The Washington Capitals found their replacement for Scott Arniel and they didn’t have to look far.
The Capitals are promoting the head coach of the Hershey Bears scott allen in position. Allen, much like Arniel did, will work with the Capitals’ forwards and kill penalties. He joins assistant coaches Kevin McCarthy, Blaine Forsythe and goalkeeping coach Scott Murray who are already on Peter Laviolette’s staff.
Allen spent the last three seasons at Hershey, two as an assistant coach and one as the team’s bench manager. The Bears went 34-32-6-4 last season, but Allen managed to keep things on track despite a slew of call-ups to a Washington team plagued by injuries and coronavirus. nine different rookies scored his first NHL goals in Washington while Connor McMichael, Brett Leason and Aliaksei Protas spent much of the season in DC.
“I have felt privileged and honored to have spent these past three seasons training at Hershey,” Allen said in a statement. “The history of this franchise speaks for itself, but it has been the people that have made it so special. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has enhanced my time at Hershey, including the players, staff, management, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, new friends, and of course the amazing and passionate Bears fans. Thank you Hershey. I will miss you.”
Allen, 56, has been a coach for more than 25 years, including NHL stops with the New York Islanders (2009-12), Florida Panthers (2016-17) and Arizona Coyotes (2017-19). as assistant coach. .
Great move, so good with the Hershey guys, outstanding NHL job at PK with Arizona. I love it, congratulations Scott! https://t.co/uppYecEBLy
— John Walton (@JohnWaltonPxP) July 25, 2022
Hershey will now begin its search for a new head coach for the second year in a row. The previous year they lost former head coach Spencer Carbury after the Toronto Maple Leafs hired him as an assistant coach.
The team also lost goalkeeping coach Alex Westlund this offseason to the Detroit Red Wings.
Hershey’s Video Coach Emily Engel-Natzke was also promoted to Washington..
Capitals Name Scott Allen Assistant Coach
ARLINGTON, Va.- The Washington Capitals have named Scott Allen as their assistant coach, it was announced today by Brian MacLellan, senior vice president and general manager. Allen, who will work primarily with the Capitals’ forwards and shootouts, will join assistant coaches Kevin McCarthy, Blaine Forsythe and goalkeeping coach Scott Murray on head coach Peter Laviolette’s coaching staff.
Allen, 56, joins Washington after spending the previous three seasons with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). Allen served as an assistant coach for two seasons before being named Hershey’s head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season. Under Allen, Hershey finished with a 34-32-6-4 record, clinching a Calder Cup playoff berth, and ranked tied for 11th in the AHL in goals against (209).
The New Bedford, Massachusetts native brings more than 25 years of professional coaching experience, including assistant positions with the New York Islanders (2009-12), Florida Panthers (2016-17) and Arizona Coyotes (2017- 19). With Arizona, Allen worked with the Coyotes defenders and penalties. During the 2018-19 season, Arizona ranked first in the NHL in penalty kick percentage (85.0) and tied for fifth in goals against per game (2.68). In Allen’s only season with Florida, the Panthers finished with the second-best penalty shooting percentage in the NHL (85.3).
Allen has been a coach in the AHL for 14 seasons, serving as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Rampage (2002-04, 2014-15), Lowell Lock Monsters/Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (2004-07), Quad City Flames ( 2007-09), Peoria Rivermen (2012-13), Chicago Wolves (2013-14) and Portland Pirates (2015-16). Allen has also served as interim head coach for parts of three seasons, including with San Antonio in 2002-03 and 2003-04, and with Portland in 2015-16.
In addition to his NHL and AHL coaching experience, Allen has worked in the ECHL as an assistant and head coach, beginning as an assistant in 1996 with the Johnstown Chiefs. Allen was named head coach of Johnstown in 1997 and guided the Chiefs to three consecutive Kelly Cup Playoff appearances from 1999-00 to 2001-02, reaching the AFC Championship twice.
Before joining the coaching ranks, Allen played professionally for 10 seasons in the All-American Hockey League, Atlantic Coast Hockey League, Colonial Hockey League, Central Hockey League and ECHL. Allen, a forward, won back-to-back Kelly Cups with the Carolina Thunderbirds in 1989 and the Greensboro Monarchs in 1990.
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB