Todd Nelson promised changes after the Hershey Bears fell to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4-2 in Game 3 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals, giving their geographic rival a 2-1 lead in the best-of-5 series.
Now, with the team facing elimination in Game 4, the Bears’ head coach is putting his money where his mouth is, making several notable changes to his lineup.
Nelson’s biggest move is giving goaltender Clay Stevenson his first career playoff start in net for Hershey.
Hunter Shepard exits the crease after making 43 consecutive postseason starts for the club. The netminder led the Bears to back-to-back Calder Cup championships, earning AHL Playoffs MVP honors in 2023 and was the league’s best regular-season goaltender in 2023-24.
Shepard began the 2025 postseason with a 26-save shutout in Game 1 at Giant Center, but in his last two games, he has given up 7 goals combined and posted a .829 save percentage.
Pregame, Nelson explained his decision to Zack Fisch, saying that Stevenson is 8-3-1 against the Phantoms in his career, with six of those wins on the road at PPL Center.
Stevenson has been Shepard’s full-time backup the last two seasons. His best year came in 2023-24, where he cemented himself as an intriguing prospect in the Washington Capitals’ system, finishing the year with a 24-10-2 record and posting a 2.06 goals against average, .922 save percentage, and seven shutouts.
Stevenson recently made his first NHL start for the Capitals on April 17, taking a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the final game of the regular season.
“I thought he was fantastic all night,” Caps head coach Spencer Carbery said. “Just laid it on the line for us. First start, to be put in that situation and playing that game, he was really, really proud of the way that he fought and how he competed and how he played. He was fantastic.”
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound goaltender is signed through the 2026-27 season, where he’ll then become an unrestricted free agent.
Other lineup changes include Nelson going with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. Garrett Roe was inserted into the lineup for Mike Sgarbossa, who was healthy-scratched. After watching Lehigh Valley score three different shorthanded goals, Nelson gave veteran defenseman Brad Hunt a jersey to help the team on the power play. Third-line center Henrik Rybinski also remained unavailable due to injury.
Hershey Bears lineup for Game 4
Update: Stevenson won his first career AHL playoffs start 6-4.
