The Washington Capitals swapped goaltenders on Monday afternoon, returning Clay Stevenson to the AHL’s Hershey Bears and recalling Garin Bjorklund.

Stevenson served as Logan Thompson’s backup in the Capitals’ 2-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night. The Capitals are set to be without veteran netminder Charlie Lindgren for at least a week after he suffered an upper-body injury on the team’s recent road trip in California.

Stevenson was recalled by the Capitals, alongside forward Bogdan Trineyev, the morning before Washington’s win against Columbus. The team has likely returned him to Hershey, as the Capitals do not play another game until Thursday night, while the Bears host the Providence Bruins at Giant Center on Wednesday. While back on Hershey’s roster, the non-waivers-exempt Stevenson will not accrue time against the 30 cumulative days that would require him to clear waivers again to be sent back down.

Hershey’s current goaltending duo is now Stevenson and Mitch Gibson, who they recalled from the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays to fill the roster spot previously vacated by Stevenson. Gibson made 25 saves in a 3-2 Bears win against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday.

The 26-year-old goaltender made his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins last season and is 7-4-0 with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage for the Bears this year. The one-day recall was Stevenon’s first stint with the Caps this season.

Bjorklund, who started in Hershey’s 4-1 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday, is up with the Capitals for the first time since they drafted him in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. The Calgary native had his breakout pro season last year with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, posting a 21-4-3 record, a 2.02 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage, and one shutout.

In nine games for the Bears this season, Bjorklund is 4-4-1 with a 3.01 goals-against average, a .895 save percentage, and one shutout.

Here’s the full press release from the Capitals:

Capitals Recall Garin Bjorklund
Goaltender Clay Stevenson loaned to Hershey

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Garin Bjorklund from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) and have loaned goaltender Clay Stevenson to Hershey, senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today.

Bjorklund, 23, has a record of 4-4-1 with a 3.01 goals-against average, a .895 save percentage and one shutout in nine games played with Hershey this season.

Bjorklund posted a 21-4-3 record with a 2.02 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage and one shutout in 29 games with the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) in 2024-25. The 6’2”, 195-pound goaltender ranked second in the ECHL in goals-against average and third in save percentage, helping the Stingrays capture the Brabham Cup championship as the ECHL team with the best record in the regular season. The Grande Prairie, Alberta native also made two starts for Hershey, going 2-0-0 with a 1.49 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage. Bjorklund made his AHL debut on March 26, making 26 saves in a 4-1 win at Bridgeport. In 11 career AHL games with Hershey, Bjorklund has a 6-4-1 record with a 2.73 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and one shutout.

Bjorklund appeared in 27 games with South Carolina in 2023-24, posting a record of 14-11-1 with a 3.33 goals-against average, an .882 save percentage and one shutout. Prior to beginning his professional career with the Stingrays, Bjorklund played four seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Medicine Hat Tigers, where he recorded a 40-48-4 record with a 3.50 goals-against average and an .892 save percentage in 96 career games.

The Capitals selected Bjorklund in the sixth round (179th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Stevenson, 26, has a 7-4-0 record with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in 11 gameswith Hershey this season. Among goaltenders with at least 10 games played, Stevenson ranks eighth in the AHL in save percentage. The 6’5”, 196-pound goaltender has posted a 6-1-0 record with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage in his last seven starts, dating back to Oct. 31. In that span, Stevenson has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his seven starts.