Derek King Expected to be Named Hershey Bears' Head Coach
Hershey Bears
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The chatter started picking up again over the weekend about the Hershey Bears head coaching vacancy, the final such vacancy in the American Hockey League (AHL) this offseason, and by the end of the week multiple sources confirmed to InsideAHLHockey.com that a new head coach hire was on the horizon.
Monday morning, the Hershey Bears announced they would be announcing their new head coach hire.
It appears that Derek King's name has come to the forefront amongst the chatter that picked up as the weekend moved along.
King, 58, was an assistant coach with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks in 2024-25 and had been with the organization for nine years prior to his departure this summer with the hiring of new head coach Jeff Blashill and assistants Michael Peca and Mike Vellucci in Chicago.
Prior to being the Blackhawks assistant coach (2022-25), King was the NHL club's interim head coach during the 2021-22 season - replacing () after starting the year as the head coach of the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate in Rockford.
In all, King has been an AHL head coach in parts of four seasons in addition to time as an interim NHL head coach as well as numerous seasons as an assistant coach in both the NHL and AHL.
As an assistant coach and an associate coach with the AHL's Toronto Marlies (2009-15), King helped steer the Marlies to three straight division titles as well as a Western Conference Championship in 2012.
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