The AHL’s Hershey Bears will be without their starting netminder, Clay Stevenson, for an undetermined amount of time during the NHL’s break for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Due to CBA restrictions, the Washington Capitals must have two goaltenders on their roster at all times, even through there’s a pause in play. With Charlie Lindgren still on injured reserve, that means Stevenson must remain with the Capitals even as the Bears continue AHL action over the next three weeks.
The Bears have seven games on their schedule between now and when the NHL schedule resumes. For now, they have goaltenders Garin Bjorklund and Mitch Gibson patrolling their crease, but the Capitals could eventually elect to recall Bjorklund so that they can assign Stevenson to the Bears.
Per CBA, teams must carry two goaltenders on the active roster at all times, including during the Olympic break. With Charlie Lindgren on IR, Clay Stevenson will remain on the Capitals’ roster with Logan Thompson. At some point during the Olympic break, @Capitals could elect to assign Stevenson to @TheHersheyBears and recall Garin Bjorklund.
Stevenson would not need to clear waivers to be sent back down, as he has not played in 10 or more cumulative NHL Games, or been on Washington’s roster for 30 cumulative days since he last cleared waivers. While no trades are permitted during the break, loans to the AHL are allowed for most waiver-exempt players.
In 24 games for the Bears this season, Stevenson is 11-8-3 with a 2.57 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. He was recalled by the Capitals on January 29 after Logan Thompson suffered an upper-body injury against the Seattle Kraken.
Bjorklund also spent some recent time with the Capitals after Lindgren was injured in the team’s January 29 game against the Detroit Red Wings. With their two top goalies in DC, the Bears turned to Capitals draft pick Mitch Gibson to man their cage. Gibson has been great in the AHL this year, posting a 5-3-2 record with a 2.47 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage, and one shutout.
The Bears currently sit fourth in the AHL’s Atlantic Division with their 20-16-7 record. They must finish within the top six of their division to qualify for the playoffs. Hershey’s next game comes on Saturday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
