The Washington Capitals announced Friday morning that they have recalled goaltender Pheonix Copley from Hershey. Copley replaces Hunter Shepard, who was re-assigned, as the Capitals third goaltender for the postseason.
It appears the Capitals will be making no other “black aces” callups, at least at this point of the postseason. The Bears season concluded on Monday.
MORE FROM THE CAPITALS
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Pheonix Copley from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) and re-assigned goaltender Hunter Shepard to Hershey, senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.
Copley, 30, appeared in two games for the Capitals this season, going 0-1-0 with a 3.11 goals-against average and a .878 save percentage. In 35 games with the Bears this season, Copley posted a record of 18-12-5 with two shutouts, a 2.38 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage, leading the Bears in each respective category. Copley also recorded a 2.29 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage in three playoff games with Hershey.
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 226 career AHL games, Copley has a 118-72-24 record with 15 shutouts, a 2.52 goals-against average and .911 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 31 career NHL games with the Capitals and the St. Louis Blues, Copley has a 16-9-3 record with a 2.98 goals-against average and .900 save percentage.
Shepard, 26, posted a record 5-3-0 with a 2.06 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in nine games with Hershey this season. Additionally, the 6’0″, 215-pound goaltender has appeared in 23 games for the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL, posting a record of 12-9-2 with a 2.88 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
Caps should have made more call ups even if it was just for a few days, that time is huge for prospects.
I would have brought up Alexeyev and Johansen, at minimum.
And Protas.
So which Black Aces do the Caps have in DC? McMichael, Copley, AJF? Is Snively there?
I don’t know what’s with Snively. He should be back since he was only sent to Hershey for conditioning.
Read somewhere this afternoon that he was skating on the ice with Wilson but not practicing with the Caps.