Latest news with #NickBonino
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Penguins fill out Dan Muse's coaching staff
This article originally appeared on First-year coach Dan Muse's staff will include two assistants who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Make that three, if you include goalie coach Andy Chiodo, who Muse has decided to retain. Advertisement The other two are Nick Bonino, a bottom-six center on the Penguins' Stanley Cup-winning teams in 2016 and 2017, and Todd Nelson, a defenseman who was the team's fourth-round draft choice in 1989 and played one game with them in 1991. In addition, former NHL winger Rich Clune was hired as an assistant, while Troy Paquette was brought in as an assistant video coach. Click here to read more from Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
New York Times
20-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Penguins hire Nick Bonino, Todd Nelson as assistant coaches, retain goalie coach Andy Chiodo
PITTSBURGH — Dan Muse's coaching staff is complete. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Friday that the assistant coaches who will surround the first-year head coach include former Penguins center Nick Bonino, former Hershey Bears head coach Todd Nelson, former Anaheim Ducks assistant coach Rich Clune and former Toronto Marlies video coach Troy Paquette, who will become an assistant video coach for the Penguins under video coach Madison Nikkel. Goaltending coach Andy Chiodo will remain on the staff. Let's take a look at each coach a bit more closely: Why he makes sense: One of the most respected and cerebral members of the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup champion Penguins, Bonino has never coached before but seems to have some natural attributes for the role. Former Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was fond of saying that a few of his players on that team — he would always mention Bonino and Matt Cullen — were like coaches on the ice. Advertisement There is another connection, too: In 2023-24, Bonino played under Muse with the Rangers and, before that, during his time with the Nashville Predators. Muse was an assistant coach on both of those teams. The Penguins have a lot of veterans on this team, and Muse was hired primarily to guide the new wave of Penguins who will arrive in the coming seasons. While Bonino has never coached before, he was a respected teammate of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust. He also played with Erik Karlsson in San Jose. If there is a problem between the new coach and one of the veterans, Bonino is a natural bridge. The Penguins have suffered greatly defensively since Bonino's 2017 departure and haven't been as difficult to play against since he left. Those were two areas of expertise during his NHL career, and perhaps he will bring some wisdom to the young Penguins in this regard. He also remains a fan favorite and the subject of a viral Punjabi goal call by Harnarayan Singh in 2016: What Muse is saying about him: 'Nick's understanding of what it takes to win at the NHL level is unmatched, and his unique experience as a player who filled many different roles over the course of his career will only help him as an assistant coach. His familiarity with the Penguins organization, as well as my familiarity with him as a player, and person, made him a great fit for this role, and we're excited to welcome him to our coaching staff as he enters the next phase of his career.' Why he makes sense: Nelson was considered one of the best — if not the best — coaches in the American Hockey League. He was also briefly the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers a decade ago and served as an assistant coach at the NHL level with the Atlanta Thrashers and Dallas Stars. He was a candidate for the Penguins head coaching job, and this hire will be roundly praised. Nelson is very highly regarded in hockey circles, and his experience will figure to pay some dividends for a coaching staff that isn't overly experienced. He has been a head or assistant coach for more than 20 years and was named the 2024 AHL Coach of the Year. 3 seasons in Chocolatetown. 141 wins. 2 Calder Cups. For that, and the countless memories that will last a lifetime, thank you 🫶🏻 Join us in wishing Todd Nelson all the best as he heads back to the NHL as an assistant coach with the @penguins! 📰 — Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 20, 2025 What Muse is saying about him: 'With over two decades of coaching experience, Todd brings a championship pedigree and a winning history that speaks for itself. He has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to get the most out of his players, most recently in Hershey, and his leadership qualities and wealth of experience will be a tremendous asset to our team as we continue to build a culture of excellence.' Advertisement Why he makes sense: There is real familiarity and a pretty strong connection to Kyle Dubas, the Penguins' president and general manager. Clune, a tough customer as a player for five seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, Predators and Maple Leafs, began his NHL coaching career in the Toronto organization while Dubas was Maple Leafs GM. Dubas named him a player development coach in 2022. He would later join the Marlies (AHL) staff as an assistant coach before moving on to Anaheim as an assistant coach at the NHL level last season. The Penguins want to get tougher to play against, and Clune, a tough player in his day, should have some ideas on how that can happen. He's also a highly regarded, young coach. What Muse is saying about him: 'Rich brings a wealth of knowledge across every level of professional hockey, spanning from his 15-year playing career to his time in development and coaching at the AHL and NHL levels over the past three years. Rich's experience in coaching, development and as a former player and captain will be extremely valuable in this role, and we're excited for his addition to our coaching staff.' Why he makes sense: The decision to retain Chiodo, whom the Penguins promoted to be their NHL goaltending coach in 2021, will come as a surprise to some fans, given the considerable struggles that goaltenders Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic endured last season. However, Chiodo will be back coaching the Penguins' goaltenders. While their goaltending was not up to par last season by anyone's estimation, the Penguins generally believe that their putrid defensive work last season — not their goaltending itself — was the biggest reason for their inability to prevent goals. Chiodo is extremely well-liked in the organization. The work he and Jarry did together during the final month of the regular season stood out. Advertisement Why he makes sense: Video coaches have become more important in recent years, as everything from replay challenges to in-depth, strategic nuance is highly dependent on their work. Paquette is considered one of the best in the business, and Sullivan ofter referred to him as a 'superstar.' Trust is particularly important for a video coach, and Paquette, a native of Kingston, Ont., was hired by Dubas as Marlies video coach in 2021. So, familiarity and trust are already in place between the general manager and Paquette. (Photo of Nick Bonino: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
CBS News
20-06-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Penguins officially introduce Nick Bonino and the rest of the 2025-26 coaching staff
The Penguins made it official on Friday afternoon, naming Nick Bonino as an assistant coach for the 2025-26 season. "Nick's understanding of what it takes to win at the NHL level is unmatched, and his unique experience as a player who filled many different roles over the course of his career will only help him as an assistant coach," said Head Coach Dan Muse. "His familiarity with the Penguins organization, as well as my familiarity with him as a player and person, made him a great fit for this role, and we're excited to welcome him to our coaching staff as he enters the next phase of his career." Joining Bonino on Muse's staff will be assistant coaches Todd Nelson and Rich Clune. The team also named Troy Paquette as assistant video coach. Remaining on the coaching staff is goaltending coach Andy Chiodo. ' The 56-year-old Nelson is returning to the NHL after spending the last three seasons as the head coach of the Washington Capitals' AHL affiliate, Hershey Bears. In that time, the Bears won back-to-back Calder Cups in 2023 and 2024. His team also set an AHL record of winning nine consecutive playoff series. Over three seasons, Nelson coached the Bears to an overall record of 141-53-12-10. "With over two decades of coaching experience, Todd brings a championship pedigree and a winning history that speaks for itself," said Muse. "He has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to get the most out of his players, most recently in Hershey, and his leadership qualities and wealth of experience will be a tremendous asset to our team as we continue to build a culture of excellence." Clune joins the Penguins staff after serving as an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks last season. The 38-year-old got his coaching start with the Toronto Maple Leafs under Kyle Dubas when he was a player development coach in 2022. The next year, he was an assistant coach for the Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. He had a 15-year professional playing career across the NHL, AHL, and ECHL. Clune played 139 NHL games with the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, and Maple Leafs, scoring 22 points. "Rich brings a wealth of knowledge across every level of professional hockey, spanning from his 15-year playing career to his time in development and coaching at the AHL and NHL levels over the past three years," said Muse. "Rich's experience in coaching, development, and as a former player and captain will be extremely valuable in this role, and we're excited for his addition to our coaching staff." Paquette comes to Pittsburgh after spending the last four years as the video coach for the Marlies.
CBS News
19-06-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Nick Bonino joining Pittsburgh Penguins coaching staff
Former Pittsburgh Penguins player Nick Bonino is hanging up his skates and coming back to the organization as a member of the coaching staff. Bonino, 37, was playing professionally overseas in Slovenia and announced he was retiring to join the coaching staff of new Penguins head coach Dan Muse. "I just wanted to officially announce I'll be retiring from professional hockey," Bonino said in a video recorded and posted to social media. "I had a really unique opportunity to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins, something we thought was the best move for our family at this time." Bonino spent the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons with the Penguins and won two Stanley Cup titles while playing in Pittsburgh as a member of the infamous 'HBK Line' alongside Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2017, Bonino left the organization as a free agent and spent several years playing for the Nashville Predators before playing in Minnesota, San Jose, a brief stint back in Pittsburgh, and in New York with the Rangers. It's unclear what role on Muse's coaching staff Bonino is expected to fill.
