With a big question mark in their crease heading into Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, the Washington Capitals turned to the AHL’s Hershey Bears for reinforcements.
The Capitals recalled goaltender Mitch Gibson from the Bears after Logan Thompson missed Friday’s practice with a lower-body injury. Caps head coach Spencer Carbery said post-skate that Thompson remains out day-to-day and his status for Saturday’s game was still up in the air.
With the team likely to activate Pierre-Luc Dubois from injured reserve for the game against Buffalo, they also placed defenseman Vincent Desharnais on IR to free up a roster spot for Gibson. Desharnais is set to miss the next 4 to 6 weeks after undergoing an appendectomy this week.
Gibson’s recall comes after an uneven start to his season in Hershey. In his first start against the Texas Stars, the 27-year-old backstop made 24 saves on 25 shots faced in a blowout 6-1 win for the Bears. He struggled in his second start against the Providence Bruins this past weekend, allowing six goals on 34 shots in a 6-1 loss.
The 2018 fourth-round pick has yet to make his on-ice NHL debut but previously served as a backup with the Capitals. Last season, Gibson made 23 appearances for the Bears, posting a 9-9-5 record with a 2.94 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage, and one shutout.
Gibson signed a two-year, two-way extension with the Capitals last February. The Bears have already filled his roster spot in Hershey by recalling Garin Bjorklund from South Carolina.
Here’s the Capitals’ full press release:
Capitals Recall Mitch Gibson
Defenseman Vincent Desharnais placed on IR
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Mitch Gibson from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today. In addition, the Capitals have placed defenseman Vincent Desharnais on Injured Reserve (IR).
Gibson, 27, has a 1-1-0 record with a 3.50 goals-against average and an .881 save percentage in two games with Hershey this season.
The 6’2”, 205-pound goaltender posted a 9-9-3 record with a 2.94 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and one shutout in 23 games with the Bears last season. Gibson, a native of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, recorded 30 or more saves in nine of his 23 appearances, including a 36-save shutout win vs. Charlotte on Dec. 13, 2025. Gibson also appeared in 13 games with the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) in 2025-26, going 8-5-0 with a 2.32 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and one shutout.
During the 2024-25 season, Gibson went 12-1-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average, a .933 save percentage and one shutout in 14 games with South Carolina. Gibson ranked first in the ECHL in goals-against average and second in save percentage among goaltenders with at least 10 games played. In his lone AHL start of 2024-25, Gibson made 26 saves in a 6-2 win at Springfield on Oct. 26, 2024.
Gibson made 42 appearances with South Carolina in 2023-24, posting a 22-14-3 record with a 2.56 goals-against average, an .899 save percentage and three shutouts. Gibson’s 2.56 goals-against average ranked third among ECHL goaltenders with 40 or more games played. Gibson also played two games with Hershey, going 2-0-0 with a 1.92 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
Gibson has a 13-10-3 record with a 2.87 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and one shutout in 28 career AHL games with Hershey. In 69 career ECHL games with South Carolina, Gibson has posted a record of 42-20-3 with a 2.36 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage and four shutouts.
Gibson played collegiately at Harvard University, where he posted a record of 47-25-6 with six shutouts, a 2.32 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in 80 games over three seasons.
