Hunter Shepard appears set to make his first venture in pro hockey outside of North America.
According to the Russian outlet Sila Sporta, Shepard is close to signing a one-year contract with KHL club Barys Astana. The 30-year-old netminder is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The 2025-26 season was Shepard’s first outside of the Washington Capitals’ organization since he turned pro during the 2020-21 campaign. He spent the year split between the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens after a March trade.
Shepard played the majority of the season in the AHL with the Belleville Senators and Laval Rocket. He did get into one NHL game with Ottawa, coming on in relief of Leevi Merilainen during a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on January 5. Shepard stopped 10 of the 12 shots he faced in the defeat.
While with the Capitals, Shepard got into five NHL games, going 2-2-1 with a 3.94 goals-against average and a .866 save percentage. He was the primary starter for the AHL’s Hershey Bears in their back-to-back Calder Cup championship victories, winning Playoff MVP honors in 2023 and AHL Goaltender of the Year in 2024.
If he does complete a move to Barys Astana, Shepard, who will likely be the team’s starting netminder, will be reunited with several familiar faces from his time in Hershey. Five former Bears are already on the club’s roster for the 2026-27 season including Logan Day, Jake Massie, Chase Priskie, Mason Morelli, and Garrett Pilon.
Update (7/23): Barys has made Shepard’s contract official.
