NY Islanders name Jay McKee as Hamilton Hammers Head Coach

It is the beginning of a new era for the New York Islanders AHL affiliate. After 25 years in Bridgeport, the team has left "The Park City" and has moved to Hamilton, Ontario. Last week, the team announced its new name as the Hamilton Hammers. On Friday, May 29th, they took another step toward establishing their new identity by announcing that Jay McKee will become the team's inaugural head coach. But who is Jay McKee, and how can he help the development of the Islanders' prospects?

Is Jay McKee the right man for the job?

If McKee's name sounds familiar, it's because he was a 13-year veteran of the NHL. He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres with the 14th overall pick of the 1995 NHL Draft. It did not take him long to make it to the NHL, as he debuted on April 10th, 1996, logging an assist. For the next few seasons, he bounced between the NHL and AHL. He played his first full NHL season in 1998-99. He spent the next six seasons in Buffalo before stops in St. Louis and Pittsburgh. In 802 career games, he tallied 21 goals and 104 assists for 125 points.

After retiring from hockey, he went right into coaching, bouncing around as an assistant for years. He got his first shot at being a head coach with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. In four season with the Rangers he had a record of 120-88-17. After being fired during 2019-20 season, he would be named the Hamilton Bulldog head coach for the 2021-22 season. This is where he found the most success as head coach, having a record of 213-91-36 over five season. He also won the Robertson Cup in 2021-22 and guided the team to the Memorial Cup Championship game.

With the Hammers needing to build a relationship with the people of Hamilton, McKee helps in a big way. While the Bulldogs moved to Brantford halfway through his tenure, he spent two seasons with Hamilton. He understands the market and what the fans want to see from their hockey team. He can help the team play a style of hockey that will resonate with the people of Hamilton and make them want to show up and support them.

There is also the fact that McKee has helped develop several NHL stars. He has shown time and time again that he will take talented junior-level players and turn them into intriguing NHL draft prospects. This will be huge for the Islanders' player development, as several intriguing prospects are set to play in Hamilton this season. The hope is that McKee will unlock the potential of these prospects and turn them into solid NHL players.

It's clear that McKee can be a huge positive for the Hammers. He can help generate interest in the club while helping get Islanders prospects to the next level.

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