# Todd Nelson (ice hockey)

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.

## 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.
On June 16, 2015, Nelson was named the head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL). 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.
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.
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, 2023, 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. On June 24, 2024, Nelson coached the Bears to their 13th Calder Cup Championship in his second season as the head coach, beating Coachella Valley in overtime again. This series was decided in game six.

## 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 | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1985–86 | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | 35 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987–88 | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | 72 | 3 | 21 | 24 | 59 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 1988–89 | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | 72 | 14 | 45 | 59 | 72 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 1989–90 | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | 69 | 13 | 42 | 55 | 88 | 14 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 12 |
| 1990–91 | Muskegon Lumberjacks | IHL | 4 | 20 | 24 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1991–92 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Muskegon Lumberjacks | IHL | 80 | 6 | 35 | 41 | 46 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 4 |
| 1992–93 | Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL | 76 | 7 | 35 | 42 | 115 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1993–94 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993–94 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 80 | 11 | 34 | 45 | 69 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 1994–95 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 75 | 10 | 35 | 45 | 76 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 1995–96 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 70 | 10 | 40 | 50 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 1996–97 | Grand Rapids Griffins | IHL | 81 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | Grand Rapids Griffins | IHL | 75 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1998–99 | Berlin Capitals | DEL | 44 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | HIFK Helsinki | FIN | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | Grand Rapids Griffins | IHL | 73 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 47 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 2000–01 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 74 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2001–02 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Muskegon Fury | UHL | 66 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 38 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 |
| IHL Totals | IHL Totals | IHL Totals | 464 | 28 | 144 | 172 | 308 | 46 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 22 |
| NHL Totals | NHL Totals | NHL Totals | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Coaching record

    † – replaced midseason
    ‡ – midseason replacement

### NHL

| Team | Year | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Postseason | Postseason | Postseason | Postseason |
| Team | Year | Games | Won | Lost | OTL | Points | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result |
| Edmonton Oilers | 2014–15‡ | 51 | 17 | 25 | 9 | .422 | 6th in Pacific | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| NHL Totals | NHL Totals | 51 | 17 | 25 | 9 | .422 | — | — | — | — | |

### Minor leagues

| Team | Year | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Postseason | Postseason | Postseason | Postseason |
| Team | Year | Games | Won | Lost | OTL | Points | Finish | Games | Won | Lost | Result |
| Muskegon Fury | 2003–04 | 76 | 47 | 20 | 9 | 103 | 3rd in Western | 11 | 11 | 0 | Won Colonial Cup |
| Muskegon Fury | 2004–05 | 80 | 51 | 20 | 9 | 111 | 1st in Central | 17 | 12 | 5 | Won Colonial Cup |
| Muskegon Fury | 2005–06 | 76 | 51 | 18 | 7 | 109 | 2nd in Central | 12 | 6 | 6 | Lost in second round |
| Oklahoma City Barons | 2010–11 | 80 | 40 | 29 | 11 | 91 | 5th in West | 6 | 2 | 4 | Lost in Division Semifinals |
| Oklahoma City Barons | 2011–12 | 76 | 45 | 22 | 9 | 99 | 1st in West | 14 | 8 | 6 | Lost in Conference Finals |
| Oklahoma City Barons | 2012–13 | 76 | 40 | 25 | 11 | 91 | 3rd in South | 17 | 10 | 7 | Lost in Conference Finals |
| Oklahoma City Barons | 2013–14 | 76 | 36 | 29 | 11 | 83 | 3rd in West | 3 | 0 | 3 | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals |
| Grand Rapids Griffins | 2015–16 | 76 | 44 | 30 | 2 | 90 | 4th in Central | 9 | 5 | 4 | Lost in Division Finals |
| Grand Rapids Griffins | 2016–17 | 76 | 47 | 23 | 1 | 100 | 2nd in Central | 19 | 15 | 4 | Won Calder Cup |
| Grand Rapids Griffins | 2017–18 | 76 | 42 | 25 | 9 | 93 | 2nd in Central | 5 | 2 | 3 | Lost in Division Semifinals |
| Hershey Bears | 2022–23 | 72 | 44 | 19 | 9 | 97 | 2nd in Atlantic | 20 | 14 | 6 | Won Calder Cup |
| Hershey Bears | 2023–24 | 72 | 53 | 14 | 5 | 111 | 1st in Atlantic | 20 | 14 | 6 | Won Calder Cup |
| AHL Totals | AHL Totals | 705 | 406 | 222 | 77 | | | 113 | 70 | 43 | |
| UHL Totals | UHL Totals | 232 | 149 | 58 | 23 | | | 40 | 29 | 11 | |

## Awards

* WHL East Second All-Star Team (1989, 1990)