Why does it feel like Paul Thompson has something to prove after his appointment as Cardiff Devils head coach?
The 50-year-old returns to the Elite League as the winningest bench boss in Elite League history, having just added another domestic title to his resume in Denmark.
“Paul Thompson is one of the most successful coaches in the history of this league and we are very pleased to have him in Cardiff,” said Cardiff MD Todd Kelman.
But the reaction to Thompson’s appointment is mixed — and winning, as he has done many times before, is the only way he will turn detractors into supporters in Cardiff and beyond.
Triumph at home and abroad — Paul Thompson’s career highlights
Thompson, a nine-time Elite League Coach of the Year, started his professional coaching career with a ten-year run behind the bench with the Coventry Blaze, winning four league titles, one postseason crown, and five cup competitions.
In 2013, he swapped the Skydome Arena for Sweden’s second tier, kick-starting a run that would also see him coach in Denmark before venturing back to these shores.
Paul Thompson led the Coventry Blaze to the treble in 2004-05 (Image: Elite League)
The Singapore-born tactician returned to the Elite League as Sheffield Steelers head coach in 2015, winning one league title and one playoff title three and a half tumultuous seasons in Yorkshire.
Stops in Germany and Italy followed, before Thompson returned to Denmark to lead the Odense Bulldogs to their first national championship after four years behind the bench.
From the highest highs to the lowest lows — Paul Thompson’s ‘bust’ moments
Thompson, like all coaches and managers, is defined as much by his failures as he is by his success stories.
His first overseas role ended in relegation for Troja-Ljungby in 2014 (although he joined the struggling Allsvenskan side midseason), before leading the Aalborg Pirates to a mediocre eighth-place finish in Denmark’s Metal Ligaen the next season.
Successful in his first two seasons with the Steelers, his time in Sheffield ended with the team struggling at the foot of the table — despite starting the campaign with lofty expectations.
The DEL’s Schwenninger Wild Wings sacked Thompson only 13 months after hiring him — they were rock bottom of the league, with six wins in 26 games to start the season.
Analysis — Cardiff Devils make statement of intent with Paul Thompson signing
Recency bias is a major factor in the head-spinning reaction to Thompson’s appointment in Cardiff.
Critics of the decision will point to the final months of his reign in Sheffield, while his supporters — including Kelman — will gesture in the direction of his mantlepiece.
Thompson is a serial winner — and his latest triumph puts paid to the idea that the game has passed him by.
Paul Thompson’s Metal Ligaen Playoff-winning Odense Bulldogs (Image: Odense Bulldogs)
The former Team GB head coach inherited an Odense Bulldogs squad that finished ninth and failed to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
The Bulldogs climbed to seventh and made a stunning run to the final four in Thompson’s first season behind the bench.
In year-four (this season), Odense finished second in the regular-season and were crowned playoff champions for the first time in their history.
‘You don’t hate teams you always beat, you hate the teams you battle against’
“What he has done in Denmark is impressive, taking a smaller budget team all the way to a championship, the first in the history of their club,” said Kelman.
“I watched their entire playoff run and I was impressed with the style they played – fast, relentless hockey that was hard to defend…
“I am very aware of the historic rivalry between the Devils and the teams Paul coached. Before my time, the Blaze and the Devils had one of the fiercest rivalries in the league and when I got to Cardiff, those first few years we were battling with the Steelers for every title.
“Even before I came to Cardiff, when I was in Belfast, we battled with the Blaze for hardware nearly every season. Believe me, I cursed his name a lot over the years, but I think rivalry is always wrapped in respect. You don’t hate a team that you always beat. You hate the teams that you battle against and compete for trophies against.”
