New York Islanders bench boss Doug Weight wanted ex-NHLers to join his coaching staff.
On Tuesday, the Islanders announced the hiring of Scott Gomez -- and his 1,079 games of NHL experience from a playing career that only ended in 2015-16 -- as an assistant coach.
“Scott brings an immense amount of hockey knowledge to our coaching staff,” said Weight in a statement.
“His offensive instincts, expertise on the power-play and the way he could control the game with his skating and smarts, are all key elements that we want implemented into our group. He played in the league as recently as the 2015-16 season so he can relate to today’s NHL player in an effort to bring out the best in each member of the team.”
Gomez has never served in an official coaching capacity. It’s safe to assume he learned something from working with ex-Caps coach Adam Oates, who has turned himself into a personal player consultant/individual skills coach. Gomez praised Oates for salvaging his career and getting a contract from the Blues in 2015.
“That guy brought me back from the dead,” Gomez said, per the Star-Ledger. “You bet I was going to take advantage.”
And it looks like Gomez has done just that, as he joins the Islanders.