Clay Stevenson, 25, played for the 100 Mile House Wranglers in 2016-17, then spent three seasons in the BCHL with the Coquitlam Express before spending two seasons in the NCAA with Dartmouth College. The Drayton Valley, Alta., native turned pro after two seasons signing with the NHL’s Washington Capitals and played his first season of professional hockey in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays.
In this Q&A, Stevenson reflects on his first full AHL season and his goals with the Hershey Bears. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
KIJHL: What’s it like being a back-to-back Calder Cup champion?
CS: Starting my pro career with that experience is hard to describe, but invaluable. You learn the demands of the position, especially with short summers and little downtime. Hershey has a winning culture built over decades, and anything less than success feels unacceptable. I’m proud to be part of that.
KIJHL: What have you learned from playing with Hunter Shepard?
CS: Though we have different playing styles, we share a similar mindset on stopping pucks. The biggest lesson from him is that the technique doesn’t matter as long as the puck stays out. That’s something my former Wranglers coach Dale Hladun taught me. I say this famous quote from him all the time —”puck in front is good, puck behind is bad.”
KIJHL: What are you focusing on this season after your strong rookie year?
CS: Consistency in mentality. Our job is to give the team the best chance to win, staying level-headed regardless of highs or lows. I’m working on being in optimal crease positions, leveraging my size (6-4, 195 pounds), and ensuring I play a steady, dependable game. I built a good pro foundation at Dartmouth and leading into these past couple years, I’ve really shifted into playing a bit more of a reserve style.
KIJHL: Talk about getting yourself in Hershey’s record books with seven shutouts?
CS: That was a crazy one for sure, especially because our team played so well. Achieving shutouts requires focus and a bit of luck, and as I played consistently, the game started slowing down. Near the tail end, I may have pressured myself to take sole possession of it, which probably impacted my play, and I can reflect on that this year to be more successful.
KIJHL: How was the transition to the AHL and Hershey?
CS: I felt ready after my final year in Dartmouth. The two years really helped a lot and my freshman year when we didn’t play was a really good year for me because I got to work on a lot of things and build strength. The ECHL is a great goalie league and I find perhaps people look down on the league and especially goalies. When you get there and you don’t respect it, you get burned. I had a lot of respect. It’s pro hockey and those guys can play and shoot the puck just like anybody. It’s about learning how to play a longer season, which was probably a little bit of a challenge for me too. My time in South Carolina prepared me well for the AHL last year.
KIJHL: Is there something from your time when you played for the Wranglers that still helps you now?
CS: That year set me up to play with older players and taught me work ethic. Coach Hladun was tough on me, but helped me build the right mentality, playing big in net and staying focused. He and assistant coach Chris Langton provided huge support.
KIJHL: What would you say to players considering the KIJHL for development?
CS: Don’t underestimate the KIJHL. It’s excellent for accountability and personal growth. The resources are there for you to succeed if you’re willing to work for it. It’s great for developing and getting yourself ready to make a jump to higher levels.
Related KIJHL Clay Stevenson articles
Wranglers alum Stevenson helps Bears repeat as Calder Cup champs
Stop in 100 Mile helped Stevenson get to Dartmouth
