MONDAY FEATURE: For The Love Of The Game

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While the American Hockey League (AHL) features some of the top up-and-coming talent in the hockey world, a team full of hot prospects without any sort of on-ice leadership or pro experience is doomed to fail. That's why every AHL team has a handful of veteran players to help steer the proverbial ship.

The Bridgeport Islanders have a plethora of veteran players, coming into the 2022-23 season with the oldest roster (by average age), but coming into his 12th full season of pro hockey forward Paul Thompson returned to Bridgeport still eager to help contribute and be a veteran leader to help along the New York Islanders top pro prospects.

"He's a huge piece of this team," AHL Islanders head coach Brent Thompson (no relation to Paul) said of Paul Thompson, "as far as practice habits, the way he approaches every day and how he comes to rink, the energy. You think [he's] an older guy coming in, but he's like a 12-year-old kid - he loves the game. He loves being part of this group."

Things have been going well for Bridgeport to start the season as they're 13-4-4 through 21 games, but as the Islanders' bench boss noted when things weren't going to plan in the beginning of last season it was the veterans like Paul leading by example and helping the team dig out of their early-season hole to get the Islanders into the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs last spring.

"He's a guy that, when we went through tough times last year, he always kept a level head and led us," Brent said of Paul, adding, "So it's just one of those things that, again, it goes back to your leadership group and the older guys really buying in and being an extension of the coaching staff."

AHL rules only allow teams to dress six players that entered the season with more than 260 games of pro experience, and of those six one must have less than 320 pro games of experience. For Paul, he's appeared in only 10 of the team's opening 21 games largely due that veteran rule. But it's a situation he knew he was getting himself into when he opted to re-sign with Bridgeport over the summer.

"I've obviously been out a bit, but it's kind of a role that I've accepted and I'm completely fine with at this point in my career," Paul said of having to be in and out of the lineup due to the league's veteran rule. "Obviously you always want to be out there to help, but obviously the rules just prohibit it so it's an understood thing, but I think our group of guys has handled it really well."

Despite limited action this season, Paul has still produced - tallying two goals and two assists in his 10 games played to date this season.

"When I am in the lineup, it's just bringing energy, being ready to go and taking these games night by night," Paul told InsideAHLHockey.com over the weekend. "For me at this point in my career, it's just a blessing every time I'm out there to still be in those games and to help the team out."

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