Jay McKee impresses at Islanders development camp
The new Hamilton Hammers head coach ran the camp and introduced prospects to the organization's playing style.
Jay McKee made his mark at New York Islanders development camp, earning praise from head coach Peter DeBoer for his work with prospects and young players.
The 48-year-old was named the first head coach of the Hamilton Hammers, the Islanders' new AHL affiliate, on May 29. He took the lead at development camp, introducing players to what they can expect as part of the organization.
"I've been following his coaching and playing journey, and seen how much success he's had in the OHL," DeBoer told nhl.com. "I was really impressed with what I saw this week and what he did."
McKee spent the past five years coaching the Hamilton and Brantford Bulldogs in the Ontario Hockey League. Last season, he led Brantford to the best record in the OHL at 48-10-8-2. In 2021-22, he coached Hamilton to a league championship and a Memorial Cup appearance.
"Most importantly, it's building relationships first," McKee told thehockeynews.com. "As a coach, if you start harping on guys or expecting things from them before building a relationship, it's not going to work very well. They need to know that we care about them."
McKee acknowledged the transition from junior to professional hockey. "It's the same game, just a different level of players," he said at eyesonisles.com. "As an AHL head coach, you're dealing with some different scenarios that you wouldn't deal with in the Ontario Hockey League."
DeBoer expressed confidence in the AHL staff. "I think we have a tremendous AHL staff led by Jay," he said. "They did a great job this week and I'm excited for the bond we've built between both our staffs."
The Hammers will begin their inaugural season this fall.
