The Washington Capitals returned forward Bogdan Trineyev to the AHL’s Hershey Bears on Wednesday afternoon.

Trineyev was recalled by the Capitals this past Saturday, after it was announced that Connor McMichael had been placed on injured reserve. Trineyev did not feature in any of the club’s three games during what was his third stint in the NHL this season.

The move lets Trineyev rejoin the Bears ahead of their game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night. While the NHL pauses for the 2026 Winter Olympics, the AHL does not, and the Bears have seven games scheduled over the next three weeks.

Trineyev’s demotion also frees up a roster spot for the Capitals if they were to add a player to their roster before Wednesday’s roster freeze at 3 pm. However, the Capitals will also need an open spot to activate Logan Thompson ahead of his projected start against the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, which could come via goaltender Garin Bjorklund also being sent down.

The 23-year-old Trineyev plays first-line minutes for the Bears and is on both of the team’s special teams units. In 32 AHL games this season, he has recorded 21 points (9g, 12a).

Trineyev recently signed a two-year, $1.8 million contract extension with the Capitals. He made his NHL debut against the Winnipeg Jets on December 13.

Here’s the full press release from the Capitals:

Capitals Loan Bogdan Trineyev to Hershey
Forward has appeared in two games with Washington this season

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have loaned forward Bogdan Trineyev to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today.

Trineyev, 23, has appeared in two games with Washington this season and made his NHL debut on Dec. 13 at Winnipeg. The 6’3”, 206-pound forward has also recorded 21 points (9g, 12a) in 32 games with Hershey this season. Trineyev ranks third on the Bears in plus-minus rating (+9), tied for third in goals and tied for fourth in points.

Trineyev registered 22 points (14g, 8a) in 62 games with Hershey last season. Trineyev ranked tied for first on the Bears in shorthanded goals (1), third in plus-minus rating (+13), fifth in shots (109) and sixth in goals. Trineyev also led Hershey with five goals and seven points in eight Calder Cup Playoff games.

During his first full AHL season in 2023-24, Trineyev recorded 16 points (9g, 7a) in 63 games with Hershey. The Voronezh, Russia native led Bears rookies in games played and ranked second among first-year players in goals, assists, points and plus-minus (+12). In addition, Trineyev’s three shorthanded goals led Hershey and ranked tied for first among AHL rookies. Trineyev appeared in all 20 games during Hershey’s run to the Calder Cup championship, registering four assists.

In 159 career AHL games with Hershey, Trineyev has recorded 59 points (32g, 27a) and a +34 plus-minus rating.

Trineyev was selected by the Capitals in the fourth round (117th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.