Hunter Shepard: 2024 Annual Review and Forecast


Next up in our annual prospect review and forecast series is Hunter Shepard, goaltender for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). (You can access all of our Capitals Prospect Reports and player analysis on our “Prospects” page in the top menu or right here.)

VITALS

Shepard, 28, is a 6’-1” netminder from Cohasset, Minnesota. He signed a tw0-year, $750,000 AAV contract with the Capitals on July 28, 2021 and was an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season. He re-signed to a two-year, two-way contract with the Capitals on July 1, 2023 and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season.

CAREER SUMMARY

Before his collegiate career, Shepard appeared in 81 games with the Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) from 2014-15 through 2015-16. In 2015-16, Shepard earned North American Hockey League Goaltender of the Year honors, was named to the First All-Star Team, and led the NAHL in games played (50), wins (34), and shutouts (8), while ranking second in goals against average (1.90).

Shepard spent four years with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in the NCAA. In 119 games with the team, which included an NCAA-record 115 straight games from Oct. 21, 2017 to March 7, 2020, Shepard finished with a 76-37-5 record, ranking first all-time in Bulldogs history in wins, goals-against average (1.94), save percentage (.922) and shutouts (17).

Shepard won back-to-back NCAA Championships with the Bulldogs in 2018 and 2019, was twice named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Goaltender of the Year (2019 and 2020), earned First-Team All-American honors in 2019 and Second-Team All-American honors in 2020. Shepard finished his NCAA career as a three-time Mike Richter Award Finalist, given to the NCAA’s top goaltender, and a three-time All-NCHC selection.

Shepard appeared in three games with the Hershey Bears in the 2020-21 season, finishing with a 3-0-0 record with one shutout, a 1.00 goals-against average, and a .969 save percentage. Additionally, he played in 21 games with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL, earning a 12-6-2 record with one shutout, a 2.55 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage. He earned Goaltender of the Week honors with South Carolina for May 24-30, after going 3-0-0 with a shutout, a 1.33 goals-against average, and a .952 save percentage.

During the 2021-22 season, Shepard spent most of his time with the South Carolina Stingrays. He garnered a 2.88 goals against average and a .917 save percentage in 23 games played with the Stingrays.

Shepard also played in nine games with the Bears, earning a 2.06 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. He was also recalled by the Capitals but played in no games. He was reassigned to the Capitals taxi squad on January 6, and returned to Hershey on February 2. The Capitals recalled him in May as a third goaltender for the postseason.

The 2022-23 season was Shepard’s best as a professional so far. Shepard finished the regular season 20-8-5 with a 2.18 goals against average (2nd in AHL) and a .916 save percentage (7th in the AHL). He became the Bears number-one netminder early in the season and there was no question who the Bears would go to in the postseason. Shepard finished the postseason 14-6 with a 2.27 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. Shepard was awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy for the Calder Cup series Most Valuable Player. Shepard was called up for two weeks in December but did not see any game action.

The 2023-24 season was an even better season for Shepard. He finished the regular season with a record of 27-4-3-5 in 34 games. His goals-against average was 1.76 and his save percentage was .929, both leading the AHL.  He had 5 shutouts which was tied for third place in the league. Given that he ended the regular season so well, there was no question that he would be the Bears primary goaltender for postseason. His postseason record was 14-6, with three shutouts. His goals-against average was 2.48 while his save percentage was .910. The 2024 playoffs were likely tougher than the 2023 playoffs for him since so many defensemen got injured during the Eastern Conference Finals and remained out during the Calder Cup Finals.

He was called up to the Capitals in October and made his debut against the New Jersey Devils on October 25 but returned to Hershey soon afterward but was called up to Washington again on other occasions. He played in 4 games with the Capitals, posting a record of 3-1, a goals-against average of 3.19, and a save percentage of .894.

2023-2024 MONTH-BY-MONTH RECAP AND TREND ANALYSIS

The following is a compilation of our month-by-month prospect reports for Hunter Shepard during the 2023-2024 season. You can find all our monthly prospect reports on our “Prospects” page in the top menu.

OCTOBER

The season did not begin as Shepard hoped. He missed the first two games of the season with an illness. The Minnesota-Duluth alum returned to action at Providence on October 20. It did not begin well as the Bruins scored on their first shot on goal. The Coleraine, Minnesota native settled in and stopped 14 of the last 15 shots he faced en route to a 3-2 victory. Shepard was back in net against Providence the next day. He surrendered four goals but was significantly busier than in the game before, as he saw 26 shots in the second and third periods. The reigning Calder Cup playoff Most Valuable Player saved 23 of those shots. The Bruins scored three times in the third and two of those tallies came off rebounds. Shepard kicked out a big rebound into the slot that Fabian Lysell put home for the second Providence goal. The third Providence goal also came after Shepard left a rebound from a Georgi Merkulov shot. He denied two attempts in the shootout to help the Bears win 5-4.

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With a pair of games under his belt, the Minnesotan was recalled to Washington and made his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils on October 25. He made 18 saves in a 6-4 Washington win. Shepard was strong in the first and third periods but gave up four goals in the second period where the Capitals fell apart. He returned to Hershey and played against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on October 29. Shepard was his old self in this contest. The two-time national champion at Minnesota Duluth was much sharper than his previous two starts. His rebound control was better. Shepard turned aside 24 of the 25 shots he faced in a 6-1 Hershey triumph. The lone goal he gave up came after he made two saves. In three appearances, Shepard is 3-0 and has a 2.27 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.

NOVEMBER

The Minnesota-Duluth alum started seven games during November. Shepard won six times, including his last five starts. He was in net for the three wildest games during the month. The Coleraine, Minnesota native stopped 17 of 21 shots in a wild 5-4 overtime win in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Two nights later, the netminder turned aside 31 shots as the Bears held on for a 5-4 triumph over Bridgeport.

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Hershey led 5-1, before getting complacent and leaving Shepard out to dry in the third. Shepard gave up five goals in a 7-5 win versus the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on November 29. Three of the goals were off of redirections. He also denied three Penguin breakaways. The two-time National Champion at Minnesota Duluth produced his two best games of the month on November 22 and November 25. Shepard made nine first-period saves in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on the 22nd and finished with 22 saves as Hershey prevailed 2-1. Against the Iowa Wild on the 25th, the chocolate and white were slow out of the gates and the netminder held his team in the game until the Bears found their legs. He pushed away 11 second-period shots for the Wild and wound up with 25 saves.

DECEMBER

Shepard lost his first start of December but then rattled off five straight victories to close out 2023. He surrendered two goals or less in four of his last five starts and he made a season-high 34 saves in the one start that he gave up three goals.

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Shepard recorded his first shutout of the season in a 1-0 win over Springfield on December 17. While the Minnesota-Duluth alum only made 18 saves in earning the shutout, several of those stops were on high-end chances. In Springfield on December 22, he made 14 saves in a third period where the Bears were outplayed and then made three more stops in overtime to finish with a season-best 34 saves. This does not include the three saves he made in the shootout. Shepard was recalled to Washington on December 30 after an injury sidelined Charlie Lindgren. The reigning Calder Cup playoff MVP got the start against the Nashville Predators on the 30th. He made 34 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss.

JANUARY

Shepard has started 20 games this season for the Bears. He has won 17 of those contests and earned a point in another. That means Hershey has taken 35 of the 40 available points when Shepard is between the pipes. In January, the Minnesota Duluth alum got the call four times and went 3-0-0-1, dropping a shootout in Lehigh Valley on January 13. Shepard stopped 19 of 20 over the final 40 minutes in Hartford on January 19, only surrendering a power-play goal with under a second left in the third. In his next outing, the reigning Calder Cup playoff MVP delivered one of his best performances of the campaign. The Bears were outshot 22 to 12 by Springfield over the first two periods but held a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes because Shepard was on his game. He turned aside 11 shots in each period to allow his team to hold an advantage. The netminder made 11 more saves in the third period with only Mathias Laferriere beating him. The 33 saves were the second most Shepard made in a game this season and he was named the game’s number one star.

FEBRUARY

The reigning Calder Cup playoff Most Valuable Player was in his playoff form in February. In five starts, Shepard did not surrender more than two goals in any appearance. He kicked the month off by making 25 saves in a 4-0 blanking of the Bridgeport Islanders on February 3. It was the netminder’s second shutout of the season. The two-time national champion at Minnesota Duluth was victorious in his next two starts on the road in Providence and Toronto to run his winning streak to six. Shepard dropped his next start in a shootout in Laval on February 23. In that game, he made 10 saves in the first period. The Coleraine, Minnesota native rebounded to win his final start of the month on February 24. He turned aside 24 of 25 shots in a 2-1 victory over Rochester. He was especially busy in the first period as the Bears were thoroughly outplayed, being outshot 11 to 3. Shepard kept his team in the game by only giving up one goal. The netminder has 21 wins for the season and became the first Bear goalie to win 20 games in consecutive seasons since Frederic Cassivi accomplished the feat during the 2006-07 and 2008-08 seasons.

MARCH

Stellar. That is the way to describe Shepard’s play in March. The netminder went 3-1-0-1 in five starts. He surrendered two goals or less in four of those starts and recorded two shutouts in the month to run his season total to four. The Minnesota Duluth alum was the hard-luck loser in his first appearance of March. He stopped 24 of 25 shots, but the Bears mustered no offense and lost 1-0 to Utica. After spending time in Washington, Shepard came back and fell to Utica again, giving up three goals in a 4-3 shootout loss. In that game, he turned aside 12 second-period shots to allow his team to hold a lead after 40 minutes. The rest of the month saw the Coleraine, Minnesota native become a brick wall and barely give up any goals. Shepard earned his first shutout of March against Hartford on March 17. He denied all 26 shots he saw, including 16 over the last two periods. The reigning Calder Cup MVP came back in his next start and blanked the Cleveland Monsters on March 23, making 23 saves. The lone shot that got by Shepard in his final three starts of the month came from Hartford’s Brennan Othmann on the power play on March 30 and that shot deflected off the skate of defenseman Jake Massie. The Minnesotan had 15 saves in the first period in that contest.

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APRIL

Shepard had another stellar month in April. He went 3-1-0 in four starts. He had a shutout on April 2 against Lehigh Valley as the Bears won 1-0 as he made 19 saves. He was selected as the second star of the game. He gave up just one goal in games against Lehigh Valley on April 12 and Wilkes-Barre on April 14, both won by identical 4-1 scores. He made 24 saves out of 25 shots against Lehigh Valley and 23 saves out of 24 shots against Wilkes-Barre.  His last start of the month was a 4-1 loss against the Charlotte Checkers. He had made 27 saves on 29 shots and since the Bears were down 2-1, he was pulled in favor of an extra attacker. Charlotte scored two empty net goals to ensure their 4-1 win. He was voted as the second star in the game despite the loss.

He finished the regular season with a record of 27-4-3-5 in 34 games. His goals-against average was 1.76 and his save percentage was .929, both leading the AHL.  His performance allowed him to be awarded the Aldege ‘Baz’ Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding goaltender. He and Clay Stevenson, together, won the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award that gets awarded to the goaltenders on the team that allowed the fewest goals per game.

POSTSEASON

As he ended the season so well in both March and April, there was no question that he would be the Bears’ number-one goaltender for the postseason. His postseason record was 14-6, with three shutouts. His goals-against average was 2.48 while his save percentage was .910. The 2024 playoffs were likely tougher than the 2023 playoffs for him since so many defensemen got injured during the Eastern Conference Finals and remained out during the Calder Cup Finals.

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PLAYER FORECAST

Given that the Capitals signed Logan Thompson to join Charlie Lindgren as part of the goaltending tandem, Shepard will likely remain in Hershey for 2024-25. However, he will likely be called up if somebody is injured.

While he is relatively old for a prospect, he seems to be a classic late bloomer with very low mileage on his body. He had won championships at multiple levels, most recently back-to-back championships with the Hershey Bears.

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