Sports stats



Rockford IceHogs

IceHogs Assistant Coach Jared Nightingale Takes Head Position in South Carolina

May 17, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rockford IceHogs News Release


ROCKFORD, Ill.- The Rockford IceHogs announced today that Assistant Coach Jared Nightingale will be leaving the organization to accept the position of Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. It will be Nightingale's first professional head coaching job.

"On behalf of our entire organization, we would like to thank Jared for all his efforts the past three seasons," said IceHogs General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Mark Bernard. "His energy and commitment to helping our players develop each day was unparalleled. We wish him all the success in the world as he starts his head coaching career in South Carolina with the Stingrays."

Nightingale, 41, first joined the Rockford coaching staff on Nov. 16, 2021 when Derek King was promoted to the Chicago Blackhawks and Anders Sorensen was promoted to the head position with the IceHogs. The Jackson, Michigan native specialized in coaching the defensemen and penalty kill during his three seasons in Rockford. In his third season behind the bench with the Hogs, Rockford turned into one of the best defensive teams in the league and finished seventh in defensive scoring with 2.89 goals against per game.

"We are very excited and happy for Jared and his opportunity with the Stingrays," said Head Coach Anders Sorensen. "Jared has been a vital part of our staff the past two-and-a-half seasons. He's had tremendous growth overall as a coach, on the bench, in practice, and in the room with the players. His ability to connect with players will translate well to him having the opportunity to run his own bench."

During Nightingale's tenure as assistant coach with Rockford, five defensemen made their NHL debuts with the Blackhawks after spending time with the IceHogs: Louis Crevier, Ethan Del Mastro, Jakub Galvas, Isaak Phillips, and Alex Vlasic.

IceHogs Statistics During Nightingale's Tenure

Season Penalty Kill % (rank) Goals Against per Game (rank)

2023-24 84.0% (7th) 2.89 (12th)

2022-23 79.0% (24th) 3.22 (21st)

2021-22 81.9 (10th) 3.07 (16th)

Nightingale played one season for the IceHogs in 2013-14 and served as the team's captain while also leading the team with 114 penalty minutes.

South Carolina plays in the South Division of the ECHL and have captured three Kelly Cups since the team's inception in 1993. Four former Stingrays head coaches spent the 2023-24 season behind the bench of NHL clubs: Jared Bednar (head- Colorado), Spencer Carbery (head- Washington), Cail MacLean (assistant- Calgary), Ryan Warsofsky (assistant- San Jose).

Check out the Rockford IceHogs Statistics

• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...

American Hockey League Stories from May 17, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central