Islanders & NHL News: Bridgeport moves, MacKinnon nutrition tyranny
Give Ilya some birthday hugs. | Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
AHL signings and another Devils import joins the bench with Brent Thompson. Also: Happy birthday to Ilya Sorokin. In the No Announced Signings free agency aftermath, Islanders news has remained quiet, or perhaps in a secret holding pattern, but Tuesday they did dole out some news affecting their renamed AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
The Bridgeport Islanders (B-Isles? Bisles? Artists Formerly Known as Sound Tigers) get several player signings and a shakeup behind the bench.
Brent Thompson remains as head coach, but he’s joined by a 2016 AHL Coach of the Year who, of course, has roots in the Devils organization. That man, Rick Kowalsky, was named an assistant coach, while former NHL players and Thompson’s longtime assistants Eric Boguniecki and Matt Carkner will not return.
The Sound- Bridgeport Isles also announced re-signings of forwards Jeff Kubiak, Felix Bibeau, Erik Brown, Cole Coskey and Kyle MacLean, and the addition of veteran AHLer Chris Terry.
Reporting from Bridgeport: Hard to believe Boguniecki has been there since 2011. Kowalsky’s roots with the (mostly Lamoriello-led) Devils go back to 2006. [CT Post]
Official announcement on Kowalsky: He spent the last three seasons as an assistant behind the New Jersey Devils bench. [Isles]
Happy birthday to Ilya Sorokin. Does the contract that his friend Igor Shesterkin is rumored to be getting from the rangers (long-term, around $6 million per) hint at what Sorokin will get from the Isles? [Empire Sports]
The latest update from Staple tries to distill the (mostly trade) options left on defense. (Count me as one who has never seen the Islanders and Vince Dunn as a fit for one another. I can’t see Lou/Barry being enamored by his approach to defense, but perhaps they would see him as coachable.). [Athletic]
Is Lamoriello’s not announcing contracts shrewd, or dirty? Or both? [Pittsburgh Hockey Now]
Rick DiPietro reflects on post-player life, what it’s taught him about the media, and what it feels like to be bought out. [Athletic]
Stan Fischler reflects on his puck-crazed grandchildren, who are standouts in Israel. [Fischler Report]
More on the Learn To Play program with Isles personnel in Long Island City. [Patch]
Happy 26th birthday Ilya Sorokin. Here’s him singing his favorite song, “Hey Josh Bailey!” #Isles pic.twitter.com/Wj3tvOd3hm— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) August 4, 2021
Yeah…the @UBSArena scoreboard is absolutely massive. Made sure to get a worker in the pic for size comparison. #Isles pic.twitter.com/iJgTelKz21— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) August 3, 2021
Elsewhere
In other minor and tangentially Isles-related news, former captain Michael Peca has taken on a bench role with the Sabres’ AHL affiliate in Rochester. [ESPN]
The Blues re-signed RFA Jordan Kyrou to a two-year deal at $2.8 million and still have a couple of contracts to work out with just $3.53 million in cap space. So the Vladimir Tarasenko Watch continues. [STL Today | NHL]
Ryan Murray, who logically might have been an Islanders’ free agency target (but reports never linked them), has signed with Colorado on a one-year deal. [ESPN]
Joe Thornton is back in Switzerland, skating with his old team as he mulls his NHL future. [NHL]
Marc-Andre Fleury professes to be excited for what’s ahead with his new team in Chicago. [NHL]
Oh look, he’s all grown up! Face-licker and cheapshot maestro Brad Marchand inspires prospects at development camp. [NHL]
Evander Kane, most recently the subject of a league investigation after his spouse alleged he gambled on hockey games, had one of his best seasons on the ice, but off the ice has been another story and apparently multiple teammates want him gone. [Athletic]
The Blackhawks now say they will release the findings of the investigation into sexual assault allegations against their former video coach. [ESPN]
Not hockey at all, except that we have one of those: Ray Ratto talks about the fun of the name Otto. (Does he have a __tto bias?) [Defector]
Lots of memes and themes shall come of this wee detail about Nathan MacKinnon:
Imagine Mackinnon yelling at you every day in practice and making you eat fake pasta with no sauce just to lose in the 2nd round to an expansion team https://t.co/fT0GRMoJZF— J (@Account4hockey) August 3, 2021
All the other Colorado Avalanche players 15 minutes before dinner at MacKinnon’s house pic.twitter.com/XJib5mKLq2— michelle (@MacRangers2) August 4, 2021
Nathan MacKinnon seeing his teammates eating sugar pic.twitter.com/Rc4Dm8UUFh— rach (@rach__mz) August 3, 2021
Olympic Moment of Zen
Attack your day like an artistic swimmer. pic.twitter.com/QkxoMHKrcU— Linda Holmes Thinks You're Doing Great (@lindaholmes) August 4, 2021
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