Pierrick Dubé has reportedly found a new home after spending two seasons in the Washington Capitals organization.
According to Metaratings.ru’s Dmitry Levin, the 24-year-old winger has signed a one-year contract with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk. Dubé became an unrestricted free agent this summer when the Capitals declined to extend him a qualifying offer on June 30.
Dubé, a native of Lyon, France, initially signed an entry-level contract with the Caps in 2023. He has been one of Hershey’s top offensive threats since joining the team, recording 88 points (47g, 41a) in 124 games over the last two years.
The speedy winger made his NHL debut with the Capitals during the 2023-24 season, playing in three games. Later that year, Dubé scored a hat trick in Game 6 of the 2024 Calder Cup Finals against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, powering the Bears to a second straight championship. He had 10 points (7g, 3a) in 17 games during Hershey’s successful run to the Cup.
Traktor, the hometown team of former Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov, finished as runners-up in the KHL this past season after falling in the Gagarin Cup Finals to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. With Traktor, he’ll reunite with former Bears teammate Logan Day, who joined the club midseason last December.
Former Bears backstop Zach Fucale has been Traktor’s number-one goaltender the past two years but moved on in free agency this summer to Dinamo Minsk. Replacing him in net with Traktor will be a recent signee, former NHL goalie Chris Driedger, against whom Dubé scored his 2024 postseason hat trick.
The Traktor coaching staff is also heavily French Canadian, with head coach Benoit Groulx, who played professionally in France, and assistant coach Raphael-Pier Richer. Dubé was an active player in the QMJHL when Richer was an assistant coach for the junior league’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Gatineau Olympiques.
To likely replace the scoring Dubé takes with him, the Bears recently signed winger Sheldon Rempal, a player leaving the KHL. Rempal led the entire KHL in playoff scoring despite not advancing to the championship round, posting 21 points (8g, 13a) in 19 games.
