The Capitals will see Hunter Shepard make his NHL debut on Wednesday with Charlie Lindgren still hurting.
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals made another roster move ahead of a busy week of action, bringing up goaltender Hunter Shepard from the AHL's Hershey Bears and reassigning Clay Stevenson with Charlie Lindgren still on the injured reserve. And for Shepard, this recall will feature his first NHL start.
Head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed to reporters that Shepard, who was ailing to start the season but is now 100 percent, will get the nod for Wednesday's game against the New Jersey Devils with Darcy Kuemper taking the first half of the back-to-back on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The bench boss also praised the Minnesota Duluth alum for his resilience.
"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," Carbery said, adding, "I'm excited for him... It's well-deserved and well-earned."
Prior to signing a deal with the Capitals as an undrafted free agent, Shepard starred at the University of Minnesota-Duluth as their starting netminder and captain. He made NCAA history there with the most consecutive starts (115) from 2017 to 2020, and he also broke multiple school records while also leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2018 and 2019.
Shepard also worked as a lawn technician prior to going pro and inking a deal to join the Washington organization. He has risen up the ranks to become the Hershey Bears starter, and last season, took the No. 1 role from Zach Fucale while helping lead Hershey to the Calder Cup.
Washington faces off against Toronto at 6 p.m. on Tuesday before heading to New Jersey, where the team faces the Devils at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.