The New York Islanders announced today that Rick Kowalsky has been named Head Coach of the Bridgeport Islanders (American Hockey League).
Kowalsky served as Bridgeport'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 2018-21.
Kowalsky was the Head Coach of the Devils' American Hockey League affiliates, Binghamton Devils (2017-18) and Albany Devils (2010-17). He led the Devils to back-to-back playoff berths in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Kowalsky was the recipient of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award, given to the AHL Coach of the Year, in 2016. That season, Kowalsky led Albany to a 46-20-0-10 record.
A native of Simcoe, Ont., Kowalsky served four seasons as Head Coach of New Jersey's ECHL affiliate, the Trenton Devils and Trenton Titans, from 2006-10. He received the 2009 John Brophy Award as league's top coach and was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame in January 2017.
Kowalsky's professional playing career spanned 12 seasons and included six teams/two leagues in North America. A right wing, he captained the ECHL's Trenton Titans to the 2005 Kelly Cup Championship in his final season as a player. Kowalsky participated in the 1995 and 2003 ECHL All-Star Games, serving as team captain for the North team in 2003. He totaled 221 goals and 329 assists for 550 points and 979 penalty minutes in 516 career regular-season ECHL games and scored 92 points (35-57-92) in 183 AHL games for the Cornwall Aces, Portland Pirates and Norfolk Admirals. He served as the team captain for the Soo Greyhounds (CHL) when the club won the Memorial Cup in 1993.
