2026 Clinic Details

Scott Allen concluded his fourth season as an Assistant Coach with the Capitals and his 30th season of coaching professional hockey. Allen is responsible for the Capitals’ penalty kill, which ranked tied for fourth in the NHL in penalty kill percentage in the 2024-25 season (82.0).

Prior to joining Washington, Allen spent three seasons with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). With Hershey, Allen served as an Assistant Coach for two seasons before being named the Bears’ Head Coach ahead of the 2021-22 season. Under Allen, Hershey finished with a record of 34-32-6-4, clinching a Calder Cup Playoff berth, and ranked tied for 11th in the AHL in goals against (209).

The New Bedford, Massachusetts native has coached professionally for 30 consecutive seasons, including Assistant Coach positions with the New York Islanders (2009-12), the Florida Panthers (2016-17) and the Arizona Coyotes (2017-19). With Arizona, Allen worked with the Coyotes’ defensemen and penalty kill. During the 2018-19 season, Arizona ranked tied for first in the NHL in penalty kill percentage (85.0) and tied for fifth in goals against per game (2.68). In Allen’s one season with Florida, the Panthers finished with the second-best penalty kill percentage in the NHL (85.3). Additionally, Allen has coached in the AHL for 14 seasons.

Allen played professionally for 10 seasons in the All-American Hockey League, Atlantic Coast Hockey League, Colonial Hockey League, Central Hockey League and ECHL. Allen, a forward, won back-to-back Kelly Cups with the Carolina Thunderbirds in 1989 and the Greensboro Monarchs in 1990.

Seth Appert is in his second season as an Assistant Coach for the Sabres after serving as Head Coach of the Rochester Americans from 2020 to 2024.

Appert compiled a record of 123-94-32 with Rochester and led the team to three consecutive Calder Cup Playoffs berths, including a run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022-23. In 2021-22, the Amerks won their first playoff series since 2005 under Appert.

Prior to joining the Amerks, he spent three years (2017-2020) alternating between the U18 and U17 teams at the United States National Team Development Program (NTDP) as a Head Coach. With the NTDP, Appert oversaw a development model that produced an NHL-record 17 draft picks in the 2019 NHL Draft, including eight first-round selections.

In 2018, Appert led the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team to a silver medal at the IIHF U18 World Championship and gold at the same tournament the year before as an Assistant Coach in 2017. His international resume also includes back-to-back years as an Assistant Coach with the U.S. National Team, winning a bronze medal at the IIHF World Championship in 2018.

Before accepting his role with USA Hockey, Appert spent 20 years in NCAA Division I collegiate hockey, including 11 seasons as Head Coach of the men’s program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) from 2006-17. He helped lead RPI to its first NCAA tournament in over 20 years in 2010-11.

Appert, who formerly served as President of the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA), also spent nine seasons as an Assistant Coach at the University of Denver (1997-06), where he helped the Pioneers to back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 2003-04 and 2004-05, as well as three WCHA playoff championships and two WCHA regular-season titles.

Prior to his coaching career, Appert spent four seasons as a goaltender at Ferris State University from 1992-96.

Peter Aubry joined the Oilers as Goaltending Coach ahead of the 2025-26 season after spending two years as an Associate Coach with Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA). Hailing from Windsor, Ontario, he makes his return to the NHL after spending eight seasons (2015-24) as the Chicago Blackhawks Developmental Goaltending Coach, as well as the Goaltending Coach for the team’s AHL affiliate in Rockford.

Aron Augustitus most recently served as a Video Coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is a hockey professional with eight seasons of NHL experience, including five years as a full-time member of an NHL coaching staff serving as both the Head and Assistant Video Coach. His extensive background in video analysis, player development, and on-ice instruction has allowed me to lead practices, design drills, and present detailed game insights to both the team and individual players.

Nolan Baumgartner was hired as an Assistant Coach with the Ottawa Senators on June 4, 2024. A Calgary native and a former first-round draft pick of the Washington Capitals, Baumgartner most recently served as an Assistant Coach with the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose from 2022 to 2024.

He previously worked with Senators Head Coach, Travis Green, where he served as an Assistant Coach with the Vancouver Canucks for four-plus campaigns from 2017 into early 2021. Prior to his time in Vancouver, the former NHL defenceman also spent four seasons with Green as an Assistant coach for Vancouver’s then AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, from 2013 through 2017.

Ian Beckenstein is a Video Coach with the Vancouver Canucks, where he has spent the past five seasons working in the organization, supporting players and coaches through video analysis and analytics. After three years with the club’s AHL affiliate, Ian joined the NHL coaching staff and just completed his second season with the Canucks. His experience spans both the developmental and NHL levels, providing a unique perspective on video coaching, player development, and the integration of analytics into the coaching process.

Jared Bednar is the only individual to win a championship in the NHL, AHL and ECHL as a Head Coach, and completed his 10th season as the Avalanche’s Head Coach. Hired on Aug. 25, 2016, Bednar is the second-longest tenured coach in the NHL behind only Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper (March 25, 2013).

Bednar guided the Avalanche to their fifth straight 100-point season and qualified for the playoffs for the ninth straight campaign. Colorado’s ninth consecutive playoff berths mark the second-longest stretch in franchise history behind an 11-year run from 1995-96 through 2005-06, as well as tied for the second-longest active streak in the NHL. Jared is the first coach in Avalanche/Nordiques history to lead his teams to nine consecutive postseason berths, passing Michel Bergeron for that honour in the 2024-25 season.

Bednar is the winningest coach in Avalanche/Nordiques franchise history with a 445-262-75 (.617) record in 782 regular-season games behind the bench. The 390 victories are the seventh-most by an NHL bench boss through his first 700 games. Going into the 2025-26 season playoffs, he owns a 52-35-1 (.591) record in 88 postseason contests, the sixth-best playoff winning percentage all time. Bednar, who signed a three-year extension through 2026-27 on March 21, 2023, also has the most playoff wins in franchise history.

Under Bednar’s tutelage, Colorado has produced an NHL-best 342-146-48 regular-season record since 2019-20, including a 55-16-11 record in 2025-26. The influx of victories that season elevated Bednar to 38th all-time on the coaching ledger as well as 10th in wins for a single franchise. The Head Coach recorded his 300th career victory on November 13, 2023, in Seattle, becoming the 53rd in NHL history to win 300 games and the 32nd to do it with one franchise. On that night, he tied Mike Keenan as the 12th fastest to 300 wins (550 contests).

Before the 2025-26 season, Bednar has overseen Nathan MacKinnon’s Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award campaign (2023-24) and Cale Makar taking home his second career Norris Trophy (2024-25). It’s the first time since 2017-18 and 2018-19 that a coach has been behind the bench for players that he coached winning a Hart and a Norris Trophy in consecutive seasons.

Bednar led the 2021-22 Avalanche to their most successful regular season in franchise history (56-19-7, 119 points) and continued that into the postseason with a 16-4 mark en route to capturing the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup championship completed the trio of league titles: Calder Cup with the Lake Erie Monsters in 2016 and a Kelly Cup with the South Carolina Stingrays in 2009. Colorado’s 72 combined regular-season and playoff victories in 2021-22 matched the NHL record set by the 1976-77 Canadiens, 1983-84 Oilers and 1995-96 Red Wings. Bednar coached the Central Division during the 2022 NHL All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, the first Avalanche bench boss to serve as a Head Coach at the All-Star Game. Bednar passed Bob Hartley for the most wins by an Avalanche coach (194) on November 24, 2021 and then became the franchise’s all-time winningest coach with his 266th victory on January 24, 2023, against the Washington Capitals.

The Saskatchewan native led the Avalanche to the Presidents’ Trophy and Honda West Division championship in 2020-21. The Avs, who finished last in the league in 2016-17, became the first NHL club to go from worst to first in four seasons or less since the 1970-71 Bruins.

A Jack Adams Award finalist during his second season in 2017-18, Bednar led the Avs to a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 43-30-9 record (95 points), a jump of 47 points from the previous year. Colorado’s 47-point turnaround equalled the fourth-highest year-to-year improvement in NHL history. He joined Harry Sinden in 1967-68 as the only coach in NHL history to record at least 20 more wins in their second season as a Head Coach than in his first. Sinden led the Bruins to 37 victories in 1967-68 after winning 17 games in 1966-67.

In 2019-20, Bednar guided the Avalanche to a second-place finish in the Central Division and the Western Conference with 92 points in 70 games during the shortened campaign. The Avs were two points behind St. Louis (94) but played one fewer contest when the regular season was paused and eventually concluded. The Avalanche tied Tampa Bay for the third-most points in the NHL behind the Blues and Bruins (100).

Prior to joining the Avalanche organization, Bednar guided the Columbus Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, to the 2016 Calder Cup championship. The Monsters finished second in the Central Division with a 43-22-6-5 record (97 points) and then proceeded to go 15-2 during the postseason, sweeping both the Western Conference Final and Calder Cup Final. Bednar served as the Head Coach of the Blue Jackets’ previous AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, in 2014-15, and also spent two seasons as the Head Coach of the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen from 2010-12. He began his coaching career as an Assistant Coach with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL in 2002-03. Bednar took over as the Stingrays’ Head Coach in 2007-08 and, in his second season, led South Carolina to the 2009 Kelly Cup championship. He posted a .654 winning percentage (89-45-9) in two years as an ECHL Head Coach. Jared was an Assistant Coach in the AHL with Abbotsford in 2009-10 and later served two seasons as an Assistant Coach with Springfield from 2012-14.

The defenceman played nine seasons of professional hockey, a career that spanned parts of eight seasons in the ECHL with the Huntington Blizzard and Stingrays (1993-2002), parts of three seasons in the AHL with the St. John’s Maple Leafs and Rochester Americans (1996-2000), and one season in the IHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 1998-99. He was part of two Kelly Cup championship teams as a player, 1997 and 2001, with South Carolina. Prior to turning pro, Bednar spent three seasons in the Western Hockey League from 1990-93, competing with the Saskatoon Blades, Spokane Chiefs, Medicine Hat Tigers and Prince Albert Raiders. Bednar was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2020.

Jeff Blashill was named Head Coach of the Chicago Blackhawks on May 22, 2025.

Blashill joined the organization after spending three seasons as an Assistant Coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he helped guide the club to consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.

Prior to his time with the Lightning, Blashill served as Head Coach of the Detroit Red Wings for seven seasons from 2015 to 2022. As Head Coach, the Red Wings logged a record of 204-261-72 in his 537 games. In the 2015-16 season, Blashill led Detroit to a 41-30-11 record, a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and his .567 points percentage marked the sixth-highest in Red Wings history for a first-year Head Coach. It also marked the team’s 25th consecutive season qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which is the third-longest such streak in NHL history. Blashill departed the Red Wings ranked fifth in franchise history in games coached (537) and sixth in wins (204).

The native of Detroit, Michigan, originally joined the Red Wings organization as an Assistant Coach ahead of the 2011-12 season, a position he held for just one season before being named Head Coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s American Hockey League affiliate. Blashill earned a regular-season record of 134-71-12-11 in his three seasons as Head Coach of the Griffins. He qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs in each to become the first Head Coach in Grand Rapids history to reach the postseason in three consecutive seasons. He finished with a 29-21 postseason AHL record, winning seven of nine career postseason series and leading the Griffins to their first Calder Cup championship in franchise history in 2013. Additionally, Blashill won the 2013-14 Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s most outstanding coach and was named a Head Coach for the 2014 AHL All-Star Classic.

On the international stage, Blashill served as Head Coach of Team USA three times at the IIHF World Championships (2017, 2018, and 2019), guiding the team to a bronze medal in 2018. He also worked as an Assistant Coach at both the 2022 IIHF World Championship and the 2009 World Junior Championship.

Blashill began his coaching career in 1998-99 as an Assistant Coach with his alma mater, Ferris State University, where he played for four seasons as a goaltender, before serving in the same role with Miami University for six seasons from 2002-08. He then took on a dual role as Head Coach and General Manager of the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League (USHL) for two seasons from 2008-10, securing a Clark Cup championship in 2009. Blashill would return to the collegiate ranks for one season as Head Coach of Western Michigan University in 2010-11 before joining the Red Wings in July 2011.

Steve has over 17 years of coaching experience spanning the NCAA, USHL, NAHL and NHL. His coaching career began shortly after his playing career ended, as he turned to running his own goalie schools and teaching players within his local community in Winnipeg.

Over the last 10 seasons, he served as a Goaltending coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Seattle Kraken, developing the likes of Frederick Anderson, Jack Campbell, Joeseph Woll, Joey Daccord, and Philipp Grubauer.

Bruce Cassidy most recently served as Head Coach of the Vegas Golden Knights for the last four seasons, guiding the Knights to three playoff appearances in his first three seasons with the team and leading the Knights to the Stanley Cup Championship in 2023.

Cassidy owns an overall record of 470-254-96 as a Head Coach in the NHL, to go with an additional 62 victories in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Before joining the Golden Knights in 2022, Cassidy served as Head Coach of the Boston Bruins, where he was promoted from Assistant Coach during the 2016-17 NHL season. During Cassidy’s tenure as the 28th Head Coach in Boston, the Bruins qualified for the postseason in each of his six seasons behind the bench. Cassidy and the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2019, falling short in seven games against the St. Louis Blues. In the following season, Cassidy led Boston to the best record in the NHL (44-14-12), and he won the Jack Adams Award as the top coach in 2019-20.

Before joining Boston as an Assistant Coach prior to the 2016-17 campaign, Cassidy spent five seasons (2011-16) as head coach of the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. In Providence, he led the team to an overall record of 207-128-45 in 380 games and qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs four times.

The 57-year-old has additional NHL experience with the Washington Capitals and was the team’s bench boss for two seasons (2002-2004). Cassidy coached the Capitals to a playoff appearance in his first season after compiling a record of 39-29-8 during the 2002-03 regular season.

A defenseman in his playing career, Cassidy appeared in 36 NHL games, all with the Chicago Blackhawks, and collected 17 points (4 G, 13 A). Cassidy also spent time playing in the AHL, OHL and IHL, as well as internationally in Germany and Italy. He was drafted by Chicago in the first round (18th overall) of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.

Andy Chiodo has spent the last seven seasons in the Penguins organization, including the last five (2021-26) as Goaltending Coach. Before that, Chiodo spent three seasons as the Penguins’ Goaltending Development Coach from 2018 to 2021, where he was responsible for working with young goaltending prospects throughout the Penguins organization in Europe, the minor leagues, juniors and college hockey.

Prior to his time within the Penguins organization, Chiodo spent the 2017-18 season as the Goaltending Coach for the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League.

Chiodo, a seventh-round (199th overall) draft pick by the Penguins in 2003, enjoyed a 14-year professional career in the NHL, American Hockey League, ECHL and in Europe. The goaltender played eight career NHL games, all with Pittsburgh, in the 2003-04 season.

Rich Clune joins the Penguins as an Assistant Coach after one season as an Assistant Coach with the Anaheim Ducks. Clune began his coaching career within the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, beginning as a Player Development Coach in 2022 and joining the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League as an Assistant Coach in 2023.

The 2018 Calder Cup Champion with the Marlies had a 15-plus year professional career across the NHL, AHL and ECHL. The Toronto, ON native played in 139 career NHL games with Los Angeles, Nashville and Toronto, posting 22 points. Clune is a veteran of 593 career AHL games with Iowa, Manchester, Milwaukee and Toronto, tallying 151 points. He concluded his playing career with a seven-year stint in Toronto’s organization, serving as an assistant captain from 2015-20 and captain from 2020-22 prior to retirement.

Clune was originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in the third round (71st overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft.

Pat Dwyer is in his second season as an Assistant Coach for the Minnesota Wild after being named to the position on Nov. 28, 2023. Dwyer originally joined the organization on July 5, 2023, as an Assistant Coach for the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Before his time in Iowa, Dwyer served as an Assistant Coach for the Chicago Wolves (AHL) for three seasons (2020-23), helping the team win a Calder Cup championship in 2021-22. He began his coaching career in 2019-20 as an Assistant Coach for the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).

As a player, Dwyer totalled 93 points in 416 NHL games as a forward with the Carolina Hurricanes from 2008 to 2015. The Great Falls, Mont. native also added 196 points across 345 AHL games with the Chicago Wolves (2005-06), Albany River Rats (2006-10) and Charlotte Checkers (2016-17). Dwyer also played three seasons of professional hockey overseas; he played for MODO Hockey in the SHL (2015-16), Sønderjyske in Denmark (2017-18) and the Belfast Giants in the EIHL (2018-19). Prior to his professional career, Dwyer played four seasons (2001-05) at Western Michigan University, where he served as captain during his senior year.

Matt Ellis concluded his fifth full season as an Assistant Coach with the Sabres after serving as an interim assistant during the 2020-21 campaign. Prior to being named an interim assistant coach in March 2021, Ellis served as Buffalo’s director of player development, a role he began in September 2020.

Ellis played in 356 NHL games over a nine-year career with the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings. He spent most of his pro career with the Sabres organization, skating in 286 games over the span of seven seasons in Buffalo. Ellis also played in 153 games over four seasons with the Rochester Americans (AHL), Buffalo’s current affiliate.

Following his retirement from playing in 2016, Ellis spent four seasons working as a development coach for the Academy of Hockey at LECOM Harborcenter before being named director in September 2019. In addition to his duties with the Academy, Ellis served as the head of coaching for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres beginning in April 2018. Ellis also coached several teams ranging from the 9U to 13U levels during his time with the organization.

Emily Engel-Natzke concluded her fourth season as the Washington Capitals Video Coach, having joined the Capitals ahead of the 2022 season. Engel-Natzke previously served as Video Coach for Washington’s AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

With Hershey, Engel-Natzke was responsible for producing opponent pre-scouts and coaching reports, as well as in-game and postgame video breakdowns.

The Fort Collins, Colorado, native previously worked with the University of Wisconsin’s men’s and women’s hockey teams as Video Coordinator from 2015-2017 and as Assistant Director of Operations/Video Coordinator with the men’s team from 2017-2020.

In addition, Engel-Natzke has worked with USA Hockey as a Video Coach for the U18 and Senior Women’s National Teams. Engel-Natzke was part of the gold-medal-winning staff for the U18 team at the 2018 Women’s World Championship in Dmitrov, Russia, and for the Senior Women’s team at the 2019 World Championship in Espoo, Finland.

Lawrence Feloney has been with the Nashville Predators since 2010, serving as the team’s Video Coach. Prior to joining the Predators, Feloney spent four seasons as the video coordinator for the American Hockey League’s Lowell Devils (2006-10).

Internationally, Feloney has served as a Video Coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the IIHF at the 2026, 2025 and 2017 tournaments.

The Natick, Mass., native began his career with the University of Massachusetts-Amherst men’s hockey team as a manager and video coordinator from 2003 to 2005.

Scott Ford brings more than 11 years of coaching experience, most recently serving as an Assistant Coach for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets from 2024 to 2026. Prior to joining Columbus, he spent eight seasons with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals (2015–2020, 2021–2024), helping guide the team to three Central Division titles, six playoff appearances, and two Western Conference Finals appearances. He also served as an Assistant Coach for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves during the 2020–21 season.

As a coach, Ford worked extensively with the Nashville Predators’ defensive prospects during his tenure in Milwaukee. He was responsible for NHL summer development camps and served as the defensive bench coach. Ford oversaw the penalty kill units with both Milwaukee (AHL) and Columbus (NHL), while also leading overall defensive play responsibilities. At both stops, he worked closely with forwards and defensemen on individual teaching, skill development, and execution within team systems and game structure.

Before transitioning into coaching, Ford enjoyed an 11-year professional playing career across the AHL and ECHL as a defenseman. Over 522 AHL games, he recorded 65 points (18 goals, 47 assists) and 762 penalty minutes while playing for the Cleveland Barons, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Milwaukee Admirals, and Providence Bruins. He also competed in the ECHL with the Dayton Bombers, Fresno Falcons, Trenton Titans, South Carolina Stingrays, and Utah Grizzlies between 2005 and 2015.

Ford played collegiate hockey at Brown University from 2000 to 2004, where he served as team captain during his senior season.

Brian Garlock enters his thirteenth season as a Video Coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning after spending three years under Head Coach Jon Cooper at both the Syracuse Crunch and the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League. He aids the staff in video scouting, game planning, and preparation.

Garlock previously spent time with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL and the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL as an Assistant Coach, where he also worked under Cooper.

Garlock hails from Big Rapids, Michigan, and, as a teenager, he played on the Big Rapids High School Varsity Ice Hockey Team for four years.

Neil Graham concluded his first season as an Assistant Coach with the Stars.

Graham spent the last six seasons as the Head Coach of the Texas Stars, Dallas’ affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), posting an 183-140-40 record in 363 regular-season games. Texas reached the Calder Cup Playoffs in all four of his seasons as Head Coach, in which the AHL postseason was played, most recently guiding the team to the 2025 Western Conference Final. Graham is responsible for developing core pieces of Dallas’ current roster, including Jake Oettinger, Jason Robertson, Thomas Harley, Lian Bichsel, Oskar Bäck and Mavrik Bourque.

During his tenure with Texas, he has coached three AHL Rookie of the Year winners (Riley Damiani, 2020-21, Logan Stankoven, 2023-24 and Justin Hryckowian, 2024-25) as well as the league’s scoring champion and MVP (Bourque, 2023-24), and leading goal-scorer (Matěj Blümel, 2024-25). He began his time with Texas during the 2019-20 campaign as an assistant coach before being appointed to the head coach position on Dec. 10, 2019.

Before making the move to the Texas Stars, Graham was the Head Coach of the Idaho Steelheads, the ECHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, from 2015 to 2019. Over that span, he amassed a 166-91-31 record in 288 regular-season contests and led Idaho to three consecutive 40-win seasons, guiding the Steelheads to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in all four seasons at the helm. Prior to being appointed head coach on Aug. 7, 2015, Graham served as Steelheads assistant coach for two seasons, after a role as a player/coach during the 2012-13 campaign.

The Calgary, Alberta native is a graduate of Mercyhurst University, where he played four seasons before turning pro. Graham recorded 60 points (23-37—60) and 128 penalty minutes over 137 NCAA games. He turned pro in 2010 and split three seasons between the ECHL and Southern Professional Hockey League, accruing 98 points (42-56—98) in 113 professional games.

Dave Hakstol was hired as an Assistant Coach for the Avalanche on July 8, 2025 and concluded his first season with the organization. He most recently was on an NHL bench when he was the first Head Coach of the Seattle Kraken, serving in that role from 2021 to 2024. In those three seasons, the Kraken posted a 107-112-27 record and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2022-23. That postseason, the team made it to the Second Round as a Wild Card on the heels of a 100-point campaign that made Hakstol a finalist for the 2023 Jack Adams Award. The Kraken improved by 19 wins and 40 standings points between seasons one and two with him as the bench boss. Hakstol spent the 2024-25 campaign as an Assistant Coach for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup.

A native of Drayton Valley, Alberta, Hakstol was behind the bench as an assistant for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019-20 and 2020-21, earning a postseason berth in both seasons. In that span, the club scored 423 goals and recorded a 21.7% power play, ranking tied for third and tied for eighth in the NHL, respectively. Prior to his tenure in Toronto, Hakstol was the Head Coach for the Philadelphia Flyers over parts of the 2015-19 seasons. The Flyers compiled a 134-101-42 regular-season record and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs twice under his tutelage.

Hakstol spent 15 seasons coaching at the University of North Dakota – his alma mater – before joining the Flyers. The final 11 of those campaigns saw Hakstol as the program’s Head Coach (2004-15). During that span, North Dakota recorded a 289-143-43 clip, reached the Frozen Four seven times, took home four conference playoff championships and three regular-season titles. He was selected as the Coach of the Year for his conference twice (2008-09 as Western Collegiate Hockey Association; 2014-15 as National Collegiate Hockey Conference).

Prior to joining North Dakota’s coaching ranks, Hakstol served as the Head Coach of the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League from 1996-00 and also held the title of General Manager his final season there. In his playing days, Hakstol played five seasons of pro hockey with the International Hockey League’s Minnesota Moose (1994-96) and the Indianapolis Ice (1991-94). The defenseman competed for North Dakota from 1989-92 and was the team captain in his final two seasons in Grand Forks.

On the international stage, Hakstol has won a silver medal twice as an assistant for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship in 2017 and 2019.

Dan Hinote was hired as an Assistant Coach on Jon Cooper’s staff on June 6, 2025 having previously spent the 2024-25 season as Associate Coach with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League. He helped the Eagles to the best record in the AHL’s Western Conference, going 43-21-5 with 94 points. Colorado led the AHL in goal differential with a plus-65, 13 better than second place, while leading the league in goals with 250 and ranking tied for fourth in goals against with 185. Hinote and the Eagles went on to fall to the Abbotsford Canucks in five games of their best-of-five series during the Division Finals of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

A native of Leesburg, Florida, Hinote began his coaching career with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2010-11 season. He spent four seasons behind the bench in Columbus before moving into a professional scouting role with the club. In 2018, he joined the United States National Team Development Program as an Associate Coach for Team USA’s U17 and U18 teams. Hinote helped Team USA to the Bronze Medal at the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championships. He then joined the Nashville Predators as Assistant Coach for the 2020-21 season, where they advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in three of his four seasons in Music City.

As a player, Hinote skated in 503 regular-season games with the Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues, recording 38 goals and 90 points. He also appeared in 72 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, during which he recorded six goals and 15 points. Hinote won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001, skating in all 23 games during the postseason.

Christian Hmura joined the New York Rangers ahead of the 2023–24 season as the club’s Skills & Performance Development Coach, bringing with him a reputation as one of hockey’s top skating and skills specialists.

Prior to joining the Rangers, Hmura served as Hockey Director and Head Coach at Chicago Mission AAA, where he led multiple teams to national and league championships and helped develop numerous high-end prospects. He also founded Hmura Hockey Development (HHD), a training system known for emphasizing skating mechanics as the foundation for elite-level skill development.

A former junior and Tier I player, Hmura transitioned to coaching at just 19 years old after his playing career was cut short due to concussions. His coaching style blends technical precision with progressive teaching methods, and he is widely regarded for his ability to improve player speed, agility, and puck control.

With the Rangers, Hmura works with both prospects and NHL players, contributing to off-season and in-season skill development across the organization.

Jason King is in his second season as an Assistant Coach for the Minnesota Wild. He joined the Wild after spending three seasons (2020-23) as an Assistant Coach with the Vancouver Canucks.

Before joining the Canucks coaching staff, the Corner Brook, Newfoundland, native spent five seasons (2016-20) as an Assistant Coach with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Utica Comets, and spent three seasons (2013-15) with the St. John’s Ice Caps (AHL), two as an Assistant Coach and one as the Director of Hockey Operations. In his first season as an Assistant Coach with the Ice Caps, King helped the team advance to their first-ever Calder Cup Final and a franchise record 99 points.

A former left-shot forward, King was drafted by Vancouver in the seventh round (212th overall) in the 2001 NHL Draft and played professional hockey for 11 seasons (2002-2013), including stops in the NHL, AHL, SEL (Sweden) and DEL (Germany). He appeared in 59 games over a span of three seasons in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks, recording 23 points and eight penalty minutes (PIM). In five seasons in the AHL, he registered 190 points and 138 PIM in 239 games with the Manitoba Moose, Portland Pirates and Ice Caps.

Kris Knoblauch most recently served as Head Coach of the Edmonton Oilers for the last three seasons, guiding the Oilers to three consecutive playoff appearances, including two trips to the Stanley Cup final in 2023-24 and 2024-25. He amassed a record of 135-77-21 (.624) points percentage in 233 regular-season games.

Prior to joining the Oilers, Knoblauch had previously been at the helm of the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, since the 2019-20 season. Compiling a record of 119-90-32 during his four-plus seasons behind the bench, he guided Hartford to the third round of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Prior to his time in Hartford, the Imperial, Saskatchewan native spent four-plus seasons in the OHL with the Erie Otters. After serving as Head Coach during the 2012-13 season, Knoblauch led the Otters to an unprecedented CHL record four consecutive 50-win seasons. Following their appearance in the OHL Final in 2014-15 and their OHL Coach of the Year award in 2015-16, the Otters claimed the league title in 2017.

From Erie, Knoblauch joined the Philadelphia Flyers as an Assistant Coach during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. In July of 2019, he was named the seventh Head Coach in Hartford Wolf Pack history.

Beginning his coaching career in 2006-07, Knoblauch joined the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, serving as an Assistant Coach before moving to the Kootenay Ice in 2007-08. Eventually taking over as Head Coach for two seasons beginning in 2010-11, the Knoblauch-led Ice claimed the WHL championship in his first season at the helm.

As a player, Knoblauch made 213 WHL appearances over five seasons with the Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton/Kootenay Ice, and Lethbridge Hurricanes from 1995-96 through 1998-99. Following his junior career and before moving behind the bench, he suited up for five seasons at the University of Alberta and one season with the Central Hockey League’s Austin Ice Bats.

Jamie Kompon was named Assistant Coach on August 10, 2022.

Kompon helped guide Florida to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final in his first season on the coaching staff and became a four-time Stanley Cup champion in 2025, when the Panthers won back-to-back titles.

He previously served as an Assistant Coach under Paul Maurice with the Winnipeg Jets from 2016 to 22. He also spent two seasons (2012-14) as an Assistant Coach with the Chicago Blackhawks and six seasons (2006-12) as an Assistant Coach with the Los Angeles Kings, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with Los Angeles in 2012 and Chicago in 2013. Kompon also spent nine seasons (1997-06) with the St. Louis Blues organization, serving in various hockey operations roles including Video Coach, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Assistant Coach and Scouting Coordinator.

Outside of the NHL, Kompon served as the General Manager and Head Coach of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) during the 2014 to 2016 seasons, where Portland earned playoff berths in both seasons and reached the Western Conference Final in 2014-15. He also spent the 1996-97 season with the Baltimore Bandits of the American Hockey League (AHL) as an Assistant Coach.

On the international stage, Kompon served as Video Coach for Team Canada at the 2006 IIHF World Championship and Assistant Coach for Team Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Kompon is a graduate of McGill University, where he skated four seasons (1985 to 1989) as a defenseman before spending two seasons (1989-90 to 1990-91) in the ECHL with the Hampton Roads Admirals, Cincinnati Cyclones and Winston-Salem Thunderbirds. His coaching career began when he served on the coaching staff at his alma mater from 1991-92 to 1995-96. He was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.

Jay Leach becomes the ninth Head Coach in Wolf Pack history. He joins the Rangers organization with 12 years of coaching experience, including four seasons as a Head Coach in the AHL. Leach most recently served as an Assistant Coach with the Boston Bruins for the past two seasons (2024-25 and 2025-26) and spent three seasons with the Seattle Kraken as an Assistant Coach (2021-22 – 2023-24).

Prior to making the jump to the NHL in 2021, the Syracuse, New York native served as Head Coach for four seasons for the Providence Bruins of the AHL (2017-18 – 2020-21). Over Leach’s tenure as Head Coach with Providence, the team posted a 136-77-26 (W-L-OTL/SOL) record in 239 games. During this span, Providence won back-to-back Atlantic Division titles in 2019-20 and 2020-21. As an assistant with Providence in 2016-17, he helped them reach the AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals.

Before joining the Bruins organization, Leach spent the 2015-16 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He began the season as an Assistant Coach before being named Interim Head Coach and then serving as an Associate Coach. He made his coaching debut as an Assistant Coach with the Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany (2014-15).

A fifth-round selection, 115th overall, of the Phoenix Coyotes in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Leach appeared in 70 NHL games across five seasons between the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks. Leach played 12 seasons of professional hockey prior to the start of his coaching career.

Kenny McCudden concluded his third season as Assistant Coach & Skills Coach with the Capitals, having been named to the staff on July 20, 2023.

McCudden joined the Capitals from the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he spent eight seasons as an Assistant Coach (2015-2023). During his eight seasons with Columbus, McCudden worked closely with Blue Jackets players, including Seth Jones, Cam Atkinson, Zach Werenski, Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand, who all registered career highs in points during his tenure. In 2016-2017, McCudden was part of Jack Adams Award-winning John Tortorella’s coaching staff.

A Chicago native, McCudden joined the Blue Jackets in 2015 as a Skills Coach after spending 16 seasons as the Skating and Skills Coach for the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Chicago Wolves.

With Chicago, McCudden helped the Wolves advance to the 2005 Calder Cup Finals and capture the Calder Cup championship in 2008. In 2019, McCudden was inducted into the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame.

McCudden has worked with numerous NHL players and prospects as a Skills Coach and instructed at development camps for the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers. In addition, McCudden served as the Skating and Skills Coach for the United States Women’s National Team from 2011-14 and as a Scout for the silver medal-winning squad at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Dan Muse was named the Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 4, 2025. Muse led Pittsburgh to a 41-25-16 record and 98 points in 2025-26, helping the Penguins reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign. His 41 wins were tied for the third-most in franchise history by a coach in their first year with the team, and his 98 points tied a franchise record for most points accumulated by a coach in their first year. After a successful first season with the Penguins, Muse was named a finalist for the 2025-26 Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year. Muse is just the third coach in franchise history to be named a Jack Adams Award finalist, along with Dan Bylsma (2010-11) and Michel Therrien (2006-07). He would also become just the 10^th Head Coach to win the Jack Adams in their first year coaching in NHL history.

Muse joined the Penguins with 21 years of coaching experience, including five seasons in the NHL as an Assistant Coach with the New York Rangers (2023-25) and Nashville Predators (2017-20). Muse helped guide his teams to three divisional titles (Nashville in 2017-18 and 2018-19; New York in 2023-24), as well as two Presidents’ Trophies during his five seasons in the NHL, with Nashville and New York achieving the feat in 2017-18 and 2023-24, respectively.

As part of his duties, Muse ran Nashville’s penalty killing unit, which ranked fourth overall in the NHL over his two full seasons (2017-19) with the club. He assumed the same role with New York from 2023-25, helping the Rangers’ penalty kill to the fourth-highest PK success rate and second-best net penalty killing percentage in that span.

A native of Canton, Massachusetts, Muse has won championships at the NCAA, USHL, and IIHF U18 and U20 levels.

Muse began his coaching career at the collegiate level, primarily spending six seasons with Yale University as an Assistant Coach (2009-14) and Associate Head Coach (2015), helping the Bulldogs to the National Championship in 2013. Prior to Yale, he spent one season at Sacred Heart University (2008-09) and Williams College (2007-08) after beginning his coaching career at Milton Academy in 2005.

Following his time at the NCAA level, Muse served as the Head Coach of the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL) from 2015-17. During the 2016-17 season, Muse led Chicago to the top record in the Eastern Conference and third-best record in the USHL en route to the franchise’s first-ever Clark Cup Championship.

Muse has substantial experience with USA Hockey, serving as a Head Coach at the National Team Development Program from 2020-23. Muse served as the Head Coach of the U18 Team in 2020-21 and 2022-23, leading the squad to the gold medal at the 2023 World U18 Championship. That season, the team set a single-season NTDP record with 16 wins over NCAA opponents during the regular season under Muse’s leadership. He spent the 2021-22 season as the Head Coach of the U17 Team. Throughout his three years with the Program, Muse coached the likes of forwards Rutger McGroarty, Ryan Leonard and Will Smith as well as defencemen Zeev Buium and Luke Hughes during their development stages.

Additionally, on the international stage, Muse served as the Video Coach at two World Junior Championships (2013 & 2014), winning a gold medal in 2013.

Muse graduated from Stonehill College in 2005, where he enjoyed a four-year playing career before moving into coaching.

Nick Neary concluded his sixth season with the Bruins organization, and first with Boston, after serving as the Providence Bruins Video Coordinator since February 2021. Neary previously served as a Video Coordinator at USA Hockey’s Women’s National Festival in August 2019. Following his role with USA Hockey, he went on to earn the title of Director of Hockey Operations for the women’s hockey team at Holy Cross. The Pelham, New Hampshire native graduated from Elmira College in 2019.

Todd Nelson makes his return to the NHL level in the 2025-26 season as an Assistant Coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins after spending the last three seasons as Head Coach of the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League from 2022 to 2025. Nelson’s brief but successful tenure with Hershey included guiding them to back-to-back Calder Cup Championships in 2023 and ’24, and for his efforts, he was awarded the 2024 Louis AR Pieri Memorial Award, given to the AHL Coach of the Year. While with Hershey, Nelson established a new AHL record, winning nine consecutive playoff series with the club. Overall with the Bears, Nelson went 141-53-12-10 for a .755 points percentage.

A native of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Nelson’s full body of work includes over 20 years of coaching experience, including stints at the NHL and AHL in various roles. At the NHL level, Nelson briefly served as Head Coach of the Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15 and also had stops with the Dallas Stars (2018-22) and Atlanta Thrashers (2008-10), both as an Assistant Coach.

At the AHL level, Nelson has served as Head Coach with Hershey (2022-25), Grand Rapids (2015-18) and Oklahoma City (2010-15), winning the Calder Cup Championship on three separate occasions (2024, ’23, ’17), making him one of just six coaches in AHL history to win three league championships. Overall, his 450 regular-season wins at the AHL level rank fifth all-time, while his 73 postseason victories are the third most in AHL history. Nelson was also an Assistant Coach with Chicago from 2006-08 and Grand Rapids from 2002-03.

Nelson, who was drafted by the Penguins in the fourth round (79^th overall) of the 1989 NHL Draft, enjoyed an 11-year professional career across the NHL, AHL and Europe. The defenseman appeared in one game for the Penguins in 1991.

Davis Payne was appointed as an Assistant Coach of the Winnipeg Jets on June 17, 2024.

Prior to joining the Jets, Payne served as an Assistant Coach for the Ottawa Senators for five seasons from 2019 to 2024. The product of Kamloops, B.C., has worked for the Buffalo Sabres as an Associate Coach from 2017 to 2019, the Los Angeles Kings as an Assistant Coach from 2012 to 2017, and the St. Louis Blues as Head Coach from 2009 to 2012. Payne won a Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014.

Has also served as an Assistant and Head Coach for the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen from 2007 until he was hired as Blues Head Coach during the 2009-10 season. Payne got his coaching start working in the ECHL as an Assistant for the Greenville Growl in 2000-01 before he worked as a Head Coach for the Pee Dee Pride (2000-03) and the Alaska Aces (2003-2007), where he won the 2006 Kelly Cup. Payne has worked with forwards and power plays during his NHL coaching career and has produced a number of successful players and top-10 power plays along the way.

Payne was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the seventh round (140th overall) in the 1989 NHL Draft. He played 22 games for the Boston Bruins as part of his eight professional seasons and recorded an assist and 14 PIMs.

Michael Peca joined the Chicago Blackhawks as an Assistant Coach on May 25, 2025, ahead of the 2025–26 season.

Peca, most recently an Assistant Coach with the New York Rangers from 2023 to 25. In his first season during the 2023-24 campaign, Peca helped the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final and a Presidents’ Trophy after finishing the season with a league-leading 55-23-4 record and 114 points. He spent two seasons as an Assistant with the Rochester Americans (AHL), the Rangers’ affiliate, from 2021-23 and began his NHL coaching career as a Development Coach with the Washington Capitals during the 2020-21 season.

The Toronto, Ont. native was originally selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the second round (40th overall) of the 1992 NHL Draft and went on to play 14 NHL seasons with the Canucks (1993-95), Buffalo Sabres (1995-2000), New York Islanders (2001-04), Edmonton Oilers (2005-06), Toronto Maple Leafs (2006-07) and Columbus Blue Jackets (2007-09). In his career, he totalled 465 points (176G, 289A) in 864 career games and has posted 34 points (15G, 19A) in 97 career postseason contests. He captained the Sabres to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999 and was also part of the “Cinderella Story” Edmonton Oilers team in 2006, where they eventually fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 7. The forward won two Frank J. Selke Trophies (1997, 2002) and an Olympic Gold Medal with Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Adam Purner most recently served as an Assistant Video Coach for the Seattle Kraken during the 2025-26 season. Prior to joining the Kraken, Purner served as Video Coach for Hershey for three seasons after he joined the staff in 2022. The Glens Falls, New York native helped Hershey to back-to-back Calder Cup titles in 2023 and 2024.

In Purner’s tenure with Hershey, the Bears posted a 141-53-12-10 record in 216 regular-season games, for a points percentage of .704. Hershey won the Atlantic Division twice in that time span, while also claiming the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy in 2023-24 as the AHL’s regular season champions. In 2025, the Bears defeated the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3-2 in the best-of-five Atlantic Division Finals to win their ninth consecutive playoff series during Purner’s run (2023, 4; 2024, 4, 2025, 1), establishing a new AHL record.

Prior to joining Hershey, Purner spent two seasons working as Video Coach for the New Jersey Devils’ AHL affiliate (Binghamton 2020-21, Utica 2021-22). He has also worked with USA Hockey, serving as the Video Coordinator for the Women’s National Team at the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Additionally, Purner was a Goalie Video Analyst for the St. Louis Blues in 2020, and worked for the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks as a Hockey Video Coordinator from 2016-19, and held the title of Video Coach in 2019-20.

Aaron Schneekloth was named Assistant Coach of the Seattle Kraken on June 17, 2025. He joined the Kraken after spending 19 seasons with the Colorado Eagles organization, including seven as a player and 12 behind the bench.

In four seasons as head coach for Colorado in both the AHL and ECHL, Schneekloth compiled an overall record of 178-84-26, leading his teams to the postseason each year, including back-to-back Kelly Cup Championships in 2017 and 2018. At the AHL level, he posted an 83-46-15 record, with 11 players making their NHL debuts with the Colorado Avalanche during his tenure.

Schneekloth recently completed his second season as an AHL head coach after spending the previous 10 years on the Eagles’ coaching staff. During Colorado’s time as the Avalanche’s ECHL affiliate, he guided the team to consecutive Kelly Cup titles in 2016-17 and 2017-18, posting a combined regular-season record of 95-38-11 (.698) and a 32-12 playoff mark. The Calgary, Alberta native finished runner-up for ECHL Coach of the Year in both championship seasons.

Before becoming head coach, Schneekloth served as an assistant coach under Greg Cronin for five seasons after the Eagles transitioned to the AHL in 2018-19. He began his coaching career with the ECHL Eagles in 2013-14, spending three years as an assistant before taking over as head coach in 2016-17.

A former defenseman, Schneekloth played 11 professional seasons, including his final seven with the Eagles, helping the club capture a Central Hockey League championship in 2007. He was named ECHL Defenseman of the Year in 2012 and earned CHL Most Outstanding Defenseman honors in both 2009 and 2010. A four-time All-Star, Schneekloth was named to both the CHL All-Decade Team and the Colorado Eagles All-Decade Team. He also earned All-ECHL Team honors in 2012 and was selected to the All-CHL Team three times (2008, 2009, 2010).

Schneekloth retired in 2013 as the Eagles’ all-time leader among defensemen in points (356), goals (111), and assists (245). Prior to turning professional, he won an NCAA championship with the University of North Dakota in 2000.

Over the course of his playing career, Schneekloth appeared in more than 600 professional games across the AHL, ECHL, and CHL, with notable stints for the St. John’s Maple Leafs, Houston Aeros, and Colorado Eagles.

Ben Sexton completed his third season as an Assistant Coach with the Ottawa Senators, having joined the NHL coaching staff ahead of the 2023–24 season. A former forward and seventh-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins in 2009, Sexton played seven professional seasons before transitioning into coaching.

He began his coaching career with Ottawa’s AHL affiliate in Belleville, where he served as an Assistant Coach from 2021 to 2023. During his time with the club, Sexton played a key role in developing young talent and helped guide Belleville to its first Calder Cup Playoff appearance in franchise history, including helping the club to its first-ever trip to the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2022.

Prior to coaching, Sexton appeared in over 200 AHL games with Providence, Belleville, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and made his NHL debut with the Senators during the 2017–18 season. He retired from professional hockey in 2020 after dealing with post-concussion symptoms.

A native of Ottawa, Sexton played four seasons at Clarkson University, where he served as a two-time captain and was recognized for his leadership and two-way play.

Brad Sahw was named an Assistant Coach on May 27, 2025, having joined New Jersey after spending three seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Shaw finished the 2024-25 season as the Flyers’ Interim Head Coach, taking over from John Tortorella on March 27, 2025, and posting a 5-3-1 record. Shaw was originally hired as an Associate Coach on July 5, 2022.

Shaw served as an Assistant Coach for the Vancouver Canucks during the 2021-22 season and for the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2016-21. Columbus reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in four of his five years there.

Before his time in Columbus, Shaw served as a member of the St. Louis Blues coaching staff for ten seasons, from 2006-12 as Assistant Coach and as an Associate Coach from 2012-16. Shaw was behind the bench when current Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Devils, Martin Brodeur, played his final NHL season with the Blues in 2014-15, and as Brodeur took the role of Assistant General Manager in 2015-16.

Shaw has an extensive coaching resume, also serving as an Assistant with the New York Islanders during the 2005-06 season and finishing the year as the team’s Interim Head Coach, replacing Steve Stirling, where he coached the Islanders to an 18-18-4 record.

He served as Head Coach of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (AHL) from 2002-05 and as an Assistant in the AHL with the Springfield Falcons (2001-02). In 2000-01, Shaw served as the Head Coach of the Detroit Vipers (IHL), where he coached current Devils’ Head Coach Sheldon Keefe, who was in his first professional season. Shaw started his coaching career as a player-coach with the Vipers in three of his last four professional playing seasons before his final NHL playing stint.

Internationally, Shaw served as an Assistant Coach for Team Europe on Ralph Krueger’s staff for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Born April 28, 1964, the native of Cambridge, Ontario, was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the fifth round, 86th overall, in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. The right-handed shot defenseman played in 377 career regular-season NHL games, accumulating 159 points (22 goals, 137 assists) and 208 penalty minutes with Hartford (212), Ottawa (149), Washington (4), and St. Louis (12) from 1985-86 to 1994-95 and 1998-99. He added 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 23 Stanley Cup Playoff games with Hartford (19) and St. Louis (4).

Anders Sorensen was named Assistant Coach on Jeff Blashill’s staff on May 27, 2025, after serving as Interim Head Coach since December 5, 2024. He finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 17-30-9 record in 56 games.

Before joining the Blackhawks, Sorensen was the Head Coach of Chicago’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, for three seasons from 2022-24 after being named Interim Head Coach on November 6, 2021.

In those three campaigns, Sorensen coached the IceHogs to a 117-89-16-7 record in 229 games, reaching the postseason in all three seasons. He originally joined the Blackhawks organization as a Development Coach in 2014-15, a role he remained in for five seasons until being named an Assistant Coach with Rockford beginning in 2018-19. Sorensen was promoted to Associate Coach ahead of the 2021-22 season before taking over as Interim Head Coach six games into the season.

He earned a 35-26-5 record as Interim Head Coach and guided the team to its first Calder Cup Playoffs berth for the first time since the 2017-18 season. He was also an Assistant Coach and Interim Head Coach of the Södertälje SK of HockeyAllsvenskan from 2011 to 2014. Internationally, the Södertälje, Sweden native served as an Assistant Coach for Team Sweden during the 2025 and 2026 IIHF World Championships and 2026 Winter Olympics.

Sorensen played one season in the ECHL with both the Mobile Mysticks and Baton Rouge Kingfish, compiling four points (3G, 1A) in 37 games during the 1999-2000 campaign.

Steve Spott wrapped up his first year as an Assistant Coach with the Bruins, as he joined Marco Sturm’s staff on June 20, 2025. He has spent the previous 12 seasons in the NHL as an Assistant Coach with the Dallas Stars (2022-2025), Vegas Golden Knights (2020-2022), San Jose Sharks (2015-2019) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (2014-15).

He moved into the pro ranks as the Head Coach of the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. He started his coaching career with 16 seasons in junior hockey in the OHL as an Assistant Coach with the Plymouth Whalers from 1997-2000, as Associate Coach with the Plymouth Whalers from 2000-01, Assistant General Manager and Assistant Coach of the Kitchener Rangers (2001-2008) and as the General Manager and Head Coach of Kitchener Rangers in his final junior season in 2008-09.

He served as the Assistant Coach for Team Canada in the 2010 (Silver medal) and 2013 World Junior Championships. Led his teams to the 2003 and 2008 OHL Championship and the 2003 Memorial Cup Championship.

\He played four seasons of college hockey at Colgate University with 75-73=148 totals in 131 career college games, advancing to the Frozen Four Final in 1990.

Jeff Ulmer joined the San Jose Sharks as an Assistant Coach on July 3, 2024, after serving as an Assistant Coach with the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL for the previous three seasons, where he oversaw the team’s power play and forwards.

Ulmer oversaw the development of seven forwards who appeared on the 2023-24 NHL Pacific Division champion Vancouver Canucks over the course of the season, including AHL All-Star Classic participant, 23-year-old Arshdeep Bains, who finished second in scoring on the AHL Canucks with 55 points on the year.

The club finished second in the AHL’s Pacific Division in scoring in 2023-24, tied for third in the Western Conference and sixth in the AHL with 234 markers in 72 games. In his first year with Abbotsford, the Canucks finished second in the Pacific Division on the man-advantage as the special teams unit clicked at a 23.0-percent clip.

Before his post in Abbotsford, Ulmer spent two years as Director of Player Development and as a Skills Coordinator with the Arizona Coyotes.

Jay Varady joins the Flyers after serving as Assistant Coach for the Detroit Red Wings for the past three seasons (2022-25). During his time with the Red Wings, they held a 115-104-27 record in 246 regular-season games.

Before joining the Red Wings, Varady served as Head Coach of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners for three seasons (2018–20, 2021–22), compiling a 93-84-17 record over 194 regular-season games. He led the team to its first-ever Pacific Division title in 2019–20. During the 2020–21 COVID-impacted season, he joined the Arizona Coyotes, Tucson’s NHL affiliate, as an Assistant Coach under now Head Coach, Rick Tocchet.

Varady’s coaching career includes a stint as Head Coach of the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he guided the team to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in franchise history during the 2017-18 season. He also served as Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League (USHL) from 2013-17.

As a native of Cahokia, IL, Varady has coached for Team USA on four occasions. He served as Video Coach for the U.S. Under-20 team at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship, helping guide the team to a silver medal. In 2011, he was an Assistant Coach at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Varady later led the U.S. Under-19 team to gold medals as Head Coach at the World Junior A Challenge in both 2014 and 2016.

Brian Wiseman concluded his fourth season as an Assistant Coach with the San Jose Sharks, having joined the team in 2022.

Wiseman previously served three seasons from 2019 to 2022 as an Assistant Coach for the Edmonton Oilers under Head Coaches Dave Tippett and Jay Woodcroft, where he focused on offensive strategy, face-offs and game preparation. During his tenure, the Oilers went 121-71-17 and were 12th in the NHL in wins, eighth in goals scored (691) and tied for 12th in faceoff percentage (50.3 percent). In Edmonton’s Western Conference Final appearance in 2022, the team was third among all playoff teams in goals per game (4.06).

Prior to his time with the Oilers, Wiseman spent eight seasons as an Assistant Coach at the University of Michigan, which included the program’s appearance in the 2018 Frozen Four. He also served as an Assistant Coach with the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2010-11, which included a Calder Cup Final appearance, and served as the Video Coach in 2002-03 with the Dallas Stars.

During his professional playing career, Wiseman primarily played in the International Hockey League (IHL) with the Chicago Wolves and Houston Aeros, appearing in 375 games. In the 1998-99 season, he won the Turner Cup with Houston and led the league in points, eventually being named the IHL’s Most Valuable Player in both the regular season and postseason. Wiseman spent his collegiate career with the University of Michigan over four years, where he recorded 249 points (84 goals, 165 assists) in 166 NCAA games. He was named captain of the Wolverines his senior year, named NCAA Rookie of the year in 1990-91, and was a Hobey Baker Finalist in 1993-94.

Bob Woods has more than two decades of NHL coaching experience and most recently served as an Assistant Coach with the Seattle Kraken during the 2024–25 season.

A native of Leroy, Saskatchewan, Woods began his coaching career as a player-assistant with the ECHL’s Mississippi Sea Wolves before joining the AHL’s Hershey Bears in 2005. He was promoted to Head Coach in 2008 and captured the 2009 Calder Cup championship with the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

His success in the AHL led to his first NHL role as an Assistant Coach with the Washington Capitals. Over the past 20 years, Woods has served as an Assistant Coach with the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, and Seattle Kraken.

In 2025, Woods appeared in his 1,000th NHL game as an Assistant Coach, earning recognition for his ability to develop defensemen and manage special teams. He was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2012, honouring his dual legacy as both a standout player and a respected coach.

As a player, Woods enjoyed a 12-year professional career from 1989 to 2001 as a defenseman, spending much of his time in the ECHL, where he set league records for goals by a defenseman (159) and ranked among the all-time leaders in points at his position. He also played in the AHL, IHL, and overseas, demonstrating the skill and leadership that later defined his coaching career.