LOS ANGELES -- On Thursday afternoon, Bridgeport Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/why-mathieu-darche-believes-rocky-thompson-is-the-right-guy-to-lead-bridgeport-s-bench] head coach Rocky Thompson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/why-mathieu-darche-believes-rocky-thompson-is-the-right-guy-to-lead-bridgeport-s-bench] addressed the media for the first time since the New York Islanders [http://thn.com/isles] announced his hiring on June 23. Thompson has spent a considerable amount of time behind the bench of several NHL teams, most recently with the Philadelphia Flyers under John Tortorella. Bridgeport has struggld to be competitive the last few seasons and Thompson is being tasked with not just turning things around, but creating a winning culture like they've never seen before. "Where Bridgeport has been in the past, we're looking to make a change," Thompson said. "We're not going to be the punching bags anymore [...] my job is to bring them together as a winning ground and develop those prospects and to create a winning culture." Rocky learned a lot from Tortorella and while he may not have the same relationship with the players that Torts had, he thinks there are similariities in their coaching styles. "I'm a different type of coach myself. I'm very demanding, very intense, and I'm not an emotional coach. I think Torts is very intense, and I'm very intense as well, to get the most out of your players. And I think we do it in a different way, but I've learned -- I could say he's a Hockey Hall of Famer and Torts and I grew very, very close over the last three years -- and so I could write a book on the things that I've learned -- you're going to see it when we get into Bridgeport "You're going to see the things that I used to do in the past when I was with the Chicago Wolves and the Windsor Spitfires. And you're going to see things that I've improved upon as well, maybe things that you don't always see during the game, but things that are behind the scenes, practices, etc, stuff like that." What will Thompson be doing, outside of the "X's & O's" to create a winning culture? "Well, I think it's the culture that I create within the group. I really feel like we create an environment that's fun," Thompson said. "It's very hard working and very competitive, and the guys really, at the end of the day, grow close together with each other. They become a family. Every team that I've ever been involved with that has happened, and I think that's the most important thing. That's the foundation point. I'm a good teacher. Development is is very important to me, myself as an athlete [...] I'm very demanding, but I like to give opportunity to people, whether you're young or whether you're old, but you also have to earn it if you're going to continue to receive it. And so that's kind of the environment that I have. "It's hard to describe your culture in a minute-long answer, but I believe that, during the interview process, I'm the person who's chosen to lead. I think that's the main reason. They saw that. And then the way that I've been able to develop players for the Vegas Golden Knights out of junior for the next level, with Mikhail Sergachev, Logan Brown, and Logan Stanley. These guys. They were passionate. They were winners, and then they became winners at the same time. And so it's the art of coaching, and you're always developing and learning. And I've had a lot of great mentors over the way along the way." What's Thompson's message to the young playes who strggled last season in Bridgeport? "Well, the American Hockey League humbles everybody, in my opinion, when they come there," Thompson said. "I had a great conversation with Chris Terry yesterday for about 45 minutes, I would say, and being in that environment can be very tough for everybody, whether you're young or whether you're old. But it was last year. Like I said, we're no longer the punching bag of the American Hockey League. So this is a fresh start for everybody. I know a few people on the team from the past or have coached against them at some point, and so it's a fresh slate, and they know that coming in. That's automatically a reset and a reboot. Like I said, I'm very demanding, and so they're going to have a lot of fun. That's the most important thing, I think, when this game is fun, when you come to the rink, they're not going to see me walking down the hall, always holding a computer in my hand, showing them what they did wrong. I'm going to be walking down the hall. I'm going to ask them what they did last night. That's my personality. I like getting to know the guys. I like talking with them and just socializing. "To me, that's fun. And then when it's time to work, okay, guys, it's time to work. Let's get down to work. We're going to have fun doing that. And that's how I've always run it. And the teams that I've been a part of, whether I was head coach or an assistant, that environment was always present. And so when those guys are going to figure out, they're going to see it and they're going to want to excel, and they're going to be able to excel." Thompson will be on hand for Islanders develpment camp, which begins this Monday at Northwell Ice Center. Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwpuDfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
