearly two decades for outlets including NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, The Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, and SLAM! Sports, and she is currently the co-host of Hockey news on the “A” podcast. He was awarded the James H. Ellery Memorial Award from the AHL for his excellent coverage of the league in 2016.