Hunter Shepard Reflects On Journey With Capitals Organization, What's Next & Not Taking Anything For Granted
The 29-year-old netminder could move on this summer, but spoke highly of his time within the Capitals organization.
Back in his NAHL days, Hunter Shepard was lost, unsure of where his journey with hockey would continue. He didn’t have a scholarship offer, nor did he attract a lot of attention from pro teams. Fast forward to now, and he’s a two-time Calder Cup champion who appears set to move on to the next chapter after five years with the Washington Capitals organization.
So, looking back, he couldn’t be happier with how his tenure played out.
“It’s kind of changed my life a little bit,” Shepard said of the road he’s been on. “Just the opportunity to get to play some games in the NHL and get to play a lot of games here, especially the playoff games… I don’t take that for granted at all.”
Shepard, who signed his first NHL deal with Washington in 2021, just finished his fifth year in the organization. With Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren making up the goaltending duo in the NHL, he appeared in just one NHL game, posting a rough .731 save percentage.
The 29-year-old split the net with rising prospect Clay Stevenson in Hershey and appeared in 39 regular-season games with the Bears, recording a .891 save percentage. He was the team’s go-to guy in net for the playoffs, but fell short of a three-peat, and finished his run with a .893 save percentage in seven games.
His numbers were a far cry from the .929 save percentage he had the year prior, and he noted that the 2024-25 campaign as a whole wasn’t the way he drew it up.
“It’s really hard to replicate having a really good season playing goalie nowadays. two years, three years in a row,” Shepard said. “Obviously, this year is not really how I wanted it to go.
“It’s a team game. I don’t care who you are, whether you’re a player, a goalie or a coach. That’s why hockey’s such a special sport; you can’t do it by yourself. It’s such a team-dependent game,” he added. “You can’t hide out there.”
Shepard will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and though he certainly could still put pen to paper, the way he approached exit day seemed like he was closing the book on his tenure. That said, he’s relished every minute of what once seemed like an unlikely pro journey.
“I’ve been here for parts of the last five years, and just going hunting or fishing with (Josh Carter) on the off days and little things like that stuff away from the rink that I’ll miss for sure,” Shepard said. “I love living here, love playing here. Not a big guy on change, I love being here. That’s why I came back after we won the first one. Not a lot of better places to play or live than Hershey.”
