Macdonald and Rhéaume Named Assistant Coaches
Sep 1, 2023The Bridgeport Islanders, American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, have named Matt Macdonald and Pascal Rhéaume as Assistant Coaches.
Macdonald (pictured left), 40, spent the last five seasons as Assistant Coach with the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL). The Griffins went 144-137-38 in 319 games during that span. Macdonald also spent six seasons behind the bench for the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, including four years as Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations from 2014-18. He guided the Cyclones to a winning record during each of those four seasons, totaling a 142-116-16-14 record and two Kelly Cup Playoff appearances.
Prior to his coaching career, the Niagara Falls, Ont. native played seven professional seasons as a defenseman. He combined for 133 points (30g, 103a) and 601 penalty minutes in 385 career games between the CHL (2005-06), ECHL (2006-09), AHL (2007-09), Italy (2009-10; 2011-12) and Denmark (2010-11). He won the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Championship with Cincinnati in 2008. Macdonald played college hockey at St. Lawrence University, where he had 30 points (14g, 16a) in 118 games from 2001-05.
Rhéaume (pictured right), 50, has coached in the AHL, ECHL and major junior hockey in addition to playing 318 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Rangers and Arizona Coyotes. He spent each of the last two seasons as Assistant Coach of the ECHL’s Trois-Rivières Lions.
Prior to joining Trois-Rivières for the 2021-22 season, Rhéaume served as Head Coach of the Val d’Or Foreurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for two years (2018-20). He was also Assistant Coach with the Sherbrooke Phoenix and Drummondville Voltigeurs before that. Rhéaume spent the 2015-16 season as Assistant Coach with the Iowa Wild (AHL).
A native of Quebec, Que., Rhéaume played nearly 20 professional seasons as a forward beginning in 1993-94 with the Albany River Rats (AHL). He recorded 408 points (174g, 234a) in 589 career AHL games with the River Rats, Worcester IceCats, Hartford Wolf Pack, San Antonio Rampage, Lowell Devils, Manchester Monarchs and Peoria Rivermen. He won the 1995 Calder Cup with Albany and the 2003 Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils.
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