ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have re-assigned forward Andrew Cristall from the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL) to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.
Cristall, the Capitals’ second-round choice, 40th overall, in the 2023 NHL Draft, recorded 111 points (40g, 71a) in 62 games with Kelowna this season. The 5’10”, 172-pound forward ranked fifth in the WHL in points during the regular season and was named to the WHL B.C. Division Second All-Star Team. In addition, Cristall ranked tied for first on Kelowna with 15 points (4g, 11a) in 11 WHL playoff games.
The Vancouver, British Columbia native spent the 2022-23 season with Kelowna, where he led the team in goals (39), assists (56) and points (95). Cristall’s 1.76 points-per-game rate ranked fourth in the WHL, while his 95 points ranked tied for sixth. Cristall was named Kelowna’s team MVP and was selected to the WHL B.C. Division First All-Star Team.
During the 2021-22 season, Cristall set a Kelowna Rockets franchise record for goals by a 16-year-old (28) and tied the franchise record for points by a 16-year-old (69). In 191 career WHL games with Kelowna, Cristall has recorded 280 points (109g, 171a).
Cristall won a gold medal with Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing the tournament with six points (1g, 5a) in five games. In addition, Cristall served as an alternate captain at the 2023 Under-18 World Championship, where he registered six points (2g, 4a) in seven games and helped Canada to the bronze medal.
