Hershey Bears Name Bill Downey Video Coach

August 27, 2025

The Washington Capitals, the National Hockey League (NHL) affiliate of the Hershey Bears, announced that the club has hired Bill Downey as Hershey's video coach. The announcement was made by Hershey Bears vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer and Washington Capitals senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick.

Downey, 44, spent the last nine seasons with the American Hockey League's (AHL) Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He served as the club's director of hockey operations and video coach from 2016-25; the title of assistant coach was added to his role from 2021-25. During his time in Lehigh Valley, the Phantoms appeared in five of the possible seven AHL playoffs, including the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals and the longest game in AHL history.

The native of Pittsburgh, Pa., served as the director of hockey operations and video coach at his alma mater, Penn State University, from 2011-2016, helping oversee the club's transition to the NCAA Division-I ranks and the construction of Pegula Ice Arena. He was also an assistant coach at Penn State from 2008-10, and he spent one year as the director of hockey operations at Harvard University in 2010-11 before returning to Penn State.

Downey was an assistant coach for the ECHL's Reading Royals in 2007-08, and he also worked as a scout for the United States Hockey League's Chicago Steel in 2007.

As a professional player, Downey played parts of five seasons, including skating in the ECHL with Reading, the Johnstown Chiefs, and the Wheeling Nailers. As a Penn State Icer from 2000-04, the forward earned American College Hockey Association (ACHA) All-American honors, was named captain, and helped the club to three consecutive ACHA national championships. Additionally, he represented Team USA at the 2003 World University Games in Tarvisio, Italy. Downey is a member of Penn State Hockey's Hall of Fame.

Downey replaces Adam Purner on Derek King's coaching staff after Purner was hired as a video analyst by the NHL's Seattle Kraken earlier this month.

Hershey opens its 88th regular season of American Hockey League competition versus the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center. Single-game tickets to all Bears home games for the 2025-26 season will go on sale to the public on Thursday, Sept. 11. For more information, visit HersheyBears.com.