Washington Capitals defenseman Dylan McIlrath led the team in cool-down stretches after a serious, but fun practice on Saturday. And the six-foot-five, 240-pound enforcer showed off some surprising limberness.
McIlrath did three full splits, shocking his Capitals teammates.
The ridiculous moment was captured by Capitals fan Emma Skerman who attended the Saturday skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
“Every time I go to the practices I always try to record the cool-down circle,” Emma said. “A few seconds into the recording Dylan Mcllrath went in the center. It looked like a normal stretch at the beginning. As soon as he kicked out his leg the entire team let out a collective ‘OH!’
“And the entire team continued that ‘OH’ until he finished with an impressive couple of bounces. And after he finished he got a round of stick taps from the boys. I didn’t realize what they were cheering about until I looked closer. Everyone around me were laughing at each split!”
While hockey players are usually flexible, McIlrath doing splits like he’s a gymnast seems rare for a muscular man of his size who’s known more to throw the body (and his hands).
McIlrath’s mind-boggling stretching talent is yet another example of how the three-time Calder Cup champion can keep things light and make his presence known despite not suiting up in a postseason game. Sticking up for his teammates, McIlrath was fined for unsportsmanlike conduct during warmups of Game 4 after a confrontation with Montreal’s imposing enforcer Arber Xhekaj. He’s also quite the post-game celebrator.
These intangibles combined with his leadership qualities, physicality, and solid play explain why signing McIlrath to a two-year extension in late March was likely a no brainer for the Capitals’ front office.
