Derek King wrapped up his first rookie camp as a member of the Washington Capitals organization on Monday. The former longtime NHL player and, most recently, assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks, was named the 29th bench boss in Hershey Bears franchise history early last month.
King takes charge of a new-look Bears team that saw most of its veteran back-to-back championship core depart for overseas opportunities this summer. The club’s roster will now feature more of the Capitals’ top prospects and other players looking to break into the professional ranks for the first time.
“I think the big thing, and I’ve dealt with the young prospects before, a little bit with the Marlies – the Marlies wasn’t so bad because we had some good vets – but when I was coaching in Rockford, we had a lot of young kids,” King said Monday. “It was more just teaching them good habits and teaching them how to be a pro.
“It wasn’t as much the game or the hockey part of it. It was more, ‘How are you doing off the ice? Who’s doing your laundry?’ You know, helping them out. Where to go shopping, or those little things that help a young player develop a lot easier because they’re comfortable in their surroundings.”
Among the Capitals prospect names likely to compete for roster spots with the Bears are Ryan Chesley, Leon Muggli, Ilya Protas, Cam Allen, Alexander Suzdalev, Andrew Cristall, Ludwig Persson, Patrick Thomas, Eriks Mateiko, David Gucciardi, Antoine Keller, and Garin Bjorklund.
The total number of career AHL games between those twelve players is 14, with no player playing more than the four games Chesley got into at the end of last season. Six of the players have yet to make their professional debuts.
King may have had another youngster to handle if the NHL and CHL complete renegotiations to their transfer agreement. Under the recently renewed CBA, each NHL team will be permitted to place one 19-year-old CHL player in the AHL per season. The NHL has been trying to put this rule into effect this year instead of waiting for the 2026-27 campaign.
“We ran into this in Chicago with a player that wasn’t eligible to go to the American League, but I think it would have been better for him,” King said. “So I think these guys, if they’re ready for it, [and] you can tell that this would be a good time for a young guy, whether he’s 19 or 18 or 20, maybe it’s time to move up a step instead of going back.”
There have been no new updates from the NHL or CHL about the 2025-26 season, and the last report, from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, indicated talks would continue over the coming year.
Terik Parascak, 19, would have been the lone option for the Capitals to consider for that status this season, as he’s headed into another year where he has to make Washington’s NHL roster or be sent back to the WHL’s Prince George Cougars. Parascak has recorded 187 points (71g, 116a) in 127 games for the Cougars the past two seasons.
“There’s some players that just are more mature now in junior hockey,” King added. “I think maybe a stint in the American League might help them. You know, you have that decision after 10 games, right? Are you going to play full-time NHL, or are you going to go back to junior, where maybe that’s not going to help his development? So let’s have a choice, and let’s get him maybe down to the American League and develop these guys.”
King will take command of Hershey’s training camp and preseason at the end of the month. He’ll likely get to see a few of his future players in NHL preseason action before then. The Bears are set to begin the 2025-26 season with their Home Opener against the Syracuse Crunch on October 11.