Islanders Replace Goalie Coach Mike Dunham With Fred Brathwaite

In a headline that could have occurred ten years ago, the New York Islanders have replaced Mike Dunham with Fred Brathwaite. Dunham, a journeyman goalie who played ten seasons in the NHL, finished his career with the Islanders in 2006-07 and then took over as the team’s goalie coach. Brathwaite had left the NHL just three years earlier after a ten-year career of his own, and has been working as the goalie coach for Canada’s World Junior teams in recent years. Today, the Islanders announced a trade, as they have decided not to bring back Dunham and to instead hire Brathwaite as the team’s new goalie coach.

Last season, the Islanders missed the playoffs and finished 23rd in the NHL in goals against, likely leading to their new change in direction at goalie coach, moving on from Dunham, who had been there for ten years. In Brathwaite, New York adds a goalie coach with similar experience and succes to Dunham, but who also played in the KHL and in Germany. Brathwaite should be a good fit with the Isles, who boast two goalie that are more familiar with being backups than starters in Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak, and have goalie-of-the-future Ilya Sorokin currently playing in the KHL and waiting in the wings to make the jump to the NHL in the near future. Brathwaite also has a connection to head coach Doug Weight, whom he played with in Edmonton in the 1990’s.

For Dunham, this could be the end of the line in his hockey career. He thanked the organization for the opportunity to play and coach and expressed his excitement with spending more time with his family.