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.
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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!
📰 https://t.co/ZkpIad0cBW pic.twitter.com/Hvzki5GErK
— 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.'
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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.
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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)
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