2023-2024 Coaching/Management/Ownership

[Static]

New thread.

Lisa Dillman reporting that Brent Thompson is joining the coaching staff in Anaheim. Thompson was the head coach of Bridgeport Islanders last season and is the father of Tage Thompson.

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[The Midnight Burrito]

New thread.

Lisa Dillman reporting that Brent Thompson is joining the coaching staff in Anaheim. Thompson coached Bridgeport Islanders last season.

I assume he and Cronin have worked together somewhere before.

 

[MMC]

 

[ohcomeonref]

Edit: nm.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

Trend seems to be to hire the balds, so can we get someone with less follicle growth to run the PP unit?

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

Trend seems to be to hire the balds, so can we get someone with less follicle growth to run the PP unit?

It's a bald life world for us!!! It's bald life world for us!!

 

[duxfan1101]

The replies on Bridgeport’s post about his departure are all relieved Islander fans. They haven’t had many good prospects (especially forwards) come up through the system in awhile, though that is at least partially due to poor drafting and trading a lot of picks.

 

[Mr Rogers]

Cronin’s Cronies

 

[DuckDuckGetz]

The replies on Bridgeport’s post about his departure are all relieved Islander fans. They haven’t had many good prospects (especially forwards) come up through the system in awhile, though that is at least partially due to poor drafting and trading a lot of picks.

Pretty big difference between being an AHL head coach and an NHL assistant coach, though. He might only be good at one thing.

Or he'll become the new whipping boy!

 

[FiveHoleTickler]

Pretty big difference between being an AHL head coach and an NHL assistant coach, though. He might only be good at one thing.

Or he'll become the new whipping boy!

Totally see that happening. Especially if Verbeek can't shore up the defense with some PKers. Gudas isn't enough.

 

[Terry Yake]

who's going to be running the PP?

 

[duxfan1101]

who's going to be running the PP?

Is that Newell Brown’s role?

 

[MMC]

 

[Leonardo87]

Please hire a PP specialist.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Is that Newell Brown’s role?

Last year's role:

Brown: PP​

Johnson: dev​

Stothers: PK and defense​

This year

Brown: PP​

Johnson: dev​

Thompson: PK and def​

Special asst: Stothers (I think he's still battling cancer)​

Asst goalie coach: Rook (Suds is currently battling cancer)​

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

who's going to be running the PP?

You best believe it is Newell Brown, whose PPs have at best been mid and at worst sucked major ass without multiple Hall of Famers on it. He is hockey terrorism.

 

[Leonardo87]

Last year's role:

Brown: PP​

Johnson: dev​

Stothers: PK and defense​

This year

Brown: PP​

Johnson: dev​

Thompson: PK and def​

Special asst: Stothers (I think he's still battling cancer)​

Asst goalie coach: Rook (Suds is currently battling cancer)​

Need a new PP coach.

 

[Kalv]

Isles/Bridgeport fans are exstatic of him leaving. That doesn't make me too optimistic about the Thompson hire but hey, it's someone Cronin payed with

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Need a new PP coach.

Oh I agree, which is why retaining Brown was a head scratcher.

 

[Leonardo87]

Oh I agree, which is why retaining Brown was a head scratcher.

Yeah when we had Geoff Ward we saw immediate improvement. So it’s a head scratcher which both special teams being an issue last season.

We have enough skill to have around a 20% PP about 12-15th in the league, imo. The execution was just so bad.

 

[Terry Yake]

You best believe it is Newell Brown, whose PPs have at best been mid and at worst sucked major ass without multiple Hall of Famers on it. He is hockey terrorism.

odd that they'd keep brown despite letting eakins go considering how bad the PP has been the last few seasons

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Yeah when we had Geoff Ward we saw immediate improvement. So it’s a head scratcher which both special teams being an issue last season.

We have enough skill to have around a 20% PP about 12-15th in the league, imo. The execution was just so bad.

Last year's PP unit had talent on it, which included adding Klingberg, McTavish, Strome, and Vatrano. Ward could have made that PP unit top-10 again.


The PK did not replace Lindholm and Manson, which makes it easy to predict we were going to be terribad on the PK. When your best defensive guys are Shattenkirk and Kulikov, then Stothers was given a FUBAR situation.

 

[ohcomeonref]

How in god's name do you objectively suck so bad at something and retain your job?

@NewellBrown

Our guys have no f***ing clue what to do on the PP.

 

[Kalv]

Isles/Bridgeport fans are exstatic of him leaving. That doesn't make me too optimistic about the Thompson hire but hey, it's someone Cronin payed with

After calming down, it is worth to mention that Devon Toews, Pulock, Pelech and Mayfield have come through Bridgeport apparently. Isles fans seem to be disappointed in the AHL results and forward development but as a defensive coach, that will not be his responsibilities here. Got me excited a bit.

Also, waiting on Tage to announce he demands a trade to Anaheim

PS
Technically there's a forward he has developed to be an elite player: Tage.

 

[Rybread86]

Did I miss a statement release where they were keeping Brown and Stothers? The last thing I remember seeing about any of the old coaching staff is that they would be invited to be part of the process but nothing about them being retained.

As for Thompson, I wouldnt freak out about Isles fans being happy hes gone. Different role, different responsibilities.