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InGoal Radio Episode 181 with Clay Stevenson

InGoal Radio Episode 181 with Clay Stevenson

Hosted by Daren Millard

Presented by
Apple Podcasts Spotify
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Clay Stevenson posted a .936 save percentage at age 20 in the BCHL despite losing his mother that season. He had breakfast with Henrik Lundqvist during NHL recruitment talks before signing with the Washington Capitals as a coveted college free agent after just one NCAA season at Dartmouth — with no promises of playing time at higher levels.

Key Takeaways
  • Stevenson posted a .936 save percentage in the BCHL at age 20 during a season in which his mother passed away, demonstrating elite resilience under extreme personal adversity.
  • He developed without a goalie coach and without AAA hockey from ages 12–16, offering a rare case study in non-traditional goaltender development.
  • NHL teams including the Washington Capitals recruited Stevenson aggressively after just one NCAA season at Dartmouth, including a face-to-face meeting with Henrik Lundqvist in New York City.
  • Stevenson chose Washington despite receiving no guarantees of playing time at higher levels, explaining his reasoning for prioritizing organizational fit over immediate opportunity.
  • Changing his glove hand position was a key technical adjustment in his on-ice evolution — a specific skill refinement goalies can learn from his detailed breakdown.

Episode 181 of the InGoal Radio Podcast, presented by The Hockey Shop Source for Sports, features our second straight new Washington Capitals goalie: coveted college free agent Clay Stevenson.

Feature Interview

presented by NHL Sense Arena
NHL Sense Arena

In the feature interview, presented by Sense Arena, Stevenson walks us through the NHL recruiting process that followed his strong play at Dartmouth (including breakfast with some guy named Henrik Lundqvist in New York City!) and why he chose the Capitals despite no promises of playing time at higher levels. Stevenson also shares several great stories from and insights into his somewhat unique development path: from not having a goalie coach and not playing AAA hockey between the ages of 12-16, to the BCHL and a breakout .936 save percentage as a 20-year-old despite the death of his mom on that season, to not playing a single game as a college freshman because of Covid-19, to the one season of NCAA that led to plenty of interest from several NHL teams. He also walks us through his evolution on the ice, including a great description of changing his glove position.

Weekly Gear Segment

presented by The Hockey Shop Source for Sports

All that, plus our weekly plus a trip to The Hockey Shop Source for Sports for a look at the new Bauer M5 Pro sticks, a second price point in the Mach line that’s popular all the way up to pro.

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