The Washington Capitals are getting Logan Thompson back.
The Caps announced Wednesday that their standout goalie is being activated from injured reserve.
Every roster move like that, though, comes with an equal and opposite reaction. The Capitals had to move someone off their roster to make room for Thompson’s return.
The logical move was a goalie demotion, and that’s what happened.
Capitals Demote Goalie
The Capitals announced in conjunction with the Thompson activation that goaltender Mitch Gibson is being sent down to the AHL Hershey Bears.
Gibson didn’t actually make an appearance during his time with the Capitals before being demoted.
The 27-year-old goalie has played in two AHL games with Hershey this season and has a 1-1-0 record with an 88.1 save percentage and a 3.50 goals against average.
Mitch Gibson Career Timeline
Gibson originally became a member of the Capitals organization when he was chosen in the fourth round, at No. 124 overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft.
He played college hockey at Harvard, where he had a 91.8 save percentage with a 47-25-6 record in three seasons.
Gibson then made his first professional inroads in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays.
In 42 games with the Stingrays in 2023-24, Gibson had an 89.9 save percentage with a 22-14-3 record.
Gibson also played two games in the AHL with Hershey in that season, going 2-0-0 with a 91.5 save percentage and 1.92 goals against average.
In 2024-25, Gibson was dominant in the ECHL with South Carolina. In 14 games, he had a 12-1-0 record with a 93.3 save percentage and a 1.75 goals against average.
Gibson got just one start in the AHL that season, but he did save 26-of-28 shots in a win.
Gibson got his most AHL time last season in Hershey when he had a 9-9-3 record with a 90.3 save percentage and a 2.94 goals against average. He also appeared in 13 games with the Stingrays last season and had an 8-5 record with a 91.7 save percentage and a 2.32 goals against average.
At this point, Gibson is essentially the third goalie in line in the Capitals’ organization.
Thompson returns to his starting role now that he’s back from injury. Charlie Lindgren is also at the NHL level right now with the Caps.
Gibson is in the last year of his current contract, so he could get a chance after this season to pursue his first opportunity in a different organization. First, he’ll do his best to stay ready while playing at AHL Hershey, because he’s just one break away from a return to the NHL — and potentially his debut at the highest level.
Capitals Demote Goalie After Injury News