Bridgeport Sound Tigers: Coaches Bios
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BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS: COACHES BIOS BRENT THOMPSON - HEAD COACH Brent Thompson is in his fifth season as head coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, which also marks his seventh year in the New York Islanders organization overall. Thompson was originally hired to coach the Sound Tigers on June 28, 2011 and led the team to a division title in 2011-12 before being South Division named assistant coach of the Islanders for two seasons (2012-14). On May 2, 2014, the Islanders announced Thompson would return to his role as head coach of the Sound Tigers. He is 186-150-36 as Bridgeport's head coach. Thompson became the Sound Tigers' all-time winningest head coach on Jan. 28, 2017, passing Jack Capuano with his 134th career victory. Prior to his time in Bridgeport, Thompson served as head coach of the Alaska Aces (ECHL) for two seasons (2009-11), winning the Kelly Cup Championship in 2011. During his two seasons as head coach in Alaska, Thompson amassed a record of 83-50-11 and won the John Brophy Award as ECHL Coach of the Year in 2011 after leading the team to a record of 47-22-3. Thompson also served as a player/coach with the CHL’s Colorado Eagles in 2003-04 and was an assistant with the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen from 2005-09. Before joining the coaching ranks, Thompson enjoyed a 14-year professional playing career from 1991-2005, which included 121 NHL games and more than 900 professional contests. The Calgary, AB native was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (39th overall) of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. ERIC BOGUNIECKI - ASSISTANT COACH Eric Boguniecki was named assistant coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on July 12, 2011 and is now in his seventh season in that capacity, including his fifth year under head coach Brent Thompson. Boguniecki and Thompson previously teamed up in Bridgeport during the 2011-12 season, when the Sound Tigers posted a 41-26-9 regular-season record to win the Northeast Division - the second division title in team history. Prior to joining the Sound Tigers, the West Haven, CT native enjoyed a 13-year professional career, including stops in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders. During the 2002-03 season with the Blues, he posted NHL career highs in goals (22), assists (27) and points (49). An eighth-round pick (193rd overall) of the Blues in the 1993 NHL Draft, Boguniecki won the Les Cunningham Award as the American Hockey League’s Most Valuable Player in 2001-02 with the Worcester IceCats. Boguniecki ended his playing career as a player/coach with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL, alongside Brent Thompson. Boguniecki attended the University of New Hampshire from 1993-97 and played four seasons with the Wildcats. MATT CARKNER - ASSISTANT COACH Matt Carkner is in his second season as an assistant coach after spending the previous 15 years as a defenseman in the AHL and NHL, including four seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and New York Islanders. He was named assistant coach on July 7, 2016. A native of Winchester, ON, Carkner played more than 800 games during his professional career, including NHL contests between the Islanders, San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators. He amassed 40 goals, 139 assists, 179 points and 2,312 penalty minutes as a pro, including a career-high 335 penalty minutes in his first year with the Cleveland Barons in 2001-02 . During his lengthy AHL career, he posted 152 points (36g, 116a) and 1,756 penalty minutes in 587 games and finished his career with 14 points (4g, 10a) in 60 games as a Sound Tiger. A second-round pick (58th overall) of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1999 NHL Draft, Carkner was never shy to help his teammates on the ice, or the community off of it. He was named the Sound Tigers recipient of the 2015-16 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year Award for his outstanding contributions to the Bridgeport community - the sixth time he earned the award. In addition, Carkner won the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2006-07. He played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Peterborough Petes prior to turning pro. BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS: PLAYERS BIOS GOALTENDERS (ALPHABETICAL) South Division #70 KRISTERS GUDLEVSKIS (G) Ht: 6'3 Wt: 218 Age: 25 DOB: 7/31/1992 (CHRIS-tuhrs) (guhd-LEHV-skeez) Catches: Left Place: Aizkraukle, Latvia Drafted: 5th Rd (#124) by Tampa Bay in 2013 NHL Draft Pro Season: 5th Season w/ Bridgeport: 1st Acquired: Acquired from Tampa Bay on July 1, 2017 in exchange for Carter Verhaeghe Single Game AHL Season Highs Single Game AHL Career Highs How Long Since (AHL)… SAVES: 39 2x (3/18/18 @ PRO) SAVES: 47 (11/14/15 vs. UTI) Last Win: 3/28/18 vs. HER (36svs) SHOTS FACED: 40 (3/28/18 vs. HER) SHOTS FACED: 48 (11/14/15 vs. UTI) Last Reg. Loss: 3/30/18 @ SPR (25svs) Last OT/SO Loss: 2/7/18 @ HFD (16svs) Last SO: 2/25/18 vs. CHA (39svs) 2017-18 NOTABLES: - Signed a one-year, two-way deal with the New York Islanders on 7/11/17…Assigned to Bridgeport by the Islanders on 9/24/17… Made his Sound Tigers debut on 10/13/14 at Charlotte, making 18 saves in a 5-3 win… Recorded his 11th pro shutout and ninth in the AHL with a 31-save effort on 11/5/17 at Providence (6-0 victory)… Blanked the Toronto Marlies and notched his second shutout of the season with a 25-save performance on 1/21/18… Earned a season-high 39-save shutout on 2/25/18 against Charlotte… Played his 200th pro game on 3/2/18 at Laval. CAREER NOTES: Posted a career high 2.65 goals-against-average in 37 games with Syracuse last season... Named to the 2016 AHL All-Star Challenge in Syracuse, N.Y... Honored as CCM/AHL Player of the Week for 1/12/14... Became the first goalie ever to play in the ECHL, AHL, NHL and Olympics in the same season in 2013-14, which included his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut... Made his NHL debut with Tampa Bay on 4/11/14 against Columbus, stopping 36 shots in a 3-2 win... Made his AHL debut on 10/26/13, in which he shut out Bridgeport... Initially signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Tampa Bay on 8/2/13.... Represented Latvia at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, the 2013 and 2014 World Championhips, the 2011 and 2012 World Junior Championships and 2010 Under-18 World Championships. --- Regular Season --- - Playoffs - Season Team League GP MIN GA W L OTL GAA SV% SVS SO GP GAA 2012-13 Riga Dynamo KHL 2 82 3 1 1 0 2.20 0.921 35 0 2013-14 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 1 60 2 1 0 0 2.00 0.947 36 0 2 3.00 Syracuse Crunch AHL 34 1901 85 18 11 4 2.68 0.901 774 5 Florida Everblades ECHL 11 656 20 7 4 0 1.83 0.925 246 2 2014-15 Syracuse Crunch AHL 46 2673 125 25 14 4 2.81 0.900 1128 2 3 4.97 2015-16 Syracuse Crunch AHL 41 2333 110 16 12 8 2.83 0.907 1071 1 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 1 60 1 0 0 1 1.00 0.969 31 0 2016-17 Syracuse Crunch AHL 37 1947 86 15 10 4 2.65 0.897 751 0 1 0.00 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 1 12 0 0 0 0 0.00 1.000 3 0 2017-18 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 35 1939 93 12 15 5 2.88 0.896 799 3 ECHL Totals: 11 656 20 7 4 0 1.83 0.925 246 2 BST Totals: 35 1939 93 12 15 5 2.88 0.896 799 3 AHL Totals: 193 10793 499 86 62 25 2.77 0.901 4523 11 NHL Totals: 3 132 3 1 0 1 1.36 0.959 70 0 Pro Totals: 209 11663 525 95 67 26 2.70 0.903 4874 13 BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS: PLAYERS BIOS GOALTENDERS (ALPHABETICAL) #34 EAMON McADAM (G) Ht: 6'3 Wt: 198 Age: 23 DOB: 9/24/1994 (AY-min) (mick-adam) Catches: Left Place: Perkasie, PA Drafted: 3rd Rd (#70) by NY Islanders in 2013 NHL Draft Pro Season: 2nd Season w/ Bridgeport: 2nd Full Acquired: Signed three-year, entry level contract with the Islanders on March 23, 2016 Single Game AHL Season Highs Single Game AHL Career Highs How Long Since (AHL)… SAVES: 24 (3/25/18 @ WBS) SAVES: 34 (3/2/17 @ TOR) Last Win: 3/25/18 @ WBS SHOTS FACED: 27 (3/25/18 @ WBS) SHOTS FACED: 37 (3/2/17 @ TOR) Last Reg. Loss: 2/24/18 vs. CHA (19svs) Last OT/SO Loss: n/a Last SO: n/a 2017-18 NOTABLES: - Reassigned from Worcester (ECHL) for a third time this season on 2/19/18… Made his AHL season debut in 29:31 of relief on 2/23/18 at Providence (15 saves)… Made 23 saves in his first AHL win this season on 3/3/18 at Belleville (4-2 victory). CAREER NOTES: Won each of his first seven starts last season, including his first AHL victory on 11/19/16 against Lehigh Valley (26 saves)..