The Hershey Bears are set to have their two stellar goaltenders back for the 2024-25 season. Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson are both set to play goal after setting team history and winning the Calder Cup. The organization has set the Bears up well to attempt for a three-peat attempt when the puck drops in the fall.
Bears Staying Put
Hershey’s NHL affiliate in Washington added a goaltender over the summer. The Capitals filled their goaltending void by trading for Logan Thompson at the draft. It sets the stage for the Capitals to ice Thompson and Charlie Lindgren as their tandem to start the season. That would leave the tandem in Hershey the same after Darcy Kuemper’s trade left a void in the Washington crease. It sets the stage for one more year of Shepard and Stevenson in Chocolate and White.
Washington’s goaltending stable is a deep one, with six players under contract. The organization has another up-and-coming goalie in Mitch Gibson, who the team just extended in free agency. With a full professional season under his belt, Gibson will be a candidate for more time in the Hershey crease.
Organizational Wealth
Gibson’s situation mirrors that of Thompson’s just a few years ago in Hershey. Thompson signed an AHL contract with the Bears for the 2019-20 season, but unfortunately didn’t play more than one preseason game. He spent the duration of the year in South Carolina and eventually departed for the Vegas organization. Thompson eventually graduated to the NHL with the Golden Knights, lifting the Stanley Cup in 2023.
There’s always the potential for a goaltender to step up and earn a spot in the NHL. The Washington organization is a challenging one to graduate to, even after winning a Calder Cup. Most players need to beat someone else to earn a spot with the Capitals, which has contributed to Hershey’s success. The organization is well-stocked in the event of an injury with a wealth of options across the board.
Gibson will get his chance in Hershey soon enough. He impressed in two games with the Bears including earning the win on Teddy Bear Toss Night. The first-year pro only allowed two goals in each of his two starts, making 43 saves in total. It’s not a far cry from Shepard, who had to wait his turn to get a regular spot in Hershey from his first appearance. Gibson was even credited with a goalie goal during the regular season, something that’s never happened in Bears history.
Resetting the Record Book
Shepard and Stevenson made for a dynamic duo in goal in 2023-24. The pair set the record for shutouts in a season by a Bears tandem with 12, the most in franchise history. Their stats sat at one and two in the league with Shepard taking the slight edge. Stevenson earned the AHL All-Star appearance for the Bears back in February. They even won the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award for allowing the fewest goals in the regular season. Shepard made a key save in the overtime in Game Six preceding the Matt Strome Calder Cup winner.
Having the depth of goaltending is a huge boost for the Bears. Hershey will be attempting to win the Calder Cup for three straight seasons. It’s a feat that’s not been accomplished since the 1960s when the Springfield Indians accomplished it. The Bears have never had a threepeat before in their illustrious history and have a chance to roar for even more in 2025.
