Rocky Lee Thompson, born on August 8, 1977, is a Canadian former ice hockey player who transitioned into a successful coaching career. Known for his tenacity on the ice, Thompson has made a name for himself both as a player and as a coach in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the National Hockey League (NHL).
Early Life and Playing Career
Rocky Thompson was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft as the 72nd overall pick. He was born in Calgary, Alberta, but spent his childhood in Whitecourt, Alberta.
Multi-Sport Background
Growing up in a small town, Thompson also excelled in boxing and wrestling. He won Alberta Golden Gloves and Saskatchewan Golden Gloves. During his hockey career, from the age of 16 to 24, he consistently trained at the local boxing club in whatever town he was playing.
Rocky Thompson played four seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) before starting his professional hockey career. After playing four seasons in the Western Hockey League, Thompson made his professional debut with the Flames' American Hockey League affiliate, the Saint John Flames.
NHL and AHL Career
Thompson's professional playing career spanned 10 seasons and included 25 NHL games between his hometown Calgary Flames (1997-99) and the Florida Panthers (2000-02). He appeared in 15 NHL games with the Flames during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons. He made a brief return to the NHL with the Florida Panthers, appearing in ten games during the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.
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Most of Rocky's professional hockey career was spent in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played for many different AHL teams, tallying numerous penalty minutes. For example, in the 2006-07 season, he played 55 games for the Peoria Rivermen. Considering you rank 10th on the American Hockey League’s all-time list with 1,919 penalty minutes, you put that boxing training to good use.
Thompson was known for his physical play. There was even a game where you and Lessard fought twice in the same period.
Transition to Coaching
After retiring as a player, Rocky Thompson transitioned to coaching. All the while, I was playing hockey.
Early Coaching Roles
He started as an assistant coach for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League in 2007.
On July 3, 2015, Rocky Thompson became the head coach of the Windsor Spitfires. In his first year, he helped the Spitfires improve a lot. They went from being last in their conference to finishing second in their division.
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Windsor Spitfires Success
In 2017, Rocky coached the Spitfires to win the 2017 Memorial Cup. Thompson was Head Coach in Windsor for two seasons 2015-17 before the club’s championship, going 81-40-15 over 136 games.
Chicago Wolves
On June 7, 2017, Thompson was hired as the head coach of the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League. He coached them for three seasons. He compiled a 113-71-29 record in 213 regular season games with the Wolves, including a 44-22-10 record in 2018-19 en route to the club’s Calder Cup Finals run.
NHL Assistant Coaching
On September 22, 2020, he joined the San Jose Sharks as an associate coach. In the summer of 2022, Rocky was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant coach.
Bridgeport Islanders
The New York Islanders announced today that Rocky Thompson has been named Head Coach of the Bridgeport Islanders. On June 23, 2025, he was hired as the head coach of the Bridgeport Islanders. Thompson, 47, joins the Islanders following three seasons as Assistant Coach with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Thompson said. “I love this game so much. I’m a hockey junkie. “I just want to win,” he said. “I want to be the best. When you are that way, you work harder than anybody else.
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| Team | Years | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oil Kings | 2007 | Assistant Coach |
| Windsor Spitfires | 2015-2017 | Head Coach |
| Chicago Wolves | 2017-2020 | Head Coach |
| San Jose Sharks | 2020 | Associate Coach |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2022-2025 | Assistant Coach |
| Bridgeport Islanders | 2025-Present | Head Coach |