Bennett & Boughner Join Islanders As Assistant Coaches
The Islanders have their coaching staff.
The New York Islanders announced on Monday that they have hired Ray Bennett and Bob Boughner as assistant coaches.
Assistant coach Benoit Desrosiers and goalie coach Piero Greco were retained.
Ray Bennett
Bennett, 63, has been an NHL assistant coach since 1999–2000, getting his start with the Los Angeles Kings before a 10-year stint with the St. Louis Blues.
For the last seven years, he served under Jared Bednar in Colorado, overseeing the Avalanche’s power play since the 2017–18 season. He won a Stanley Cup in 2022.
He was let go by the organization following the 2024-25 season.
Here was Bennett’s “Thank You” to the Avalanche organization:
Power play help is something the Islanders desperately need. They finished the 2024–25 season ranked 31st in the NHL, with a percentage of just 12.6% (26-for-207). A 10% improvement, and the Islanders likely sneak into the playoffs.
The Islanders, obviously, don’t have the same star power as Colorado — there’s no Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, or Rantanen — but there’s still no reason the team’s power play can’t be effective.
There’s been many PP coaches that have walked through the doors on Long Island and none — maybe a little consistent success here and there — have been able to solve the problem.
We’ll see if Bennett can find that consistency needed.
Bennett also likely has a relationship with Calum Ritchie, the Avalanche’s top prospect who came over in the Brock Nelson deal.
Bob Boughner
Bob Boughner, a 10-year NHL vet, was part of Derek Lalonde’s staff with the Detroit Red Wing before being let go on Dec. 26.
Previously, the 54-year-old had served as the head coach of the San Jose Sharks from 2019 through 2022, serving as the Florida Panthers head coach for one season in 2017-18.
With Bennett coming in as the power play guy, Boughner comes in as the PK guy.
Detroit’s PK wasn’t great this past season and was only ahead of the Islanders in the standings before his time came to an end there, coming through at 68.8%.
In his three seasons with Detroit, the PK averaged out to 76.5%.
However, with the Sharks, the penalty kill was very good, averaging out to 84%, second-best in the NHL, over those three years.
The Islanders' penalty kill struggled mightily to start the season, showing improvement in the second half, but still finished at 72.2%.
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This talk about possibly trading Romanov is a complete joke. If I was a GM of Dallas Florida or any team in the NHL I would call the islanders. This guy has a burning desire to win. What a playoff performer he will be. Sure he hasn’t always been healthy, but the best is yet to come on this guy.
Good Hires! New concepts and attitudes. The Specialty Teams are a complete disaster, and simply the number one reason the team is not more successful. Believe me Darche understands a large part of this equation is talent. Guys like Ritchie Gatcomb are going to form a new PK. Engvall needs to go back to PK. Marner would help all the Special Teams. Marner makes this team a contender. We need new players on the Speciality Teams period, and new concepts. The good news is we are at Rock Bottom!!!! Nowhere but UP ⬆️