Clay Stevenson

Clay Stevenson (born March 3, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). After a 30-win season with the BCHL's Coquitlam Express, Stevenson attended Dartmouth College, where, in his sophomore season, he was named to the All-Ivy First Team and as Dartmouth's team MVP. He then signed with the Washington Capitals and debuted for their ECHL associate, the South Carolina Stingrays, in 2022. The following season, he debuted with the Bears; that season, he recorded an AHL-leading and franchise rookie record 7 shutouts, appeared at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic, was named Goaltender of the Month in December, and was a co-recipient of the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award.

Early life
Stevenson was born on March 3, 1999, in Drayton Valley, Alberta. He has one older and one younger sister. His parents separated when he was young; he moved to Chilliwack, British Columbia, with his mother, a paramedic named Holly Stevenson, when he was 16. After years of mental health struggles, Holly committed suicide in September 2019. Stevenson credited his mother for supporting his hockey career and pushing him to train as a child, calling her his inspiration to play in the NHL. On his goalie mask, he has his nickname, "Mud", on the front, and a Star of Life on the back as an homage to his mother.