Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
Louis Robitaille’s trek from Hershey Bears fan favorite to newly hired assistant coach of the Bears spanned multiple continents, leagues and roles – and included even more learning.
But 18 years after first leaving central Pennsylvania, Robitaille is back. The Bears named him an assistant coach last week and brought him back to a place where he still has a vocal fan base. He spent three seasons with the Bears, starting with the first season of their new affiliation with the Washington Capitals in 2005-06. By the time his run finished, he had played 200 regular-season games, raised the Calder Cup, went to another Calder Cup Finals and won over Bears fans with his rowdy, rambunctious, and passionate style.
“I’m super excited,” Robitaille said about his return to Hershey. “The family’s excited. It’s always been a special place. They always welcome me like a son over there.”
He added that returning to the Bears as a coach had been a goal.
“I knew when I retired I had to go through the proper steps.”
After wrapping up his playing career in 2011 – a run featured 382 AHL games and the 2006 Calder Cup championship – Robitaille went immediately into coaching and management back in his native Quebec. He spent 14 successful seasons in the junior QMJHL with stops in Drummondville, Val d’Or, Victoriaville, Gatineau and Cape Breton. His teams were playoff fixtures, reaching two conference finals. Robitaille went 310-193-42-21 (.603) as a head coach, and he added international experience with Hockey Canada – including helping the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship team to a gold medal as an assistant coach.
Last year’s stop brought him deep into the Russian interior for an entirely different assignment. Former NHL and AHL head coach Guy Boucher had an opportunity inside Avangard Omsk, one of the KHL’s top clubs. The organization wanted Robitaille to lead its primary affiliate team, Omskie Krylia. Omsk is more than 1,300 miles east of Moscow, and the second-tier VHL features one of pro hockey’s most demanding travel schedules. Robitaille’s team went 38-20-3-1.
When Nick Bootland departed his role as a Hershey assistant coach to become head coach of the Cleveland Monsters on June 30, Robitaille saw a chance for a reunion with the Washington organization.
A phone call came from Washington director of minor-league operations Jason Fitzsimmons.
“For me, it [was] ‘Let’s make it happen,’” Robitaille said.
In Hershey, he will get to work closely with head coach Derek King as well as assistant coach Brent Thompson.
“Was I open five years ago to get a job in Hershey?” Robitaille recounted. “Yes. Am I better suited today? Am I a better coach? Yes.
“I think the timing is great for me to come back home.”
Robitaille also is a link to some of the franchise’s glory years. A heavily made-over – and much younger – Bears roster went through its fair share of growing pains this past season. After finishing fifth in the Atlantic Division at 32-31-6-3, the Bears got through the best-of-three first round before they went out in the division semifinals. Their top two scorers in 2025-26 were both rookies in Ilya Protas and Andrew Cristall.
Expectations will surely rise this fall, and Robitaille brings a winning mentality from both his playing days in Hershey as well as his coaching and management success.
“Louis understands our championship culture,” Bears vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer said in a written statement announcing the hiring.
And so Robitaille comes back to Hershey now owning hard-earned experience. Going to Russia meant going far out of his comfort zone, including leaving his wife Amelie and their three children back home. But the position also had a strong developmental component, and it was a significant learning opportunity.
“I think that’s the most important thing when you’re a coach,” Robitaille said. “You want to surround yourself with good people and you need to learn, be open to coaching, be open to different techniques. Guy (Boucher) has always been a mentor. I was able to see how he was doing stuff. He was able to challenge me in different aspects, bring some stuff to my coaching where I got better.
“I became a better coach last year. It was a lot of sacrifice. But today I’m rewarded. I’m coming back to the place I want to be.”
