Brent Thompson Named Assistant/Notables

 Islanders website: announced today that Brent Thompson has officially been named an assistant coach.

 “Brent did a great job in Bridgeport last year molding our young prospects into a division-winning team,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow. “With his coaching experience and defensive expertise, we’re excited for him to join our coaching staff.” 

Thompson did an ITV interview.

 Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio reports Bridgeport is also losing Matt Bertani to the Islanders, he will be the team’s new video coach, and that Eric Boguniecki is expected back. 

NYIFC Comments:
You can go in ten different directions with this because many organizations keep assistant coaches through several coaching changes, while others do not.

Is this another potential successor for Jack Capuano if the club does not start well, should he have had the right to pick his own head coaches as many NHL organizations do permit, even thought his experience since 2005 has only been with this organization?

Capuano was sent down to Bridgeport after Steve Stirling's dismissal.  

Bottom line does a rookie AHL coach in 29th place at the end of the calendar year 2011, that takes a team to fifteen games over five hundered/first place deserve a promotion or do you want him teaching prospects in what will largely be a different Bridgeport team?

Is this coach who was a successful ECHL hire a year ago ready to be an NHL assistant? 

Despite what happens with the NHL CBA, Bridgeport will need a head coach at some future point.

Unless something changes the Islanders bench will carry one less assistant, but three assistants in many cases were one extra.

On a related note, former assistant, Dean Chynoweth has been named head coach of the Lake Erie Monsters an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche AHL.com

NYIFC Comments:  
Thrilled for Dean Chynoweth, now let's see if Scott Allen can land a head coaching job. 
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Griffin Reinhart did his first interview since draft night.

NYIFC Comments:
Outside of the ITV interview draft night beyond Tsn entertainment interview, we never got to see him get a formal interview on stage during the draft.
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Tsn.ca: Report Blake Comeau (not qualified) was resigned by the Flames which was no surprise given management's comments they wanted him back.

Scott Allen and Dean Chynoweth Not Returning For 2012-13

Islanders website: Announced that assistant coaches Scott Allen and Dean Chynoweth will not return for the 2012-13 season.

Scott Allen was named Assistant Coach of the Islanders on July 20, 2009.
Dean Chynoweth was named the Islanders Assistant Coach on June 19, 2009.

NYIFC Comments:
Never a good day to see anyone leaving any job.

Dean Chynoweth is a former player with the Islanders so even worse in that regard.

Jack Capuano has had nothing to say since the season ended.

These were both coaches hired for Scott Gordon's second season with the Islanders.

If Capuano wanted them to stay this could be an issue for him, but the question moving forward is does Capuano get to pick his own staff, or will it work like in New Jersey with long time assistant coaches, Larry Robinson & Jacques Laperriere, who stayed behind the bench despite several Devils coaching changes?

Laperriere, has had another role with Devils for a few years now.

No folks, I do not believe for one minute Doug Weight would accept a job as an NHL head coach with this little experience or would Garth Snow offer it to him.

Weights's reaction to this could also be interesting being that he was a full time assistant coach, and part of a staff that has now been significantly changed, as Senior Advisor to the General Manager.

This could take some time to play out depending on what assistant's or former head coaches become available.

If you are asking this blog if someone who makes decisions based only upon watching games/comments of the assistant coaches if these are the correct moves I would have to say no.

I supported Jack Capuano returning, so I have to do the same for the assistant coaches with the exact same reasons.

Of course, it's not that simple if contracts end or if management does not feel the same.