screen cap: YouTube/Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears found themselves in need of a new head coach on Friday when bench boss Todd Nelson was hired as assistant coach by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nelson’s departure leaves a big void behind the bench, as he steered the Chocolate and White to one of the most successful three-year stretches in American Hockey League (AHL) history, including two Calder Cup championships and an AHL record nine-straight playoff series wins.
Two potential candidates to replace Nelson were scoffed up earlier in the offseason. South Carolina Stingrays head coach Jared Nightingale, the reigning ECHL Coach of the Year, was hired by the Rockford IceHogs to lead the top affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. Former Bear Louis Robitaille has fashioned himself a strong coaching career, winning over 300 games in the junior ranks. He took a job in Russia last month.
So, where does that leave Hershey? Who could be potential hires to fill the position? Despite Nightingale and Robitaille being off the board, there are numerous strong contenders for the position.
The first candidate for the job is a familiar face, current assistant coach Patrick Wellar. A Calder Cup champion as a player with Hershey, Wellar has been on the staff for the Bears since the 2018-19 season. He has run the defense and penalty kill. Hershey has been a strong defensive team under his leadership, being the best or among the best defensive teams in the AHL. He helped the Bears win consecutive Calder Cups in 2023 and 2024. Sooner or later, Wellar is going to land a head coaching job and this could be his time.
Another former Hershey Calder Cup winner who could make his return to Chocolate Town is Bob Woods. Having won a Calder Cup as a player in 1997, an assistant coach in 2006 and a head coach in 2009, Woods is well versed in the Bears’ tradition of winning. He has been an assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 14 seasons, most recently with the Seattle Kraken last season. Woods was recently relieved of his duties by the Kraken with new head coach Lane Lambert wanting to bring in assistants of his own.
One-time Hershey winger Rocky Thompson is another candidate for the vacancy. Thompson was an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers the past three seasons and previously was the associate head coach with the San Jose Sharks. He was the head coach of the Chicago Wolves for three seasons, guiding the team to a Calder Cup Finals appearance in 2019. Thompson won 113 games in his time in Chicago.
Scott Barney is another former Bear who could be in the mix. Known as “the Beast” during his playing days, Barney recently completely his first season as the bench boss of the Sudbury Wolves. Previously, he served as the head coach and general manager of the Humboldt Broncos. Barney has a 132-55-9-2 record as a head coach. It may be too soon for him to make the jump to the AHL, but Barney is rising up the coaching ranks and has a good reputation for working with young players. With Hershey slated to have several rookies on their roster next season, this characteristic could make Oshawa, Ontario native an attractive candidate for the job.
Moving away from contenders who have ties to the Bears, long-time AHL assistant Trent Whitfield is a possibility. Whitfield played with the Washington Capitals for four seasons. He has spent the past nine seasons as an assistant with the Providence Bruins. Whitfield is respected around the game and a chance at being a head coach at the AHL level is overdue.
A coach with no connections to Hershey or Washington, but who is very familiar with the Bears organization is Dan Bylsma. The veteran coach was let go after a single season in charge of Seattle. He led the Coachella Valley Firebirds to the Calder Cup Finals in 2023 and 2024, losing to Hershey both time. Byslma was also an assistant and head coach in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for three seasons, as well as spending one season as an assistant with Charlotte. He won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has proven track record as a head coach.
Also, there are some current NHL assistants that could be possibilities if they were interested in dropping down a level to be a head coach. There are no guarantees that any of the following names would be willing to do so. However, if they were, these coaches could be candidates: Los Angeles Kings assistant and former Hershey captain D.J. Smith, Seattle Kraken assistant Jessica Campbell, Tampa Bay assistant Jeff Halpern and Calgary Flames assistant and former Bears’ captain Brad Larsen.
Finally, a wild card. Bruce Boudreau was the head coach of Hershey when the won the Calder Cup in 2006. He seems content in his current role as owner of the Hershey Cubs and as an analyst for both the NHL Network and the Washington Capitals. However, Boudreau still lives in Hershey and has been a frequent visitor to the Giant Center at Bears games. If called, he may listen.
So, there are plenty of potential candidates for the Bears and their parent club, the Washington Capitals, to consider. One of the above names very well could land the job as the head coach of the Hershey Bears. However, one can never rule out an unexpected candidate. Few expected Spencer Carbery to be hired prior to the 2018-19 season. That choice proved to be an excellent one. One thing is for certain, whoever gets chosen, they have big shoes to fill when it comes to replacing Todd Nelson.
By Eric Lord
