The Washington Capitals have re-assigned goaltender Pheonix Copley from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) to the taxi squad, senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.
Copley, 30, has posted a record of 12-7-2 with two shutouts, a 2.50 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in 21 games with Hershey this season, leading the Bears in each respective category.
During the 2020-21 season, the 6’4″, 200-pound goaltender led Hershey goaltenders in wins (10), shutouts (2), and games played (15) and ranked seventh in wins and eighth in goals-against average (2.66) in the AHL. Copley and Zach Fucale received the AHL’s Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award in 2020-21, presented to the goaltenders on the team which allows the fewest goals per game in the regular season.
In 212 career AHL games, Copley has a 112-67-24 record with 15 shutouts, a 2.54 goals-against average, and a .910 save percentage.
The North Pole, Alaska native appeared in 27 games with Washington in 2018-19, posting a 16-7-3 record with one shutout and a 2.90 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. In 29 career NHL games with the Capitals and the St. Louis Blues, Copley has a 16-8-3 record with a 2.98 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.
The move comes after goaltender Vitek Vanecek left Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena with an upper-body injury after a collision with Penguins’ right-winger Kasperi Kapanen in the first period.
The Capitals host the Edmonton Oilers at Capital One Arena Wednesday night (7 PM ET, TNT).
By Della Young
