The Washington Capitals will see a familiar face wearing teal against them on Wednesday night.
Former Capital Vincent Iorio, who was claimed off waivers by the San Jose Sharks in October, will play his eighth game of the season for the Sharks.
Iorio will play tonight, Muk will come out
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) December 3, 2025
Iorio has played just once for the Sharks since the end of October, spending six games in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda on a conditioning stint. He has yet to record a point in his seven games with the Sharks and is averaging 16:10 of ice time per game. During his stint with the Barracuda, the 23-year-old defender played at above a point-per-game pace, recording seven assists.
“Just move pucks. Be hard around our net. Defend with some purpose and urgency, play towards his strengths,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Iorio to Sharks Hockey Digest’s Max Miller. “He’s a big guy, can skate, can move pucks, something that we’re still trying to get better at. He’s done a good job when he’s in there.”
In Iorio’s last game for the Sharks, a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on November 28, he lined up on the team’s third pairing with rookie rearguard Sam Dickinson. He skated 15:13 time on ice in the win and took a two-minute minor penalty for interference.
The Capitals placed Iorio on waivers back in October to activate veteran defender Dylan McIlrath from injured reserve. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native made the Capitals’ Opening Night roster for the first time in his career but was a healthy scratch in all four of the club’s games to begin the 2025-26 campaign.
Iorio, the Capitals’ top pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, won back-to-back Calder Cup championships with the AHL’s Hershey Bears in 2023 and 2024. He played nine career NHL games for the Capitals, recording one assist.