Orpik Joins Hershey Bears Coaching Staff During Brent Thompson's Olympic Absence

Brooks Orpik is joining the Hershey Bears in a short-term, on-bench coaching role while assistant coach Brent Thompson is away at the Olympic Winter Games to support his son, Tage Thompson. The veteran NHL figure stepped into the interim spot to cover Thompson’s duties with the AHL club.

On February 24, 2026 the Bears brought in Orpik to fill that interim role during Thompson’s absence. Brent Thompson, listed as an assistant coach on Hershey’s staff, departed to attend Olympic competition where his son, Tage Thompson, is participating. The arrangement is explicitly temporary and tied to Thompson’s Olympic support duties.

Orpik’s involvement is described as on-bench support rather than a front-office appointment, meaning he will be part of game-day coaching and in-game adjustments for Hershey while Thompson is unavailable. The move inserts an experienced NHL presence directly into the Bears’ bench group for practices and games during the Olympic window.

For the Bears, Orpik’s arrival addresses immediate roster mechanics among the coaching staff. With Brent Thompson in Europe for the Olympic Winter Games, Hershey avoided a gap in bench leadership by bringing in a veteran familiar with NHL-caliber preparation. The short-term nature of the hire keeps the team’s organizational structure intact until Thompson returns.

Brent Thompson’s reason for travel is personal and specific: he is attending the Olympic Winter Games to support his son, Tage Thompson. That family connection is the driver behind the temporary coaching shuffle and explains the timing of Hershey’s interim move on February 24, 2026.

Expect Brooks Orpik to occupy the bench for Hershey’s upcoming AHL contests while Brent Thompson remains at the Olympics. The Bears characterized the role as interim coverage tied to Thompson’s absence, and organizational normalcy will resume once Thompson returns from his Olympic commitments.