The Washington Capitals will have a new goaltending tandem for at least the next week after making several roster moves on Saturday afternoon.
Per the NHL media website, Washington has placed Charlie Lindgren on injured reserve and recalled Hunter Shepard from the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
NEWS | The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from the Hershey Bears. In addition, the Capitals have placed goaltender Charlie Lindgren on Injured Reserve (IR).#ALLCAPS | @Shift4 https://t.co/mAXPp32RG1
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 11, 2025
Lindgren was taken out of Friday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens early in the second period after a collision in his crease. The Capitals announced the 31-year-old netminder had picked up an upper-body injury and would not return.
Lindgren’s IR designation means he will have to miss at least seven days retroactive to the date of his injury. His first eligible return date will be January 18 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Washington will play three games before then against the Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks, and Ottawa Senators.
Shepard was in the middle of a two-game, back-to-back road trip for Hershey against the Charlotte Checkers. Bears head coach Todd Nelson likely had the 29-year-old backstop set to play Charlotte on Saturday night after Clay Stevenson helped lead the Bears to a 4-3 overtime win on Friday night.
Per Monumental Sports Network’s Tarik El-Bashir, this is the third straight Bears trip to Charlotte where Hunter Shepard has been recalled by the Capitals in the middle of it.
In 23 games for the Hershey this year, Shepard is 15-7-1 with a 2.68 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. The 2023 AHL playoff MVP and 2024 AHL Goaltender of the Year made four appearances for the Capitals last season, posting a 2-1-1 record with a 3.19 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.
With Logan Thompson needing to sub in for Lindgren and play most of the game against Montreal, Shepard could be in line for his first NHL start this season against the Predators.
Hershey recalled Capitals prospect Garin Bjorklund from the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays to fill Shepard’s roster spot. Bjorklund, a 2020 sixth-round draft selection, has yet to make his AHL debut but has sparkling numbers with the Stingrays this season.
In 11 ECHL games, Bjorklund is 6-3-1 with a 2.05 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage.
Additionally, goaltender Garin Bjorklund has been re-assigned to Hershey from the @SCStingrays. He has joined the team in Charlotte. pic.twitter.com/tH8urohxiB
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 11, 2025
Here’s the full press release from the Capitals:
Capitals Recall Hunter Shepard
Goaltender Charlie Lindgren placed on IR
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrickannounced today. In addition, the Capitals have placed goaltender Charlie Lindgren on Injured Reserve (IR).
Shepard, 29, has a record of 15-7-1 with a 2.68 goals-against average, an .898 save percentage and one shutout in 23 games this season. The 6’0”, 219-pound goaltender ranks third in the AHL in wins.
Shepard appeared in four games with the Capitals last season, posting a 2-1-1 record with a 3.19 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage. Shepard made his NHL debut and earned his first career win on Oct. 25, 2023 at New Jersey. On Nov. 11, 2023 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. Shepard was named to the AHL First All-Star Team after posting a record of 27-4-3 with a League-leading 1.76 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in 34 appearances with Hershey. Shepard established AHL single-season career highs in games played, wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts (5) and was awarded the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding goaltender for the 2023-24 season. In addition, Shepard’s .838 win percentage in the regular season was the highest in Hershey franchise history and the second-highest in AHL history. Shepard backstopped Hershey to their second-straight Calder Cup championship, posting a record of 14-6 with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
During the 2022-23 season, Shepard appeared in 33 games with Hershey, posting a record of 20-8-5 with a 2.18 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and one shutout. Shepard 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 102 career AHL games with Hershey, Shepard has a record of 70-22-9 with a 2.10 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and nine 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.
