The Capitals will be well-represented at the upcoming Olympic qualifiers.
The Washington Capitals will see two prospects lace up the skates for Team France in the coming days, as Pierrick Dubé and Antoine Keller have been named to the Olympic qualifier squad.
France is looking to punch its ticket to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, and Dubé and Keller join a strong roster that features Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare, Alexandre Texier and more.
Dubé is fresh off a Calder Cup championship season with the AHL's Hershey Bears after signing his entry-level contract with Washington last summer.
In 66 regular season games with Hershey this past season, Dubé had 28 goals and 20 assists for 48 points. Then, in the playoffs, he put up seven goals and 10 points in 17 games while fighting through missing teeth and injury to help the Bears defend their title. Dubé also made his NHL debut and played in three games.
Keller, who D.C. took in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft, is coming off his first season of North American hockey with the QMJHL's Acadie-Bathurst Titan. In 37 regular-season games for the Titan, Keller went 17-12-2 with a .897 save percentage. He also impressed in the playoffs, going 4-2-1 with a .925 save percentage.
France will participate in the Group E final ice hockey qualification in Lativa starting on Aug. 29 and will compete against Latvia, Slovenia and Ukraine for a spot.
Martin Fehervary is also representing the Capitals at the Group F Olympic qualifier in Bratislava, Slovakia. However, his status is questionable as he is dealing with some health issues ahead of the NHL regular season.
