Hershey Bears Sign Veteran Goaltender Cal Petersen to AHL Contract
By Brian Hradsky
The Hershey Bears added significant experience to their crease Tuesday, signing veteran goaltender Cal Petersen to an American Hockey League contract for the 2026-27 season. Hershey vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer announced the signing Sept. 29, giving the Bears an established option in goal just days before the regular season begins.
Petersen, 31, arrived in the Washington Capitals organization this offseason on a professional tryout and participated in Washington’s training camp. The Capitals released Petersen from his PTO on Sept. 27, but he remained in the organization by joining Hershey’s training camp before earning his AHL contract.
The timing of Petersen’s signing is particularly important for Hershey. Goaltender Clay Stevenson was claimed off waivers by the Winnipeg Jets, suddenly creating a major opening in the Bears’ crease. Petersen now joins Mitch Gibson and Garin Bjorklund among Hershey’s goaltending options as the Bears prepare to open another season at GIANT Center.
Petersen Brings Extensive NHL and AHL Experience
Petersen gives Hershey something valuable at the AHL level: a goaltender who has handled substantial workloads in both the NHL and AHL.
The Waterloo, Iowa, native has appeared in 248 career AHL regular-season games, compiling a 105-114-21 record with a 3.07 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and 15 shutouts. His AHL career has included stops with the Ontario Reign, Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Iowa Wild.
Petersen is also a two-time AHL All-Star, earning selections while playing for Ontario in 2018 and 2020. He has another 15 games of Calder Cup Playoff experience, posting a 2.94 goals-against average in postseason action.
That experience could prove important for a Hershey roster that continues to incorporate younger Washington prospects. Petersen has been through virtually every situation a professional goaltender can experience, from being a highly regarded NHL option to battling for opportunities in the AHL.
Solid 2025-26 Season in Iowa
Petersen spent last season with the Iowa Wild and appeared in 33 games. He finished 13-16-2 with a 2.73 goals-against average, .896 save percentage and four shutouts. Those four shutouts were tied for third in the AHL at the time Minnesota recalled him in April.
His impact in Iowa extended beyond the crease. Petersen was named Iowa’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year Award for his contributions to the Des Moines community.
Petersen’s numbers also represented an improvement in goals-against average from his final season with Lehigh Valley. In 2024-25, he went 13-15-3 with a 3.14 goals-against average and .885 save percentage over 31 appearances for the Phantoms.
Now Petersen will try to carry that experience into Hershey.
More Than 100 Games of NHL Experience
Petersen’s resume separates him from many goaltenders available on AHL contracts.
The Buffalo Sabres originally selected him in the fifth round, 129th overall, of the 2013 NHL Draft. He eventually became a free agent following his collegiate career and signed with the Los Angeles Kings in 2017.
Petersen went on to appear in 106 NHL regular-season games between Los Angeles and the Philadelphia Flyers. He owns a 46-44-10 career NHL record with a 2.96 goals-against average, .903 save percentage and four shutouts.
His best NHL stretch came early in his career. Petersen posted a .924 save percentage over 11 appearances for Los Angeles in 2018-19 and followed with a .922 mark in eight games the next season. He eventually took on a much larger workload for the Kings, appearing in 35 games during the shortened 2020-21 season and 37 during 2021-22.
Petersen won a career-high 20 NHL games during the 2021-22 season, finishing 20-14-2 with three shutouts for Los Angeles.
Los Angeles later traded Petersen to Philadelphia as part of the three-team Ivan Provorov trade in June 2023. He appeared in five NHL games for the Flyers during the 2023-24 season while spending most of his time with Lehigh Valley.
International Success With Team USA
Petersen also owns an impressive international resume.
He has represented the United States three times at the IIHF World Championship. His strongest international performance came in 2021, when Petersen helped the Americans capture a bronze medal.
Petersen posted a 1.29 goals-against average and .953 save percentage during that tournament, leading the event in both categories and earning recognition as the tournament’s best goaltender.
Before turning professional, Petersen played three seasons at Notre Dame. He served as team captain during his final collegiate season in 2016-17 and earned NCAA First Team All-Star honors. His college career also included one of the most remarkable goaltending performances in NCAA history when he made 87 saves in a five-overtime game against Massachusetts in March 2015.
Hershey’s Goaltending Situation Changes Quickly
The addition of Petersen became much more important following Stevenson’s departure.
Washington placed Stevenson on waivers with the intention of assigning him to Hershey, but Winnipeg claimed him. That removed a goaltender who had become an important part of Hershey’s organization and changed the Bears’ depth chart just before the season.
Petersen initially joined Hershey on a PTO after Washington released him from its own tryout agreement. At that point, Hershey’s training-camp group featured Petersen, Gibson and Bjorklund in goal.
The Bears have now removed the uncertainty surrounding Petersen by signing him for the season.
Petersen’s experience makes him an intriguing option to take on a substantial share of Hershey’s workload. Gibson remains an important part of Washington’s organizational depth, while Bjorklund provides another option. The Bears can now balance development with a veteran who has already played nearly 250 AHL games and more than 100 in the NHL.
Another Experienced Piece for Hershey
Hershey’s roster has undergone significant changes as Washington completed its final preseason decisions. Several players recently arrived from Capitals camp, including Andrew Cristall, Ryan Chesley, Leon Muggli, Jonny Brodzinski, Justin Holl and others.
Adding Petersen gives the Bears another veteran presence as that roster comes together.
There is also familiarity with the region. Petersen spent two seasons playing for Hershey’s rival, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, so Bears fans have seen him from the other side of the rivalry. He appeared in 59 regular-season games for Lehigh Valley between 2023-24 and 2024-25.
This time, he will be wearing the Chocolate and White.
Petersen will wear No. 40 for Hershey, according to the team’s announcement.
Bears Open Season Against Charlotte
There will not be much time for Hershey’s new-look goaltending group to settle in.
The Bears open the 2026-27 regular season Saturday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m. against the Charlotte Checkers at GIANT Center.
Petersen’s signing gives Hershey considerably more professional experience in net heading into that opener. After losing Stevenson unexpectedly on waivers, the Bears moved quickly to secure a veteran who has been an NHL starter, an AHL All-Star and an accomplished international goaltender.
MSB Take
This looks like a sensible response to an unexpected change in Hershey’s goaltending situation. Losing Stevenson on waivers could have left the Bears entering the season with a relatively inexperienced group, but Petersen immediately gives Hershey a veteran option with 354 combined NHL and AHL regular-season appearances.
Petersen does not need to reproduce the best numbers of his NHL career to make this signing valuable. If he can provide steady AHL goaltending while Gibson and the organization’s younger players continue developing, Hershey should have considerably more stability in the crease.
The Bears have spent years building teams capable of competing deep into the spring. Signing Petersen gives them another experienced piece as they begin the pursuit of another Calder Cup run.
