The Washington Capitals made a goaltending change on Monday morning. The Caps recalled Clay Stevenson from the Hershey Bears and sent Hunter Shepard back down to the AHL. The change comes two days after Shepard gave up seven goals in a 7-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Capitals have been forced to dip into Hershey due to starting netminder Logan Thompson being out of the lineup due to an upper-body injury he suffered on April 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes. Thompson began skating again on Saturday at MedStar Capitals Iceplex while the Caps were playing the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena though it’s unclear how close he is to returning.
Stevenson has a 18-8-4 record along with a 2.94 goals-against average, an .888 save percentage, and two shutouts in 33 appearances for the Bears this season,. While he’s spent time with the Capitals during the regular season before, the 26-year-old netminder has never made his NHL debut.
The Capitals conclude their 2024-25 slate on the road with games against the New York Islanders on Tuesday and Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. The playoffs begin this weekend.
“Imagine Clay maybe gets the nod either Tuesday on Long Island or Thursday in Pittsburgh,” Zack Fisch, the voice of the Hershey Bears, said on X.
Here’s the full press release from the Washington Capitals:
Capitals Recall Clay Stevenson
Hunter Shepard loaned to Hershey
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Clay Stevenson from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today. In addition, the Capitals have loaned goaltender Hunter Shepard to Hershey.
Stevenson, 26, has posted an 18-8-4 record with a 2.94 goals-against average, an .888 save percentage and two shutouts in 33 games with Hershey this season. The 6’4”, 195-pound goaltender ranks tied for fourth in the AHL in wins among goalies with fewer than 35 games played.
During his first full AHL season in 2023-24, Stevenson posted a record of 24-10-2 with a 2.06 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage and seven shutouts in 36 games with Hershey. Stevenson’s seven shutouts led the AHL and tied the Bears’ single-season shutout record. Stevenson, who represented Hershey at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic, ranked second in the AHL in goals-against average and third in save percentage. Stevenson and Shepard were the recipients of the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award, presented to the goaltending duo that allows the fewest goals per game during the AHL’s regular season. Stevenson also appeared in two Calder Cup Playoff games, stopping nine of 10 shots against.
Stevenson appeared in 36 games for the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) in 2022-23, posting a record of 19-12-3 with a 2.54 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and three shutouts. In addition, Stevenson had a 2-1-2 record with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in five Kelly Cup Playoff games. The Drayton Valley, Alberta native also appeared in three games with Hershey in 2022-23, going 3-0-0 with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. In 72 career AHL games with Hershey, Stevenson has a record of 45-18-6 with a 2.44 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage and nine shutouts.
The Capitals initially signed Stevenson to a two-year entry-level contract on March 28, 2022, following his sophomore season at Dartmouth College (NCAA). Stevenson earned six of Dartmouth’s seven wins during the 2021-22 season, leading the Big Green in wins, save percentage (.922), goals-against average (2.70) and shutouts (2). Stevenson posted a save percentage above .900 in all 23 games he played and his .922 save percentage was tied for second in the ECAC. Stevenson, who won the Phelan Award as Dartmouth’s MVP, was named to the 2021-22 All-Ivy First Team, the ECAC All-Rookie Team and the ECAC Third All-Star Team.
Shepard, a two-time Calder Cup champion, has a record of 22-11-3 with a 2.81 goals-against average, an .891 save percentage and three shutouts in 37 games with Hershey this season. The 6’0”, 219-pound goaltender ranks tied for sixth in the AHL in wins.
