Hershey Bears Name Derek King 29th Head Coach in Franchise History

August 4, 2025

The Hershey Bears have announced that Derek King has been named the 29th head coach in franchise history. 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.

"We are thrilled to welcome Derek King as our new head coach," said Helmer. "In his accomplished coaching career, Derek has developed a reputation as a great communicator who excels at developing hockey players and getting the best out of them. It is critical for us to have a head coach who is an excellent teacher for his players and staff while fostering a winning culture. We look forward to welcoming Derek and his family to Hershey and we feel he is the best fit to lead our hockey club."

King, 58, brings a wealth of coaching experience in both the American Hockey League (AHL) and National Hockey League (NHL) to Hershey. The native of Hamilton, Ontario joins the Bears after spending the last four seasons with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks where he coached the likes of Connor Bedard, Marc-Andre Fleury, Taylor Hall, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and current Capitals forward Dylan Strome. He was an assistant coach for the Blackhawks from 2022-25.

He previously served as the interim head coach of the Blackhawks in 2021-22. When he joined the Blackhawks on November 6, 2021, Chicago was just 1-9-2, and he guided the club to a four-game win streak to start his NHL head coaching tenure. The Blackhawks scored .59 more goals per game under King and allowed .43 less goals per game with King at the helm.

"I am incredibly honored and excited to be named the head coach of the Hershey Bears," said King. "Knowing what Hershey is about within the American Hockey League, I'm ecstatic - I equate it to getting a job with an Original Six team in the NHL. My family and I are excited, and I can't wait to get down there and get to work, and hopefully be a part of continuing the club's storied legacy."

Prior to being elevated to the NHL, King spent parts of seven seasons with the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. He was an assistant coach from 2016-18, helping the team to a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2018. He was promoted to interim head coach on November 6, 2018, and took over as the club's permanent head coach prior to the 2019-20 season. With Rockford, he coached numerous players with ties to Hershey including Cody Franson, Dmitry Osipov, Garrett Mitchell, and Cameron Schilling.

King worked with the Toronto Marlies as an assistant coach from 2009-14, and as an associate coach in 2014-15. He helped the Marlies to a Calder Cup Finals appearance in 2012, and Toronto won 40 or more games in each of his final four seasons with the club.

King got his coaching start as a player-coach with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins from 2002-04. There, he worked with former Hershey head coach Todd Nelson, who was an assistant coach with the Griffins in 2002-03.

"Derek brings a wealth of coaching experience and a deep understanding of the game to Hershey," said Patrick. "Throughout his 18-year coaching career, Derek has excelled in developing players at both the AHL and NHL levels. We feel that he possesses the necessary experience, knowledge, and passion to lead Hershey and help our young players as they prepare to transition to the NHL."

King also enjoyed an accomplished playing career spanning 14 seasons in the NHL from 1986-00. Drafted 13th overall by the New York Islanders in 1985, King played 830 NHL games, scoring 612 points (261g, 351a). He was a three-time 30-goal scorer, including one 40-goal season. In addition to the Islanders, he also played for the Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues. He was a teammate with Hershey vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer while with the Blues during the 1999-00 season.

King finished his professional career by spending parts of four seasons with Grand Rapids, scoring 203 points (73g, 130a) in 264 games, while earning the distinction of being the Griffins' all-time leading playoff scorer with 41 points (16g, 25a) in 46 games over his tenure in the International Hockey League (IHL) and AHL.

The remainder of Hershey's coaching staff will remain intact as King will be joined by assistant coaches Patrick Wellar and Nick Bootland, associate goaltending coach Juha Lehtola, video coach Adam Purner, and strength and conditioning coach Kurtis Freter.