The Bridgeport Islanders, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the New York Islanders, has named Rick Kowalsky as their new head coach.
Kowalsky was the team”™s assistant coach for each of the last two seasons. Prior to joining the Islanders’ organization, he spent three seasons as a member of the New Jersey Devils coaching staff from 2018-2021. He was also head coach of the Devils’ AHL affiliates, the Binghamton Devils (2017-2018) and the Albany Devils (2010-17), and he received the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award, given to the AHL Coach of the Year, in 2016. Earlier in his career, he played12 seasons of professional hockey in the AHL and ECHL.
Kowalsky replaces Brent Thompson, who coached the Bridgeport team over the last nine seasons and will become assistant coach of the NHL”™s Anaheim Ducks.
