| Rocky Thompson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Thompson at the 2014Edmonton Oilers training camp | |||
| Born | (1977-08-08)August 8, 1977 (age 48) | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing,Defence | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Calgary Flames Florida Panthers | ||
| NHL draft | 72nd overall,1995 Calgary Flames | ||
| Playing career | 1996–2007 | ||
Rocky Lee Thompson (born August 8, 1977) is aCanadian formerice hockeyright wing, who currently serves as the head coach of theBridgeport Islanders of theAmerican Hockey League. He was most recently an assistant coach with thePhiladelphia Flyers of theNHL. He was drafted in the third round, 72nd overall, by theCalgary Flames in the1995 NHL Entry Draft. This Cree forward/defenseman[1] was born inCalgary,Alberta and raised inWhitecourt, Alberta.[2] Along with hockey, he showed promise in boxing as a teenager, winning gold in the 1993 North American Indigenous Games as well as in provincial Golden Gloves tournament championships in Alberta and Saskatchewan.[1]
After playing four seasons in theWestern Hockey League, Thompson made his professional debut with the Flames'American Hockey League affiliate, theSaint John Flames. He appeared in 15 NHL games with the Flames during the1997–98 and1998–99 seasons. He made a brief return to the NHL with theFlorida Panthers, appearing in ten games during the2000–01 and2001–02 seasons. In only 25 NHL games, Thompson racked up 117 penalty minutes.
Most of his professional career has been spent with various AHL teams, tallying numerous penalty minutes. Most recently, he played in 55 games for thePeoria Rivermen during the2006–07 season, recording 127 penalty minutes.
Following his professional career, Rocky Thompson turned to coaching, becoming the assistant coach for the expansionEdmonton Oil Kings of theWestern Hockey League in 2007.[2] He would later become an assistant coach for theOklahoma City Barons.
On July 16, 2014, Thompson was promoted to assistant coach of theEdmonton Oilers.[3]
On July 3, 2015, Thompson was hired as head coach of theWindsor Spitfires.[4] In his first season, he took a Spitfires team that finished last in the conference and guided them to 87 regular-season points and second place in the OHL West Division, before losing in five games to theLondon Knights in the first round of the playoffs. Thompson coached the Spitfires as they became champions of the2017 Memorial Cup.
On June 7, 2017, Thompson was hired as head coach of theChicago Wolves of theAmerican Hockey League.[5] He spent three seasons in the position before joining theSan Jose Sharks as an associate coach on September 22, 2020.[6] He did not return for the 2021–22 season, as he would not bevaccinated againstCOVID-19 as required by the NHL for people in close contact with the players.[7][8]
In the summer of 2022, it was announced that Thompson was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant coach for the 2022–23 season.[9] He remained in this position through the 2024–25 season.[10]
On June 23, 2025, he was hired as head coach of theBridgeport Islanders, theAHL affiliate of theNew York Islanders (NHL).[11]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1993–94 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 68 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 166 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1994–95 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 63 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 220 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | ||
| 1995–96 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 71 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 260 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 26 | ||
| 1995–96 | Saint John Flames | AHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 47 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 170 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | 22 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 90 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 22 | ||
| 1997–98 | Saint John Flames | AHL | 51 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 187 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 47 | ||
| 1997–98 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Saint John Flames | AHL | 27 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Saint John Flames | AHL | 53 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Louisville Panthers | AHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 54 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | Louisville Panthers | AHL | 55 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 193 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 42 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 143 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 19 | ||
| 2001–02 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 79 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 275 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2003–04 | Toronto Roadrunners | AHL | 69 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 196 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Edmonton Road Runners | AHL | 69 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 231 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Peoria Rivermen | AHL | 59 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 247 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | ||
| 2006–07 | Peoria Rivermen | AHL | 55 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 127 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 566 | 17 | 52 | 60 | 1919 | 39 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 93 | ||||
| NHL totals | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||