Doug Yingst
Doug Yingst is an American ice hockey executive. He was the President and General Manager of the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, a dual-position he held from the 1998–99 AHL season to the 2015–16 AHL season.
Yingst is a two time winner of the James C. Hendy Memorial Award, which is awarded annually to the executive who has made the most outstanding contribution to the American Hockey League.[1]
Hershey Bears President/GM Doug Yingst enters his 31st season with the organization in 2012-13, after overseeing the team’s 11th Calder Cup championship two seasons ago. Hershey's back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, as well as the club’s win in 2006 have all come under Yingst’s stewardship and the team’s affiliation with the Washington Capitals. Working in tandem with Washington VP/GM George McPhee, Yingst once again brought the front line talent and necessary roster depth to central PA as the Bears defeated the Texas Stars four games to two in the 2010 Calder Cup Finals. It marked the first time in AHL history a team rallied to win after losing the first two games of the series at home, and for Yingst, it was his fourth Calder Cup victory. The four championships tie an AHL record, jointly held by several, including Frank Mathers.
The Bears have recorded the best five-year run in American Hockey League history, winning three titles and advancing to a fourth Final appearance in 2007. With no fewer than 27 teams in the league during that time, the Chocolate and White have played hockey in June four times since 2006. For his efforts, Yingst was presented with the Thomas Ebright Award, given for outstanding service to the AHL. Yingst also claimed the James Hendy Award in 2006, presented to the outstanding executive of the year in the league. He is only one of four men in league history to win the award twice.
During the current affiliation agreement with the Capitals, the Bears posted an American Hockey League record 60 wins in 2009-10, and also won a then-franchise record 51 games in 2006-07 under current Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau. The agreement between the two franchises has not only produced many players for the NHL level, but also two members of the coaching staff that have worked closely with Yingst. Boudreau was promoted in November, 2007 to become Washington’s head coach, and Bob Woods was named the team’s assistant coach in the summer of 2009. Woods claimed the 2009 Calder Cup title, following in Boudreau’s footsteps soon after. Current head coach Mark French then won the 2010 title, the third straight coach under Yingst to win a title. Yingst has been Hershey's President/GM since the 1998-99 season, and represents the club on the AHL’s Board of Governors. In 2010-11, he was named the chairman of the league’s Executive Committee, and has served previously as chairman of the AHL’s Competition and Marketing Committees. Yingst was first named Hershey's general manager in 1996-97, winning the Calder Cup in his first season with new job responsibilities. From 1991-96, he was the Assistant GM/Director of Hockey Operations for the team, and from 1988-91 served as Assistant General Manager under the legendary Frank S. Mathers. Yingst began his long run in the Hershey organization as the sales and promotions director in 1982, and also won the AHL’s Ken McKenzie award in 1988, given annually by the AHL to the person judged to have done the most to promote his team.
One of Yingst’s greatest accomplishments in hockey came in February 2000, when his Hershey Jr. Bears hockey team won the 2000 Quebec Cup in Quebec City. It was a feat repeated in February 2009 and again in February, 2010 when the Jr. Bears repeated as Quebec Cup champions, the same two years that Hershey won back-to-back Calder Cup titles. Often compared to the Little League World Series in the United States, the Quebec Pee-Wee International Cup tournament brings more than 100 youth hockey teams to Quebec City every year.
Yingst has been called into service from time-to-time as Hershey's assistant coach, most recently in 2007 when Bruce Boudreau was named head coach of the Washington Capitals. In 2003, with head coach Mike Foligno hospitalized, Yingst teamed with interim head coach Paul Fixter to win Game 3 of the 2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals over the Chicago Wolves. It was also the first playoff game win for the Bears in Giant Center history. A terrific all-around athlete, Yingst is a charter member of the Palmyra High School Sports Hall-of-Fame. He was inducted into the Central Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in November 2000. [2]