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.
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