Nelson hopes Calder Cup run with Capitals affiliate leads to NHL chance

Todd Nelson still holds strong NHL coaching ambitions.

The Hershey coach is back in the Calder Cup Final, a place where he has won the American Hockey League championship as a player (1994, Portland), assistant coach (2008, Chicago), and coach (2017, Grand Rapids).

Hershey (Washington Capitals) trails Coachella Valley (Seattle Kraken) 2-0 in the best-of-7 series. Hershey hosts Game 3 on Tuesday.

"I'd like an opportunity," Nelson said of the NHL. "I feel that I've accomplished quite a bit in my career. I've coached against [some of] those coaches that are up there now. There are only 32 [coaching] jobs in the National Hockey League. It's hard to crack the lineup up there.

"You just hope that you do a good job, and somebody recognizes it. I'm enjoying every day. My goal is to try to get to the National Hockey League as a head coach, but you've got to wait and see. Hopefully the body of work proves that I'm able to."

Following four seasons as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars, Nelson was on the market last summer. Hershey had a vacancy after coach Scott Allen had been promoted to Washington as an assistant. Nelson went 17-25-9 as interim coach of the Edmonton Oilers after replacing Dallas Eakins in 2014-15. He was also an assistant with the Atlanta Thrashers for two seasons (2008-2010).

He is 353-208-21 in eight AHL seasons with three teams. His 353 wins are 13th in AHL history.

Hershey has been a proven springboard to the NHL. Bruce Boudreau won the 2006 Calder Cup in Hershey and was eventually promoted to the Capitals. The Capitals named Spencer Carbery their new coach June 1; he was in Hershey for three seasons and was named the AHL's coach of the year for the 2020-21 season.

Nelson has built a reputation as someone who can strike a balance between a light, easygoing environment while maintaining demanding expectations. He develops players and does so in a consistently winning environment.

Hershey captain Dylan McIlrath played for Nelson in the Detroit Red Wings organization with Grand Rapids, winning the 2017 AHL championship there.

"He means business, and he earns your respect right away," McIlrath said. "He's definitely a guy that I figured out right away I really wanted to play with in Grand Rapids. You want to play for him, win for him."

McIlrath had already spent one season with Hershey and gave his teammates a full scouting report after Nelson's hiring.

"I was giving everyone warning that we were getting a [heck] of a coach," McIlrath said. "I didn't have to say much to get them on his side."

Nelson, who has 22 seasons of coaching experience, said he is still learning constantly. He also said that he has evolved to accommodate today's changing player.

"We're learning every day," Nelson said of coaches. "I'm learning from my assistants and vice versa. My experience in the National Hockey League has certainly helped, and so it's a situation where I think every coach evolves over time.

"Besides the system work that's evolving, the game of hockey's changed, so you've got to change your technical package. But with that being said, now you're also dealing with a different brand of athlete, just the way they are. They're information-driven."

The 54-year-old Nelson is in touch with today's player. Part of coaching in the AHL means dealing with players barely into their twenties who are dealing with the pressures of pro hockey for the first time as well as adjusting to adult life off the ice.

"The good thing is that I have two children myself," Nelson said, "and so I feel like I can relate to [players] because I'm dealing with my kids. They're the same age as what the players are now, so from that part I think I have a good advantage.

"Besides being a coach, you have to have good personal life skills. I feel you have to have a personality with the guys. When you're ticked off, they know it, [and it's] very serious, but also be a coach where they feel comfortable coming to talk to me if I if they have an issue going on in their personal life, hockey-related, or whatever it is. I have an open-door policy"

Photo courtesy: Mike Zitek/Coachella Valley Firebirds