The Hershey Bears announced they have signed goaltender Garin Bjorklund to an AHL contract for the 2026-27 season.
Bjorklund, a 2020 sixth-round pick by the Washington Capitals, was not extended a qualifying offer by the Caps last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Bjorklund, 24, saw time at all three levels of Washington’s organization last year, including a stint as Clay Stevenson’s backup with the Capitals, but primarily split his time between the AHL with the Bears and the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays.
In 17 games with the Bears, Bjorklund struggled to find his game, posting a 5-9-3 record with a 3.72 goals-against average, a .876 save percentage, and one shutout. He fared much better with the Stingrays in eight appearances, going 5-2-0 with a 2.05 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and one shutout. Bjorklund also played in nine games for South Carolina during the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Bjorklund’s re-signing with Hershey restores depth at the goaltending position in the organization; before he inked his one-year deal, the Capitals and Bears had just four goalies under contract for next season: Logan Thompson, Charlie Lindgren, Clay Stevenson, and Mitch Gibson.
The netminding situation will become even more tenuous during training camp, as the Capitals will likely be forced to place Stevenson and Gibson on waivers to get them to Hershey. Stevenson, in particular, has previously drawn interest from other NHL teams regarding a waiver claim and is coming off an impressive four-game stint with the Caps this past year, going 3-1-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.
Despite garnering trade interest, the Capitals have reportedly decided to keep Lindgren, Thompson’s backup, as the 32-year-old backstop has been deemed “too important” to Thompson’s success to deal away. Moving Lindgren would likely ensure Stevenson’s spot within the organization, as he would then become the de facto number two in DC.
