Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
One more line on Jared Nightingale’s resume put him in prime position to become an AHL head coach.
Since his retirement in 2017 following 11 pro seasons skating in the AHL and ECHL, Nightingale had steadily made his way through several coaching stops, a clear fit for the well respected former defenseman and captain.
He started off as an assistant coach with Omaha of the United States Hockey League. He worked with the prestigious U.S. National Team Development Program, and later became an associate coach with Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League. In November 2021, the ripple effects from a coaching shake-up with the Chicago Blackhawks opened up a spot to bring in the one-time IceHog as an assistant coach in Rockford.
But head-coaching experience usually goes a long way in hiring decisions, and Nightingale still needed that line on his CV. In 2024, he was hired as head coach and director of hockey operations for the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, an operation that has been a proven coaching track to both the AHL and NHL for the likes of Jared Bednar, Cail MacLean, Spencer Carbery and Ryan Warsofsky. Nightingale led South Carolina to the best regular season in franchise history, finishing first overall in the league and earning the ECHL’s coach of the year award.
With that kind of success paired with already having bench experience at the AHL level, it was expected that Nightingale would attract attention for head-coaching vacancies in the American Hockey League this offseason. He was named Rockford’s new head coach on May 30.
When it came time to interview with the Blackhawks organization this past spring, Nightingale already had history with the front office from his time with Rockford. With no need to break the ice or get to know each other, the two sides could get down to talking hockey and learning what Nightingale had taken from his first campaign with South Carolina. A strong relationship between the NHL and AHL head coaches is also key, and Nightingale arrived already knowing Blashill, a fellow Michigander.
“I thought it was probably an easier conversation than talking to somebody you haven’t met, an organization you haven’t worked for,” said Nightingale, who in addition to his ties to Rockford also knows new Blackhawks head coach and fellow Michigan native Jeff Blashill. “I think the relationships are there. Being my first head job in the AHL, I’m going to bring some enthusiasm and excitement for these players and their development.”
The IceHogs are getting a coach who has seen all of the ups and downs that come with the pro game. Undrafted, the Michigan State University product turned pro with the Springfield Falcons late in the 2005-06 season and made AHL stops in Iowa, Hartford, Chicago, Syracuse, Norfolk, Grand Rapids and Milwaukee in addition to Rockford, where he served as captain of the IceHogs in 2013-14.
If Nightingale always seemed to others like a natural fit to someday go into coaching, it was a feeling that he also held. As a leader and captain on several teams, especially as he grew older, he started to pay attention to how his head coaches operated. And for as much focus goes toward on-ice work, much of player development centers on helping players to develop pro habits and find their way into adulthood off the ice. Among his AHL coaches were Blashill, Jon Cooper, Craig Berube, Dean Evason and AHL Hall of Famers John Anderson and Ken Gernander.
“I’ve always looked up to coaches and not just captains, but good teammates and leaders,” Nightingale explained. “I understand how great of an impact you can have on a player’s career and life. That’s something that goes beyond the X’s and O’s.”
Creating that sense of value will be a key priority. Leading a team at this level is not just about focusing on the top prospects. Nightingale spent his entire career trying to fill a role. He will bring a certain understanding for how to help and understand a player who may be dealing with stalled progress or struggling to stay in the league.
In South Carolina, he also saw how the Washington Capitals and Hershey Bears all worked to make him and the Stingrays feel like a vital part of the organization. Nightingale went to training camp with the Capitals, and Carbery made sure that he was included in coaching meetings.
“I think the players knew in South Carolina that they were valued,” Nightingale explained. “That made my job a lot easier – the communication and how great of a job that Washington does at creating a culture of family.”
So as the Blackhawks rebuild in Chicago, they will need their prospects in the proper developmental environment in Rockford. And part of that environment is about giving every player on the roster a stake in the team and its success.
“I lived it as a player,” Nightingale stated. “The power that a coach has in instilling belief [that] you can still improve. Trying to get them to embrace that and enjoy it – that’s why it’s important to communicate the vision of the team and the expectations. You’ve got to really have passion for the daily grind of trying to get better. That’s something I won’t look past.
“Every player that comes into Rockford, I want them to leave being better.”
On the American Hockey League beat for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
