Jared Nightingale leaves Caps' organization for IceHogs' bench boss job
Photo credit: NHL
The AHL's Rockford IceHogs have announced that Jared Nightingale will be the team's new head coach, following a successful season as head coach and director of hockey operations with ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays.
Nightingale replaces Mark Eton as the interim head coach of the IceHogs, the Chicago Blackhawks' AHL affiliate.
Jared Nightingale had previously served as assistant coach of the IceHogs from 2021-2024, before spending the 2024-25 season with the Stingrays.
The 42 year-old Nightingale had previously been associated with the Stingrays, playing for the club during the 2013-14 season as a defenseman.
'Jared Nightingale is coming home', the IceHogs announced in a post to the X account.
"Jared did a phenomenal job with South Carolina this past season in his first campaign as head coach," Chicago Blackhawks GM said in a statement. "A natural leader, Jared's confidence and direction behind the bench has produced a coaching style that is perfectly suited to help develop and advance our young prospects in Rockford."
Nightingale led the Stingrays to a 52-15-5 record and won the John Brophy Award as the ECHL's coach of the year. He set new franchise records for points (109), and wins (52) in a single season. South Carolina was awarded the Brabham Cup for the league's best record, it's first since 1997.
Following the hiring announcement, Nightingale shared a heartfelt goodbye to the Stingrays on social media: "I would like to thank Todd Halloran, Rob Concannon, Jason Fitzsimmons, the Washington Capitals, the Hershey Bears for their support and the opportunity to coach the Stingrays. It was a great experience, and I will be forever grateful for my time in Charleston."
Nightingale is the first coach in the Capitals organization to move on during the offseason, though he probably wont be the last. Mitch Love, the Capitals assistant coach, has been linked to the Penguins' head coaching position, and the successful Hershey Bears' head coach could potentially graduate to the NHL.
We wish them all the very best.
| POLL | ||
MAI 31 | 20 ANSWERS Jared Nightingale leaves Caps' organization for IceHogs' bench boss job Do you think that Jared Nightingale will eventually coach in the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 14 | 70 % |
| No | 6 | 30 % |
| List of polls | ||
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