New York Islanders Daily: Scott Gomez Won’t Limit Himself As Coach

The New York Islanders recently added Scott Gomez to their coaching staff and he has some pretty strong opinions on his role.

When the New York Islanders announced that Scott Gomez was joining the coaching staff I initially thought he could help with their power play. Although, to his credit, Scott doesn’t want to limit himself as a coach.

He told Yahoo that he wants to expand his knowledge on the sport:

"“You’ve got to know every position or what the hell’s the point?” said Gomez, whose deal with the Islanders is for two years. “What happens if I have to answer a defensive question? Believe it or not I’ve had coaches, you ask them a question, ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ ‘What do you mean I don’t know? You’re the coach.’ ‘Oh, I’m the offensive coach.’ That never made sense to me.”"

Gomez has got a pretty solid point here. If you’re going to coach guys who play each position you have to know what you’re talking about. What if Doug Weight said “Sorry, I played forward” everytime Nick Leddy asked him a question.

I also really enjoyed this quote from Gomez as well:

"“I got to see both hands of it when I was at the top and at the bottom. That’s the key to coaching is not just telling guys what to do, it’s making them believe they can go do it.”"

I know it’s a little too “Disney”, but it’s the truth. Part of coaching is motivating and being able to conect with guys. Look at the change in play from Jack Capuano to Doug Weight. Did they suddenly gain a star wing for John Tavares? No, it was virtually the same roster just a different philosophy.

These things make a difference.

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