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Hockey Operations Staff

Get to know the power behind the Hershey Bears bench.

Bryan Helmer

Vice President of Hockey Operations: Bryan Helmer

Bryan Helmer was named Hershey’s Vice President of Hockey Operations in July 2016, moving to the front office after spending time as a player and assistant coach with the Bears during his Hall of Fame career.

Todd Nelson

Head Coach: Todd Nelson

Todd Nelson was named the 28th head coach in franchise history in August 2022. The former Hershey defender brings more than two decades of coaching experience to Hershey, and is one of just three individuals to win a Calder Cup as a player, assistant coach, and head coach in league history.

Patrick Weller

Assistant Coach: Patrick Wellar

Patrick Wellar returned to Hershey as an assistant coach ahead of the 2018-19 season after playing parts of six seasons with the Bears from 2008-14.

Nick Bootland

Assistant Coach: Nick Bootland

Nick Bootland returned to Hershey as an assistant coach ahead of the 2022-23 season after a 13-year run as the head coach of the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. Bootland played parts of four seasons for the Bears between 1998-03 prior to moving behind the bench in 2008. In his first two years on Todd Nelson's staff, Bootland helped guide Hershey to back-to-back Calder Cup championships and claim the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy with a franchise-record .771 points percentage in the 2023-24 regular season.

Juha Lehtola

Associate Goaltending Coach: Juha Lehtola

Juha Lehtola was hired as associate goaltending coach in August 2022, bringing experience in both North America and overseas to the club’s netminders. Lehtola helped mentor goaltender Hunter Shepard, as the goalie captured the Jack Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs and Hershey won the Calder Cup. In 2023-24, Shepard and Clay Stevenson shared the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award, while Shepard led the league in goals-against average and save percentage, winning the Aldedge “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the league’s outstanding goaltender, and Hershey repeated as Calder Cup champions.

Adam Purner

Video Coach: Adam Purner

Adam Purner was named Hershey’s video coach in 2022 after spending the previous two seasons working in the same role in the New Jersey Devils organization, and helped Hershey's coaching staff claim back-to-back Calder Cup championships in his first two seasons.

Shawn Fliszar

Head Athletic Trainer: Shawn Fliszar

Shawn Fliszar joined the Hershey Bears as assistant athletic trainer in December of 2020 after previously spending time in the ECHL. Prior to the 2022-23 season, he was promoted to head athletic trainer of the Bears.

Max Finley

Assistant Athletic Trainer: Max Finley

Max Finley joined the Hershey Bears in October 2022 following a two-year stint with the Bears' ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, as their head athletic trainer.

Kurtis Freter

Strength & Conditioning Coach: Kurtis Freter

Kurtis Freter was named Hershey’s strength & conditioning coach in 2023 and helped the Bears capture the 2024 Calder Cup championship in his first year with the club after spending the previous several seasons with the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League, most recently as the lead assistant, athletic performance. Freter joined Victoria full-time in 2020, overseeing the team's daily fitness initiatives, including workouts, lifts, mobility, and rehabilitation. Additionally, he served as the team's equipment manager and assisted with the organization's medical information.

Josh Carter

Head Equipment Manager: Josh Carter

Josh Carter has served as the head equipment manager of the Hershey Bears since the 2014-15 season.

Dillon Filepas

Assistant Equipment Manager: Dillon Filepas

Dillon Filepas joined the Chocolate and White as an assistant equipment manager for the 2017-18 season after previously working with the Bears from 2008-12.

Kyle Harris

Team & Equipment Services Administrator: Kyle Harris

Kyle Harris enters his first full season with the Bears as team and equipment services administrator after assisting the club's equipment staff for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

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