Another NHL organization will have an amateur goalie on the bench tonight, as the Washington Capitals have signed Reid Cooper to an amateur tryout agreement. Cooper will serve as the backup against the New Jersey Devils after Charlie Lindgren suffered an injury and is unavailable.
Cooper, 24, has played the last two seasons at Curry College, a Division III school in Massachusetts. Before that, he was the backup at Robert Morris for three seasons and played in the BCHL.
He was outstanding for the Colonels in 2022-23, posting a 20-6-1 record and .935 save percentage, taking home the CCC Goaltender of the Year trophy.
Thanks to several injuries, the Capitals already have three emergency exemptions on the roster to finish the year. The club is pushed right up against the salary cap ceiling but will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and for just the second time since 2007.
As ATO goaltenders become more prevalent, there will likely be some discussion between the NHLPA and NHL on potential exemptions. The league doesn’t want amateurs playing regular season games, especially with playoff seeding on the line.
With the Devils just one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, it would be rather embarrassing to see Cooper forced into the net to try and hold off New Jersey’s attack.