The New York Islanders introduced their American Hockey League head coach, Jay McKee, on Tuesday. The hire is a big plus for the team's future and where they are heading.
The New York Islanders introduced Jay McKee as their American Hockey League head coach, taking over for Rocky Thompson and leading the team into a new era. He is the first head coach in Hamilton Hammers' history and someone poised to take the team to another level.
The question was when, not if, McKee would become an AHL coach someday. He built up a strong reputation with the Brantford Bulldogs in the Ontario Hockey League and interviewed for NHL jobs. Now, he’s leading the Hammers.
His introductory presser on July 7th was a reminder of what a great hire this is. For a team that made the playoffs last season, they look poised to be one of the best in the AHL next season and kickstart the Islanders into a new era. The presser was also a reminder of the pros and cons of a new era that the Islanders are beginning.
McKee Hire Was Made Easier Through The Hamilton Location
McKee didn’t explicitly say that the location wasn’t the reason he chose the Hammers. It wasn’t the only reason either. The prospect pool and direction of the team made the team an attractive destination. That said, he noted that it was a plus and helped him choose Hamilton over other AHL teams like the Belleville Senators or Hartford Wolf Pack.
He played in the OHL, coached in Hamilton, and has roots in the greater Toronto area. McKee’s recent stop was Brantford, a half-hour drive from Hamilton (or an hour depending on traffic, which is often the case in the GTA). It’s hard for a young coach like McKee to make the jump and uproot his family to join another team, even though it comes with the territory. This hire eases the transition.
It speaks to the bigger benefit of the Islanders in Hamilton. They can convince other startup coaches in the OHL to join their team. McKee was the first, and he’ll change the culture. He won’t be the last, and the next up-and-coming coach will see the Hammers the same way he does, as a destination to coach.
Darche Is Building For The Future Through His AHL Team
Darche took over as the Islanders' general manager last offseason, and the turnaround has been noticeable. While they missed the playoffs, they retooled on the fly, turning one of the worst farm systems in the league into one of the best. Sure, some of that comes with Matthew Schaefer being on their team but most of it happened with their AHL team.
The details that he puts into the AHL team have changed the culture and allowed prospects to flourish. Last season in Bridgeport, he brought in Thompson and veterans who could play at a high level to turn the team around. This season, he’s turning Hamilton into one of the top teams with a better development program.
McKee coached plenty of star players in the OHL, and there’s an art to leading a team with elite talents and taking them to another level. He’ll have that task this season with the Hammers. There’s a good chance Victor Eklund is on the NHL team but Cole Eiserman, KaShawn Aitcheson, and 2026 first-round pick Malte Gustafsson are all slated to start the season with the Hammers. McKee is the type of coach who can get the most out of them.
Will Hamilton Work With The Islanders
The lingering question following the McKee introduction is whether the Islanders and Hamilton will work in the long run. It’s something that was asked when the team was formally introduced in May but never answered. The fans in the region are great and eager for an AHL team, while the team is ready to build an identity in a new location but how will this relationship work in the big picture?
The big question is how the Islanders will handle call-ups and recalls with a border crossing and a long distance between the two teams. Hamilton has an airport but no direct flights to New York. When a prospect was called up in Bridgeport, they could participate in the morning skate with the AHL team and play that night on the NHL team. Now, a prospect must travel to Buffalo or Toronto, deal with border crossings, customs, and a flight to New York before joining the team.
The other question is what happens when McKee isn’t around. Can Darche sustain a fanbase in a market that doesn’t have a rooting interest in the Islanders? It’s a bet he’s making that he can turn the Hammers into the Islanders’ version of the Syracuse Crunch. The question is whether this will work, even if McKee takes an NHL job in a year or two.
Hamilton is a great market, one of the fastest-growing in Canada, and built for hockey. An AHL team will be successful there. The question is whether the Islanders are that team or if another team is built for that market.
Can Darche Win Over Enemy Territory?
One of the reasons the Islanders failed to build up a fanbase in Bridgeport is that they were in rival territory. Fairfield County is known as New York Rangers territory, and they never kicked off the ground running.
It’s no secret that Hamilton is in Toronto Maple Leafs territory. It’s something Darche acknowledged during the press conference the other day. There’s a good chance that Maple Leafs fans will fill the stands for the Hammers' home game against the Toronto Marlies. Likewise, the area isn’t far from Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans fans, who can make the trip as well.
This puts a lot of pressure on Darche, McKee, and the Hammers. They not only must win the rivalry, but they must win in enemy territory. The Islanders never won in Bridgeport, and it turned rivalry games into home games for the opponent. In Hamilton, they can easily lose the fans if they don’t kick off the ground running.
McKee is the right coach to help them do just that. The team must build up a strong base, and with a good team, he can take them to another level and have them competitive right out of the gate.
