Overview

• The Hershey Bears announced on July 29 that Derek King was named their 29th head coach, filling the vacancy left by Todd Nelson’s move to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
• King spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, including a 70-game interim head coach stint in 2021-22, and led the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs for parts of four seasons.
• Hershey retained assistant coaches Patrick Wellar and Nick Bootland along with associate goaltending coach Juha Lehtola, video coach Adam Purner, and strength and conditioning coach Kurtis Freter under the new leadership.
• King’s 14-year NHL playing career yielded 612 points in 830 games with the Islanders, Whalers, Maple Leafs, and Blues, and he began coaching as a player-assistant with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2002.
• Bears vice president Bryan Helmer praised King’s communication skills and player development record as essential for preserving the franchise’s recent championship-caliber culture.