Capitals sign Mitch Gibson to two-year, two-way deal; waive for Hershey loan

The Washington Capitals announced Feb. 17 that they have signed goaltender Mitch Gibson to a two-year, two-way contract “beginning this season,” and “the Capitals will place Gibson on waivers this afternoon for the purpose of loan to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL),” senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick said in the team release. The team also posted the signing on its official Twitter account the same day.

The two-year, two-way deal takes effect during the 2025-26 campaign; the Capitals and outlets reporting the transaction did not disclose salary or cap-hit details. The team tweet accompanying the announcement used the hashtag #ALLCAPS and included the sponsor handle @Shift4, and the press release carried the Arlington, Va., dateline.

Gibson, listed as Mitchell but commonly referred to as Mitch, is 26 years old and was originally selected by Washington in the fourth round, 124th overall, of the 2018 NHL Draft. The Capitals’ official material notes his collegiate career at Harvard University, where “he posted a record of 47-25-6 with six shutouts, a 2.32 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in 80 games over three seasons.”

This season Gibson has split time between the AHL’s Hershey Bears and the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays. Sportsnet, RotoWire, CBS and RMNB list his Hershey numbers at 12 appearances with a 6-4-2 record, a 2.48 goals-against average, a .918 save percentage and one shutout. RotoWire, CBS and Sportsnet agree his ECHL totals with South Carolina are 13 appearances, an 8-5-0 record, a 2.32 GAA and a .917 SV%.

Sportsnet also provides career-AHL totals for Gibson: 15 games, a 9-4-2 record, a 2.37 GAA, a .919 save percentage and one shutout. RotoWire’s transaction item headlined “Mitchell Gibson News: Earns two-way deal” and CBS mirrored the same season splits in their coverage.

RMNB added context about Gibson’s recent workload, writing that “Gibson has been great for both the Bears and Stingrays this season, particularly taking the bulk of the recent workload in Hershey during the NHL’s Olympic break.” RMNB also reported that Gibson “was set to become an unrestricted free agent in July,” a detail that frames the Capitals’ move as both a depth play and a way to retain a developing goaltender within the organization.

The Capitals’ stated next step is to place Gibson on waivers Feb. 17 “this afternoon” so he can be loaned to Hershey; the waiver outcome will determine whether he reports to Hershey or is claimed by another club. For Hershey, adding a 26-year-old with a 2.48 GAA and .918 save rate across 12 appearances addresses a heavy recent workload and stabilizes the Bears’ crease during a critical stretch of the AHL season.

Beyond immediate roster mechanics, the signing underscores Washington’s investment in internal goaltending depth and the value it places on college-developed netminders like the former Harvard starter. With Gibson moving off an AHL contract into a two-way NHL deal, the Capitals have converted an in-organization performer into a controllable asset while keeping the door open for continued development in Hershey.