What Does Rick Kowalsky Bring to Bridgeport Islanders’ Coaching Job?

An era ended in the New York Islanders’ organization on Tuesday, as former Bridgeport Islanders’ head coach Brent Thompson left for the Anaheim Ducks. He will join Greg Cronin’s coaching staff this fall after spending 10 seasons with the New York’s AHL club. However, the search for a replacement ended quickly on Thursday, as the Islanders announced Rick Kowalsky as his replacement.

Kowalsky joined the Islanders’ organization when Lou Lamoriello took over as the team’s general manager as an assistant for Bridgeport. Prior to his hiring, he spent three seasons with the Devils’ NHL coaching staff and eight seasons as head coach of their AHL team. With a longtime voice in Thompson now gone, what does Kowalsky bring to their player development ranks?

Coaching Experience:

As mentioned, Kowalsky spent eight seasons as the Albany/Binghamton Devils’ bench boss. He led the team to the postseason three times under his watch, as well as four winning seasons in his term. While neither of those playoff runs led to anything substantial, only a series win in 2016, he did take home the Pieri Memorial Award for the AHL’s top coach that season. Some of his alumni include forwards Blake Coleman, Pavel Zacha and Adam Henrique, as well as defensemen Alexandre Carrier, Adam Larsson and Jon Merrill, all of which have clocked regular NHL playing time. While neither of these names are household figures, they have seen success at the NHL level abroad, meaning he guided these players to their current teams. As a result, although the resume isn’t the best, it’s not to say he hasn’t had success, as he’s had his hand in various NHL players’ developments.

Familiarity to the Lineup:

With his experience in Bridgeport the past two seasons, he worked with various names that could start in the AHL. This season saw the debuts of quite a bit of their prospects, including Aatu Raty, Willaim Dufour, Samuel Bolduc and Simon Holmstrom. While Raty was eventually traded in the Bo Horvat deal, Holmstrom and Bolduc got extended looks at the NHL level, so his alumni were pieces to the big club’s playoff push. While the NHL Islanders’ roster is still up in the air, he will get new face to his lineup in Eetu Liukas and Matthew Maggio. As a result, not only can he provide further development in names like Holmstrom should he start in Bridgeport, but he can provide a more active voice in their developments, along with the newcomers.

A New Voice:

Most importantly, however, Kowalsky provides a breath of fresh air to the Bridgeport bench. When the New York Islanders let go of former head coach Barry Trotz, Lamoriello said the team needed a new voice in their locker room. While current coach Lane Lambert isn’t the newest voice as he was a member of Trotz’ coaching staff, you could see the differences in play style from the team, for better or worse. With this in mind, with Thompson moving on, the time is right to refresh their leadership and bring that familiar-yet-new voice to their AHL club. As a result, with Rick Kowalsky taking the helm of the Bridgeport Islanders, the hope is that he can bring a new approach that can replenish New York’s farm system and deliver a consistently-performing club.