Hunter Shepard Earns Win in NHL Debut

October 25, 2023

Goaltender Hunter Shepard, recalled from the Hershey Bears on Tuesday, October 24, made his National Hockey League debut Wednesday, starting in net for the Washington Capitals in a 6-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. He stopped 18-of-22 shots.

Shepard is the 65th Bears player to make his NHL debut with Washington since the two teams entered into an affiliation agreement prior to the 2005-06 season. He is the second Bear to debut with Washington this season, joining Hardy Haman Aktell, who skated in his inaugural NHL game  on Oct. 21 at Montreal. Shepard is the first Hershey goaltender to debut with Washington since Zach Fucale on Nov. 11, 2021 at Detroit. 

Shepard, 27, has posted a record of 2-0-0 with a 2.88 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage in two games with Hershey this season. 

The native of Cohasset, Minnesota went 20-8-5 in 33 games for Hershey in 2022-23, owning a 2.18 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage, and collecting one shutout. He ranked second among AHL goaltenders in goals-against average and tied for sixth in save percentage. Shepard was named the AHL Goaltender of the Month in Nov. 2022 after registering a 6-0-0 record with a 1.63 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. 

In the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, Shepard started all 20 of Hershey's games, collecting a 14-6 record with a 2.27 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage, and three shutouts. He made 45 saves in Hershey's Game 7 overtime victory to claim the Calder Cup at Coachella Valley, and he was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs.

In 47 career AHL games with Hershey, Shepard has a record of 30-11-5-3 with a 2.11 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage, and three shutouts. He has appeared in 44 career ECHL games with the South Carolina Stingrays, going 24-15-4 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. He led South Carolina to the 2021 Kelly Cup Finals in his first season in professional hockey. 
 

Shepard originally signed an AHL contract with the Bears on Jun. 30, 2020 after a prolific college career at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 2018 and 2019, and the netminder started an NCAA-record 115 straight games from Oct. 21, 2017 to Mar. 7, 2020 and was a Two-Time All-American.