HERSHEY, Pa. (WHTM) – Hershey Bears head coach Todd Nelson was awarded the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award for AHL outstanding coach of the 2023-24 season on Monday.

The award is selected from voting by coaches and members of the media in each of the league’s 32 cities.

Nelson is the sixth coach in the franchise to earn the award, joining Frank Mathers (1968-69), Chuck Hamilton (1975-76), Doug Gibson (1979-80), John Paddock (1987-88) and Spencer Carbery (2020-21).

Nelson led the Bears to earning a Calder Cup championship in his first season at the helm, in 2022-23. This season Nelson has guided Hershey to a 53-14-5-0 record, earning the MacGregor Kilpatrick Trophy and being crowned regular season champions. Hershey has a .771 points percentage, which is the best in the Bears history and second in AHL History (1992-93 Binghamton Rangers).

The Bears had the lowest goals against per game in the league, 2.10, which is the ninth lowest in league history. They also had the lowest shots per game with 25.97. Hershey was also first in the league on penalty kill with a 87.7% mark, the best penalty-killing rate in franchise history.

During this season, Nelson has 12 players go to the National Hockey League to play for the Washington Capitals. Six of Nelson’s players form the 2023 Calder Cup championship were part of the Capitals lineup on Sunday for Washington’s Stanley Cup Playoff opener.

Nelson owns a 97-33-5-9 record in his first two seasons at Hershey with a .722 points percentage. After 10 seasons as a head coach in the AHL Nelson has a 406-222-77 (W-L-OT) record. He is eight on the all-time wins list.

Nelson owns eight 40-win seasons, reaching four conference finals and two Calder Cup championships (Hershey 2023, Grand Rapids 2017). Nelson also served as the assistant coach for Chicago’s 2008 Calder Cup championship team.

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This award was started in 1968 and is given in honor of the late Mr. Pieri, who was the owner and general manager of the Providence Reds and who is a member of the American Hockey League Hall of Fame.

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