HERSHEY, Pa.—Washington Capitals’ prospect Clay Stevenson leads the AHL in just about every statistical category for a goaltender.

Goals against average? Check. With a 1.65, he’s the only netminder in the league under 2.00.

Save percentage? Check, again. His .939 is 10 points better than anyone else’s.

Shutouts? Check. With six, he recently set a Bears’ record for a rookie, surpassing Ron Hextall and Vitek Vanecek, and now sits one away from tying the storied franchise’s single-season mark.

Stevenson doesn’t get the attention that goal-scoring first rounders Ivan Miroshnichenko and Ryan Leonard receive. But as the Capitals begin transitioning to a younger core, Stevenson’s rapid improvement and star-in-the-making-like numbers make him look like someone who could be a contributor in Washington sooner than later.

And, maybe, a cornerstone at the game’s most important position.

“He’s very confident and calm back there,” Bears Coach Todd Nelson told Monumental Sports Network recently. “The guys playing in front of him know that if they break down, he’s there for it.”

Stevenson’s hot first half has earned much more than just his teammates’ trust, though.

In mid-December, the Caps signed Stevenson to a three-year, $2.325 million contract extension, a move that underscores the organization’s growing belief in him. The deal is two-way next season and one-way in the second and third seasons.

A couple of weeks after re-signing, Stevenson was named the AHL’s goaltender of the month for December and, shortly thereafter, was tapped for the AHL’s All-Star Classic Feb. 4-5 in San Jose, where he’ll join Nelson as well as teammates Ethen Frank and Dylan McIlrath on the Atlantic Division team.

It’s all happening pretty fast for Stevenson, an undrafted 24-year-old veteran Caps scout Danny Brooks plucked out of Dartmouth College in 2022. But he’s making sure to savor it.

“Honestly,” Stevenson said with a smile, asked about his early-season success and being mentioned in the same sentence as Hextall, “It kind of makes you a little bit lost for words. It’s definitely something.”

“Before games, I think to myself, ‘You’re with me on this one.’”

The first thing one notices about Stevenson is his size. In an era where NHL teams are putting a greater emphasis on finding big goaltenders, Stevenson’s lanky 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame certainly fills up the net.

Something else that stands out: his “smooth” technique. Some goaltenders make the highlights by flipping and flopping all over the crease to make stops. Stevenson, on the other hand, rarely needs to battle back into the play. That’s because he’s already in position, waiting to turn away the puck with a pad, stick or glove.

“He’s square to the puck,” Nelson said. “He never looks like he’s out of control. He sort of reminds me of Carey Price.

“Clay just looks so smooth in net.”

Something about Stevenson that you can’t see but just about everyone mentions when talking about him is his mental toughness and resilience—traits that he developed while overcoming personal tragedy that struck his family five years ago.

On the front of Stevenson’s mask is his nickname, “Mud.” On the backplate there is a star of life logo along with the letters “APBC”, which stands for Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia.

Stevenson’s mom, Holly, was a paramedic in his native Canada. She died by suicide in 2019 after struggling with gender identity and other mental health issues, just a few weeks before the start of his third junior season.

“The logo is for her,” Stevenson said. “She was my biggest supporter in my hockey career. She always made sure I had everything that I needed. Hockey moms are like that—especially goalie moms.

“Before games, I think to myself, ‘You’re with me on this one.’”

Hershey’s associate goaltending coach Juha Lehtola, who knows Stevenson as well as anyone, said you can draw a straight line between the tragedy Stevenson has endured and the mental fortitude that he now possesses.

“A hundred percent,” Lehtola said. “There are so many goalies out there that are technically really good, they can stop the puck easily. But then when it comes down to that pressure moment, the mental side of the game steps into play and that’s what separates them.”

Stevenson’s loss helps him keep life in perspective and cope with adversity, Lehtola added.

“We’ve talked about it,” Lehtola said. “There are going to be games that he’s going to lose. He’s going to get pulled. There will be obstacles along the way. So the stuff he’s gone through already, those things can help him handle it.”

“Shep doesn’t want to give up the net and Clay wants the net.” 

Stevenson’s breakout season got off to a bit of a “weird” start.

With Darcy Kuemper’s wife expecting and Hunter Shepard, Hershey’s de facto starter and the organization’s No. 3, sidelined with an illness, Stevenson got his first taste of the NHL on opening night in Washington as Charlie Lindgren’s backup against the Penguins.

“It doesn’t get better than that as your first NHL experience,” Stevenson recalled. “You get to walk the red carpet. You’re playing the Pittsburgh Penguins with Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin on the other side. I just took a look around and appreciated everything about it.”

The next few days were hectic.

After enjoying the buzz of opening night at Capital One Arena, Stevenson made the 130-mile trip up to Hershey to start back-to-back games for the Bears. Then, following Sunday’s game in Hershey, he was summoned back to Washington; Lindgren had gotten dinged in practice so he needed to back up Kuemper against Calgary.

Ah, the life of a prospect.

“I had four games in four nights to start the season—with travel,” Stevenson recounted with a laugh. “Then I stayed up with Washington and got some good NHL experience as a backup, seeing what the travel is like and the lay of the land. After that, I went back to Hershey and had to hit the ground running.”

Although Stevenson was good in October and November, his season didn’t really take off until early December. With Shepard recalled by the Caps last minute to fill-in for an injured Lindgren, Stevenson beat the Checkers in Charlotte on back-to-back nights, stopping 61 of 64 shots in a pair of wins.

“That’s when he turned the corner,” Nelson said. “He was heavily tested in both games and played extremely well. After that weekend, he settled in and has looked really comfortable since.”

Stevenson agreed.

“I felt prepared for that first game even though I wasn’t supposed to be playing,” he said. “You have to learn how to handle the chaos that is pro hockey.”

After a brief pause, he added with a chuckle: “I just try to keep it even keel. Maybe it comes from my old coach in Junior B who told me one day, ‘Clay, it’s pretty simple: the puck in front of you is good, the puck behind you is not so good.’”

Including the consecutive wins Dec. 1-2, Stevenson is 8-2-1 with three shutouts for the reigning AHL champions and current top team in the standings.

If he stays hot, there’s a good chance he’ll set single season franchise records for save percentage (.932, Tom Lawson I 2003-04) and goals against average (1.98, Alfie Moore in 1938-39). His next shutout will tie Nick Damore (1944-45) and Moore (1938-39).

Yes, what Stevenson is doing is that special.

Stevenson credits the uptick in his play to his work with Lehtola.

“I’m starting to play more reserved and relaxed and comfortable,” he said. “The biggest difference is I’m giving myself a chance to make the first save but I’m also leaving myself in a good spot to make those second and third saves.

“We’ve been working on managing my depth in the crease. It’s a little bit of a different approach that we’ve taken over this past season and a half.”

Shepard is the official No. 1 but he and Stevenson have essentially split the workload this season—Shepard has played in 19 games while Stevenson has appeared in 20.

Although the two goalies have a good relationship by all accounts, Bears Vice President of Hockey Operations Bryan Helmer said he likes the internal competition they’ve got going on.

“Until Clay or Shep takes that next step and decides, ‘Hey I want to be that guy,’ I love how they are pushing each other to get better every day,” Helmer said. “Shep doesn’t want to give up the net and Clay wants the net.”

Added Nelson: “It’s a really good situation, having a 1a and 1b. Obviously, Hunter was the MVP of the playoffs last year and now Clay comes in and is having an outstanding year. He’s also an all-star, and deservedly so. They work well together and they do push each other. It’s a good situation for me as a head coach because I know whoever I put in there I’m going to get a solid effort.”

“It’s not a rush to get up. I’m focused on taking care of my business where I am.” 

So where do things go from here for Stevenson? That’s not entirely clear.

The Caps are famously patient with their prospects, and they’re especially so with goalies. Braden Holtby spent three-plus seasons in Hershey. Philipp Grubauer played a year in the ECHL before spending three seasons with the Bears. Ilya Samsonov marinated in Russia for a few years. Vanecek took a while, too.

Then there’s the current depth chart.

Kuemper is under contract through 2026-27 and Lindgren is signed through next season, as is Shepard, who has started four games for the Caps this season.

Could the depth chart change at the trade deadline and potentially expedite things a little for Stevenson? Maybe. But maybe not.

As good as Stevenson has been, there are still some parts of his game that need some refinement before he’s ready for prime time.

At the top of the list: handling the puck.

“It’s one of those things he has to get better at,” Helmer said. “He would tell you that himself. He has to find a way. Listening to your D. Reading the play. Having that confidence to go out and make a play. That comes with time, in my opinion.”

Stevenson is driven, determined and focused. But he is also self-aware enough to recognize that getting to the NHL before he’s ready isn’t a recipe for success.

“I’ve always been a big believer in the process,” he said. “I always remind myself that you can’t get through a dark forest to the other side unless you look down. Even if you have no idea how to get there, it’s just one foot in front of the other.

“I love being in Hershey. I’m not in a rush to get up. I’m focused on taking care of my business where I am.”

Indeed, there’s a lot for Stevenson to look forward to on the other side of the all star break.

If all goes according to script, Stevenson could rewrite the Bears’ record book and check off another box: Calder Cup champion. Hershey enters this weekend’s slate of games 14 standings points clear of second-place Cleveland.

But, Stevenson cautioned, one step at a time.

“Nelly is already talking about getting ready for the playoffs and keeping our habits the same because there’s been games where we haven’t played our best and we’re still coming out with wins,” he said. “It’s crazy. But keeping our discipline and making sure we pay attention to the details the rest of the way will be key, for sure.”