Legendary Surrey Eagles forward Scott Gomez is officially stepping behind the bench. After retiring last season, he has been named to Doug Weight’s coaching staff in Long Island as an Assistant Coach.
Gomez, 37, returned to Surrey last year for the home opener and alumni game shortly after announcing his retirement. In his career with the Eagles, he suited up for 56 games in 1996-97, scoring 48 goals and 76 assists. He would later be drafted 26th overall in 1998 by the New Jersey Devils, and went on to win two Stanley Cups with that franchise.
Gomez also provided analysis on television for the NHL Network during his one-year retirement.
Doug Weight, Islanders Head Coach, spoke to NHL.com about the hiring:
“Scott brings an immense amount of hockey knowledge to our coaching staff,” Weight said. “His offensive instincts, expertise on the power play, and the way he could control the game with his skating and smarts are all key elements that we want implemented into our group. He played in the League as recently as the 2015-16 season, so he can relate to today’s NHL player in an effort to bring out the best in each member of the team.”
As a veteran of over 1,000 NHL games, Gomez is expected to take control of the team’s powerplay operations. A noted playmaker during his career, with 575 assists, Gomez will surely be a perfect fit in his new role.
On behalf of the Surrey Eagles organization, congratulations Scott!
