The Hershey Bears signed Capitals prospect goaltender Antoine Keller to a one-year AHL contract on Wednesday afternoon.
Keller, selected by the Caps in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft, spent the 2024-25 season with Lausanne HC of Switzerland’s National League. He primarily served as the team’s backup, appearing in 13 games and posting a 3.16 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.
Keller, a native of Dijon, France, played one season in North America during his junior career for the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan before returning overseas. While with Lausanne HC, he learned under former Capitals goalie Cristobal Huet, who is the team’s goaltending coach.
The 20-year-old backstop is the first player in Caps franchise history to be drafted out of France and only the sixth French player ever drafted. If the Capitals choose to re-sign restricted free agent Pierrick Dubé, the Bears will have two French players on their roster.
Keller and Dubé have been teammates before, having played together for the French national team. Keller made four appearances for France at this past month’s World Championship, being named the nation’s top player in his 47-save start against Finland.
The Bears have three goalies under contract for next year, including Keller, Clay Stevenson, and Garin Bjorklund. Long-time netminder Hunter Shepard is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and Capitals draft pick Mitchell Gibson is a restricted free agent.
Here’s the full press release from the Hershey Bears:
BEARS SIGN GOALTENDER ANTOINE KELLER TO AHL CONTRACT
Netminder was Washington’s seventh-round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft
(Hershey, PA – June 4, 2025) – The Hershey Bears announced today that the club has signed goaltender Antoine Keller to an American Hockey League contract for the 2025-26 season. The announcement was made by Hershey vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer.
Keller, 20, was selected in the seventh round (206th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Capitals.
The native of Dijon, France appeared in 13 games last season with Lausanne HC in the Swiss National League (NL), going 5-5-0 with a 3.16 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage. He also appeared in two games for Chaux-de-Fonds HC of the Swiss League, going 2-0-0 with a 1.95 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.
The 6’2″, 176-pound goaltender represented France internationally at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, appearing in four games.
In 2023-24, Keller played his lone season of North American major junior hockey with Acadie-Bathurst of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), posting a 17-12-2 record with a 3.05 goals-against average, an .897 save percentage, and two shutouts. He was also credited with a goal on Dec. 1, 2023 vs. Chicoutimi. Keller finished second in the QMJHL playoffs in goals-against average (2.35) and save percentage (.925) over seven games.
At the 2024 IIHF World Junior Div. 1-A Ice Hockey Championship, Keller led France to a silver medal finish.
