ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have loaned defenseman Ethan Bear and goaltenders Clay Stevenson and Mitchell Gibson to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today.
The two-time defending Calder Cup champion Bears face the Charlotte Checkers in Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Finals Friday at Bojangles Coliseum.
Bear, 27, led Hershey with 46 points (10g, 36a) in 62 regular-season games this season. Bear’s 36 assists and 46 points were AHL career highs and ranked tied for eighth among AHL defensemen. The 5’11”, 197-pound defenseman also ranked second among all skaters in plus-minus (+33). Bear represented Hershey at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic in February and was named to the AHL’s 2024-25 Second All-Star Team. The Regina, Saskatchewan native has tallied four points (2g, 2a) in eight career AHL playoff games.
Stevenson, 26, posted an 18-8-4 record with a 2.94 goals-against average, an .888 save percentage and two shutouts in 33 games with Hershey during the regular season. In his lone start of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs on May 9, Stevenson stopped 28 of 32 shots faced in Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals at Lehigh Valley to help the Bears stave off elimination. On April 17 at Pittsburgh, the 6’4”, 195-pound goaltender made his NHL debut, making 33 saves. Stevenson, a member of Hershey’s 2024 Calder Cup championship team, has posted a 1-0 record with a 3.25 goals-against average and an .881 save percentage in three career postseason appearances with the Bears.
Gibson, 25, won his only appearance with Hershey this season, stopping 26 of 28 shots faced in a 6-2 win at Springfield on Oct. 26, 2024. In 14 games with the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL), Gibson posted a record of 12-1-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. The 6’1”, 207-pound goaltender also appeared in four Kelly Cup Playoff games with South Carolina, recording a 3.40 goals-against average and an .870 save percentage.
