Thompson Named Spitfires’ Head Coach

After spending the past five seasons coaching in the professional ranks, Rocky Thompson is heading back to the junior level. Thompson, a 37-year-old Cree, was named as the head coach of the Windsor Spitfires, who competed in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), in early July.

Thompson, who was born in Calgary, had spent the past year serving as an assistant coach with the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers. And prior to that he had spent four seasons working as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Barons in the American Hockey League.

Though he will be a newcomer to the OHL, Thompson, a former pro player himself, does have some previous coaching experience at the junior level. He had worked as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oil Kings, members of the Western Hockey League (WHL), for three seasons, from 2007 through 2010.

As a pro, Thompson, who had been drafted by his hometown Calgary Flames in the third round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, ended up playing for nine different squads. He appeared in 25 NHL games, 15 with Calgary and 10 others with the Florida Panthers.