Washington Capitals Bring Back Goalie Hunter Shepard

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have summoned goaltender Hunter Shepard from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), as announced by senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick today. Additionally, goaltender Charlie Lindgren has been placed on Injured Reserve (IR).

Shepard, age 29, has recorded 15 wins, 7 losses, and 1 overtime loss, alongside a 2.68 goals-against average, an .898 save percentage, and one shutout across 23 games this season. The 6’0”, 219-pound netminder ranks third in the AHL for victories.

Last season, Shepard participated in four games with the Capitals, achieving a 2-1-1 record, with a 3.19 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage. He made his NHL debut and secured his first-ever win on Oct. 25, 2023, against New Jersey. On Nov. 11, 2023, he faced 37 shots against the New York Islanders, saving 36 and earning the game’s First Star in a 4-1 victory for Washington. Shepard was selected to the AHL First All-Star Team after amassing a record of 27-4-3, leading the League with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage in 34 games with Hershey. He achieved personal bests in AHL single-season records for games played, wins, goals-against average, save percentage, and shutouts (5) and received the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s top goaltender for the 2023-24 season. Furthermore, Shepard’s .838 win percentage during the regular season was the highest in Hershey franchise history and the second-highest in AHL history. He led Hershey to their consecutive Calder Cup championship with a record of 14-6, maintaining a 2.49 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

Throughout the 2022-23 season, Shepard took part in 33 games with Hershey, achieving a record of 20-8-5 complemented by a 2.18 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage, and one shutout. He ranked second among AHL goaltenders in goals-against average and was tied for sixth in save percentage. Awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs, Shepard started all 20 playoff games for the Bears, securing a record of 14-6 along with a 2.27 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage, and three shutouts, leading the franchise to its league-record 12th championship. Over the course of 102 career AHL games with Hershey, he holds a record of 70-22-9, a 2.10 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage, and nine shutouts.

A local of Cohasset, Minnesota, Shepard captured consecutive NCAA Championships with Minnesota-Duluth in 2018 and 2019. He was recognized as the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Goaltender of the Year twice (2019 and 2020) and earned First-Team All-American honors in 2019, as well as Second-Team All-American accolades in 2020. During his time at Minnesota-Duluth, Shepard established an NCAA record by starting 115 consecutive games from Oct. 21, 2017, to March 7, 2020. He wrapped up his NCAA career as a three-time Mike Richter Award Finalist – awarded to the top goaltender in the NCAA – and a three-time All-NCHC selection.