NY Islanders Pete DeBoer reveals major role for Rocky Thompson on new staff

When Pete DeBoer assembled his coaching staff for his first season behind the New York Islanders bench, he didn't have to look far to find someone he trusted with one of the most important jobs on the staff.

That responsibility now belongs to Rocky Thompson.

After leading the Bridgeport Islanders to a strong turnaround and a playoff appearance last season, Thompson will join DeBoer's NHL staff with a clear mandate, and that's to fix the Islanders' power play.

"Rocky's going to be the the point guy on our power play," DeBoer said on Friday. "Our staff is going to work in collaboration on everything, so it won't be just one guy. We'll discuss everything. That's kind of how I work, but he'll be the point guy on it."

It's a significant assignment for a coach whose reputation has evolved considerably over the last decade. While Thompson's playing career was defined more by toughness than offensive production, DeBoer believes his greatest strengths as a coach lie on the other side of the puck.

"He really thinks the game from an offensive point of view and has some brilliant ideas offensively," DeBoer said.

Thompson's resume supports that assessment. He previously oversaw the power play under Bob Boughner in San Jose and also directed the man-advantage unit during his time with the Philadelphia Flyers. Now, he'll inherit an Islanders power play that has struggled for consistency in recent seasons and remains one of the organization's biggest areas for improvement.

But DeBoer's endorsement of Thompson goes beyond X's and O's.

"More important than that, he's a teacher," DeBoer said. "He really connects with the players."

That ability to communicate and develop talent was on full display in Bridgeport last season, where Thompson helped transform a struggling AHL club into a playoff team. Now, he'll be tasked with helping transform the Islanders' offense.

And according to DeBoer, that process has already begun. "We've already started that process, planting some seeds on what we want to do in those areas," he said.

For Thompson, the promotion to DeBoer's staff isn't simply a reward for last season's success. It's an opportunity to leave his mark on an Islanders team looking for a new offensive identity.

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