ARLINGTON, VA — Goaltender Hunter Shepard will reach a career milestone this week. With the Capitals facing a back-to-back and backup Charlie Lindgren still sidelined by injury, head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed that Shepard will make his first NHL start Wednesday night in New Jersey.
Shepard has spent the last three seasons in the Capitals organization. He currently serves as the starting goaltender for the AHL’s Hershey Bears, where he won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy this spring as the most valuable player of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Good morning from MedStar! Both Hunter Shepard and Charlie Lindgren on the ice for today’s optional skate. pic.twitter.com/PGYDzsfK1t
— Katie Adler (@katieEadler) October 24, 2023
“[Lindgren’s] misfortune is [Shepard’s] opportunity to step in and play in the NHL,” Carbery said Tuesday morning. “It’s great. He’s earned every inch of what he’s gotten in his career and he’s continued to prove people wrong at every single level. So anytime you see that from an athlete life standpoint, I feel like you pull for people like that.
“I’m excited for him to get first NHL start tomorrow night…I’m excited for him and I know it’s well deserved and well earned.”
The Capitals recalled Shepard Tuesday morning, sending Clay Stevenson back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Shepard missed the first two games of the AHL campaign with an illness before making his season debut with the Bears Friday, defending the net in back-to-back victories against the Providence Bruins.
Now, Shepard will have the opportunity to prove himself on an even bigger stage.
“For me, [Shepard] has earned that opportunity to be the number three in our organization,” Carbery said. “And so that’s just frankly the reason. The reason he wasn’t up originally was just because he wasn’t available medically. So now that he is, he’s played a couple games, he’s back to 100%, we just make that flip.”
Shepard earned the full-time starting position in Hershey over Zach Fucale last season, posting a 20-8-5 record with a 2.18 goals-against average and .916 save percentage during the regular season. He earned AHL Goaltender of the Month honors in November 2022 after going an undefeated 6-0-0 with a 1.63 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.
In the postseason, Shepard would go on to win 14 of his 20 starts, leading the Hershey Bears to their twelfth Calder Cup championship.
Shepard will be the second Capital to make his NHL debut, following Hardy Häman Aktell’s milestone game Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
