The Washington Capitals announced on Saturday night that they have recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard hours before their matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights. The recall comes after Charlie Lindgren did not take the team’s morning skate for “body maintenance” reasons.
Shepard arrives on a Capitals team in the middle of a five-game road trip out west. The 28-year-old netminder was on a road trip of his own with the Hershey Bears in Charlotte before his recall.
NEWS | The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from the Hershey Bears. https://t.co/8TXZRKXiZI
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 3, 2023
Shepard has been up with the Capitals already this season, grabbing his first two career NHL starts. He won both of them, posting a 2.50 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage during two separate call-ups. After winning his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils on October 25, Shepard stopped 36 of 37 shots in Washington’s 4-1 win over the New York Islanders on November 11.
Shepard was the AHL’s Playoff MVP last spring after posting a 14-6 record with a 2.27 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and three shutouts during the Bears’ Calder Cup championship run.
On the league-leading Bears this season, he has posted a 9-1 record with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. The Bears are currently playing the Charlotte Checkers as they try to extend their winning streak to nine games. Clay Stevenson is making his second start in as many nights for Hershey.
The Bears called up goaltender Mitch Gibson from the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays to back Stevenson up.
Here’s the press release on Shepard’s recall:
Capitals Recall Hunter Shepard
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.
Shepard made his NHL debut and earned his first career win on Oct. 25 at New Jersey. On Nov. 11 against the New York Islanders, Shepard stopped 36 of 37 shots and was named the game’s First Star in a 4-1 Washington win. In 10 games with Hershey this season, Shepard has posted a record of 9-1-0 with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. Shepard’s nine wins rank tied for second in the AHL.
Shepard appeared in 33 games with Hershey last season, posting a record of 20-8-5 with a 2.18 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and one shutout. The 6’0″, 219-pound goaltender ranked second among AHL goaltenders in goals-against average and tied for sixth in save percentage. Shepard, who was awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs, started all 20 playoff games for the Bears, posting a 14-6 record with a 2.27 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and three shutouts en route to the franchise’s league-record 12th championship. In 55 career AHL games with Hershey, Shepard has a record of 37-12-5 with a 2.19 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and three shutouts.
A native of Cohasset, Minnesota, Shepard won back-to-back NCAA Championships with Minnesota-Duluth in 2018 and 2019. In addition, he was twice named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Goaltender of the Year (2019 and 2020) and earned First-Team All-American honors in 2019 and Second-Team All-American honors in 2020. With Minnesota-Duluth, Shepard started an NCAA-record 115 straight games from Oct. 21, 2017 to March 7, 2020. Shepard finished his NCAA career as a three-time Mike Richter Award Finalist – given to the NCAA’s top goaltender – and a three-time All-NCHC selection.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
