The Washington Capitals will see Cal Petersen between the pipes for the AHL's Hershey Bears this season, as the veteran netminder signed a one-year contract with the team following his professional tryout with D.C.
Petersen replaces Clay Stevenson, who was claimed off waivers by the Winnipeg Jets on Monday following four years in the Capitals organization. It gives the Bears an experienced starter and someone who can be a mentor to young rising goaltenders in Mitch Gibson and Garin Bjorklund.
In 33 games with the Iowa Wild last season, Petersen posted a 13-16-2 record with a .896 save percentage, and in 248 career AHL games betweenn the Ontario Reign, Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Iowa, he has a .901 save percentage. He's also appeared in 106 NHL games, where he registered a 46-44-10 record with a .903 save percentage.
After hitting the market this summer, Petersen was in a bit of a tough position with little to no openings around the league, ultimately leading to him signing a tryout with Washington to see where things went.
"It was just kind of obviously a unique situation," Petersen said. "I was kind of looking for a spot to try and get into a camp... I had heard a lot of really good things about the organization and felt like it was at least an opportunity to get my foot in the door and be able to try and land a job and compete."
Now, he not only starts a new chapter with the Bears, but gives the organization some much-needed depth.
