Todd Nelson (ice hockey)

Last updated
Todd Nelson
Stp 20170607 249 35035955292 o (40542569052).jpg
Nelson in 2017
Born (1969-05-15) May 15, 1969 (age 55)
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 201 lb (91 kg; 14 st 5 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Berlin Capitals
HIFK
Current AHL coachHershey Bears
Coached for Dallas Stars
Edmonton Oilers
NHL draft 79th overall, 1989
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 1990–2002
Coaching career 2003–present

Todd Nelson (born May 15, 1969) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional player. He is currently serving as the head coach of the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). He played 3 games in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals between 1991 and 1994. The rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1990 to 2002, was mainly spent in the minor leagues.

Contents

Playing career

Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Nelson played primarily in the minors and played just one game for the Penguins. Signed as a free agent by the Washington Capitals, he helped guide the Capitals' minor league affiliate Portland Pirates to the Calder Cup in 1994. He was inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame in 2007. Nelson played in just two games for the Washington Capitals, and played in the minors until his retirement in 2002.

Coaching career

Following his professional hockey career, Nelson moved into coaching. He was first the assistant coach/player coach for the Muskegon Fury of the UHL for the 2001–02 season. He was then an assistant coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL for the 2002–03 season before returning as head coach of the Muskegon Fury from 2003 to 2006. The Fury won the Colonial Cup his first two years as their coach. He moved on to be the assistant coach for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL from 2006 to 2008, who won the Calder Cup in his final season as an assistant.

On July 25, 2008, he accepted an assistant coaching position with the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL.

On July 15, 2010, he was introduced as the first head coach of the AHL's Oklahoma City Barons, affiliate of the NHL's Edmonton Oilers.

After the firing of Dallas Eakins on December 15, 2014, Nelson was promoted to head coach of the Oilers on an interim basis for the remainder of the 2014–15 NHL season. He was replaced as head coach by Todd McLellan on May 19, 2015. [1]

On June 16, 2015, Nelson was named the head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL). [2] Nelson became the third person ever to win the Calder Cup as a player (1994), assistant coach (2008), and head coach (2017), joining Bob Woods and Mike Stothers. [3]

On May 31, 2018, Nelson left the Griffins to become an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars in the NHL until his resignation on May 20, 2022. [4]

On August 11, 2022, Nelson was named the head coach of the Hershey Bears. He is the 28th head coach in team history.

On June 21st, Nelson coached the Hershey Bears to their 12th Calder Cup Championship in his first season as the head coach, beating the Coachella Valley Firebirds in overtime in game seven.

Personal life

Nelson is the older brother of Jeff Nelson and Kerri Nelson-Brunen, and is the father of Colton Nelson, former Division III hockey player at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1985–86 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 40000—————
1986–87 Prince Albert RaidersWHL351671040000
1987–88 Prince Albert RaidersWHL723212459103254
1988–89 Prince Albert RaidersWHL721445597241344
1989–90 Prince Albert RaidersWHL6913425588143121512
1990–91 Muskegon Lumberjacks IHL 420243230004
1991–92 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 10000—————
1991–92 Muskegon LumberjacksIHL80635414614111124
1992–93 Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL767354211540224
1993–94 Washington Capitals NHL2101240000
1993–94 Portland Pirates AHL 8011344569110666
1994–95 Portland PiratesAHL751035457670446
1995–96 Hershey Bears AHL701040503851238
1996–97 Grand Rapids Griffins IHL81318213251010
1997–98 Grand Rapids GriffinsIHL75621273630002
1998–99 Berlin Capitals DEL 445101526—————
1999–00 HIFK Helsinki FIN 41122—————
1999–00 Grand Rapids GriffinsIHL7321517471702210
2000–01 Rochester Americans AHL74620263240222
2001–02 Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL70228—————
2001–02 Muskegon Fury UHL 668253338172682
IHL Totals46428144172308462151722
NHL Totals3101240000

Coaching record

NHL

TeamYear Regular season Postseason
GamesWonLostOTLPointsFinishWonLostWin %Result
Edmonton Oilers 2014–15 5117259.4226th in Pacific———Missed playoffs
NHL Totals5117259.422————

Minor leagues

TeamYear Regular season Postseason
GamesWonLostOTLPointsFinishGamesWonLostResult
Muskegon Fury 2003–04 76472091033rd in Western11110Won Colonial Cup
Muskegon Fury 2004–05 80512091111st in Central17125Won Colonial Cup
Muskegon Fury 2005–06 76511871092nd in Central1266Lost in Round 2
Oklahoma City Barons 2010–11 80402911915th in West624Lost in Division Semifinals
Oklahoma City Barons 2011–12 7645229991st in West1486Lost in Conference Finals
Oklahoma City Barons 2012–13 76402511913rd in South17107Lost in Conference Finals
Oklahoma City Barons 2013–14 76362911833rd in West303Lost in Conference Quarterfinals
Grand Rapids Griffins 2015–16 7644302904th in Central954Lost in Division finals
Grand Rapids Griffins 2016–17 76472311002nd in Central19154Won Calder Cup
Grand Rapids Griffins 2017–18 7642259932nd in Central523Lost in Division semifinals
Hershey Bears 2022–23 7244199972nd in Atlantic20146Won Calder Cup
AHL Totals53629415354941—734231

Awards

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References

  1. ↑ Duhatschek, Eric (May 19, 2015). "Edmonton Oilers name Todd McLellan head coach". Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Todd Nelson named head coach of Griffins". June 19, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Ain't It Grand". Grand Rapids Griffins. June 13, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Todd Nelson talks about leaving Griffins for NHL: 'I have to go'". mlive.com. May 31, 2018.
Preceded by Interim Head Coach of the Edmonton Oilers
2014–15 		Succeeded by
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