The Washington Capitals know that if they need to be calling upon Hunter Shepard, they will be calling up a winner. He backstopped the Hershey Bears to consecutive AHL Calder Cup titles in 2022-23 and 2023-24, posting nearly identical postseason performances.

In both springs, he was 14-6. Shepard’s save percentage was .914 in 2023 and .910 in 2024. His GAA was 2.27 in 2023 and 2.49 in 2024. The one main difference was that he didn’t post a single shutout in the 2024 playoffs after hanging up three goose eggs during the 2023 Calder Cup run. He won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the AHL playoff MVP in 2023.

Shepard was absolutely phenomenal during the 2023-24 AHL regular season. He posted a 1.76 GAA, .929 save percentage and five shutouts while going 27-4-3. He went 9-1 over the last 10 games of the Calder Cup playoffs. He led the AHL in GAA and save percentage, earning recognition as the AHL First All-Star Team netminder. His 1.76 GAA shattered the club single-season mark that Alfie Moore (1.91) had held since 1938-39.

Shepard saw his first NHL action during the 2023-24 season. He would go 2-1-1 in four starts for Washington with a 3.19 GAA and .894 save percentage. Making his first NHL start on October 25, 2023, Shepard made 18 saves during a 6-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils. He stopped 36 shots in beating the New York Islanders 4-1 on November 11, 2023.

Shepard was named to the NAHL First All-Star Team in 2015-16 while playing for the Bismarck Bobcats. Moving into the college ranks at Minnesota-Duluth, he was also a two-time champion here. The Bulldogs won the NCAA Frozen Four in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Shepard became the first netminder in a half century to backstop his club to consecutive NCAA titles. He was chosen to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team in 2019. He led the nation with 29 victories during the 2018-19 NCAA season while posting a school-record 1.76 GAA, shattering the previous mark of 1.91 he established in 2017-18. His 17 career shutouts are a UMD record, as are his 76 victories.

Shepard was named to the NCHC First All-Star Team in 2019 and 2020. As well, Shepard was selected to the NCAA (West) First All-American Team in 2019 and the NCAA (West) Second All-American Team in 2020. He was named to the NCAA Midwest Regional and NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Teams in 2019.

The Capitals signed Shepard as an undrafted free agent on July 28, 2021.