Several NY Islanders Prospects Happy To Play Under Jay McKee Again

Hamilton Hammers head coach Jay McKee is going to be very familiar with some of the players on the roster.

Jan 5, 2026; St. Paul, Minnesota, USA; Czechia defensemen Vladimir Dravecky (9) comforts forward Adam Novotny (24) as Czechia forward Stepan Hoch (25) looks on after falling to Sweden in the final of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey tournament at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders made additions to their coaching staff this offseason that had a major impact on their AHL affiliate.

Former Bridgeport Islanders head coach Rocky Thompson was promoted to an assistant under Peter DeBoer in the NHL. To fill the head coach vacancy with their new affiliate, the Hamilton Hammers, Jay McKee was hired.

There is a lot of excitement surrounding his hire, given the amount of success he has had thus far in his career. Defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson is used to going up against McKee-led squads and is excited to now be on the same side as him.

What will make the transition easier for the head coach to a new team is that there are already players in the organization who know his system and what he wants to see on the ice. The Islanders have three prospects - Vladimir Dravecky, Gabriel Frasca and Layne Gallacher - who all played under McKee during the 2025-26 season with the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs.

Islanders prospects speak highly of Jay McKee

Mar 21, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a New York Islanders logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Frasca credits McKee for helping him elevate his game to another level, as he moves on from the OHL to the NCAA, where he will play with Quinnipiac University.

“He was much different from other coaches in the sense that he’s more of a teacher,” Frasca said, via the team’s website. “I learned so much from him, and he really helped with my development.”

He is heading into college with some positive momentum after recording 15 points in 31 regular season games and five points in five playoff games with Hamilton/Brantford last season.

Getting to see a former coach also move up the ranks is quite an experience, which Frasca believes McKee has earned.

“He deserved this, and it’s great to work with him again,” Frasca said. “It’s a lot of similar stuff to what we saw in Brantford.”

Islanders News: The New York Islanders announced today that Jay McKee has been named Head Coach of the Hamilton Hammers, the Islanders new American Hockey League affiliate.

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 29, 2026

Gallacher, who is only 18 years old, made the jump from his youth program to junior hockey; McKee was his first coach. That isn’t an easy transition to make, but it was easier for Gallacher to be with a coach who has the style of McKee.

He helped the young center develop good habits and adjust to life as he began his journey to professional hockey.

“I came to him as a 16-year-old and he gave me a lot of opportunity,” Gallacher said. “He taught me how important it is to play both sides of the ice and how to adjust to a professional setting.”

In 53 OHL games last season, he produced 30 points, scoring 10 goals with 20 assists to go along with a plus/minus ratio of +4.

Just as the three prospects would tell everyone, New York fans should be excited for what McKee brings to the organization.