Clay Stevenson’s First NHL Win Was a Moment Years in the Making - and Worth Every Second
Clay Stevenson didn’t need to say much after his first NHL win - his grin told the whole story. The 26-year-old netminder, fresh off a whirlwind call-up to the Washington Capitals, stood at his locker room stall still buzzing from the moment. Laughing, smiling, and maybe still trying to process it all, Stevenson had just backstopped the Caps to a comeback win against one of the league’s toughest teams.
And he did it in dramatic fashion.
“I didn’t know how it was going to shake out,” Stevenson admitted. “We’re down three… I just tried to do my job to give them faith to keep pushing, and they did that.”
That’s a modest way to describe what turned into a statement performance.
Let’s rewind. Stevenson was called up Thursday after an injury to Logan Thompson reshuffled the Capitals' goaltending depth.
Originally slotted to back up Charlie Lindgren, Stevenson’s NHL debut came sooner than expected when Lindgren landed on injured reserve following that night’s game. Suddenly, Stevenson wasn’t just along for the ride - he was in the driver’s seat, starting against the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes.
Talk about trial by fire.
But Stevenson didn’t blink. After a rocky start that saw the Caps fall behind early, he locked in.
He turned away high-danger chances, stood tall through relentless Carolina pressure, and gave Washington the breathing room it needed to rally. His poise in net was striking - not just for a first-time NHL starter, but for any goalie.
“His calmness is a staple of his,” head coach Spencer Carbery said. “I don’t think you can rattle Clay Stevenson.”
That calm paid off. The Capitals battled back, forced overtime, and then Justin Sourdif sealed the deal with the game-winner - giving Stevenson his first NHL win in unforgettable fashion.
And that moment? Pure adrenaline.
“Blackout, you know?” Stevenson said.
“Just run down the ice, pumping your fist like, that’s an NHL win right there. That’s it, just try to run down there as fast as you can.”
It wasn’t just a win. It was a culmination.
Stevenson’s journey here wasn’t the typical NHL fast track. Undrafted out of Dartmouth, he signed an entry-level deal with Washington and worked his way up the ranks.
He put in the hours, earned his stripes with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, and helped backstop them to back-to-back Calder Cups. Along the way, he became one of the organization’s top goaltending prospects - not by flash, but by consistency, composure, and grit.
Saturday night was the payoff.
“This one’s really special,” Stevenson said. “Especially against that team, against Frederik Andersen - one of my favorite goalies in the NHL.
It was incredible. I’m just lost for words.”
When the final buzzer sounded and the celebration began, Stevenson knew exactly who he was calling first: his dad.
“‘That’s an NHL win, baby. What do you want?’” he said, laughing.
That’s the kind of moment you dream about as a kid. And for those who’ve been alongside him on the journey, like teammate Hendrix Lapierre, it was a long time coming.
“I didn’t have a doubt that he was going to compete and come back and help us win,” said Lapierre, who played with Stevenson in both Hershey and Washington. “That’s what he’s been doing for all those years that we’ve been playing together.
Incredibly happy for him. I told him, I think that’s the first of many.”
It’s hard to argue with that. Because if Saturday night showed us anything, it’s that Clay Stevenson belongs on NHL ice - and he’s just getting started.