Devils Name Paul Thompson as Head Coach

The Devils are pleased to announce Paul Thompson as the new Head Coach. 

Thompson joins the Devils from the Odense Bulldogs of the top Danish League, where he spent the last 4 seasons as Head Coach.  Thompson led the Bulldogs to their first ever Metal Ligaen Championship just last week, defeating the Herning Blue Fox in game 5 of the best of 7 series. 

Paul Thompson will be well known to the Elite League and to Devils fans.  He spent 10 years as Head Coach of the Coventry Blaze starting from the inaugural season of the Elite League.  He won 4 League titles with the Blaze, 1 Playoff Championship, 2 Knockout Cups and 3 Challenge Cups and was voted EIHL Coach of the Year 3 times.  

He left the Blaze ahead of the 2013-14 season and coached in Sweden’s Allsvenskan League with IF Troja-Ljungby before moving to Aalborg in Denmark for the 2014-15 season. Pictured above:  behind the bench With the steelers (photo Dean woolley)He was lured back to the UK to take over the head coaching role with the Sheffield Steelers ahead of the 2015-16 season, winning a league title in his first year and once again being voted the EIHL Coach of the Year.  The next season, Thompson’s Steelers defeated the Devils in double overtime to win the Playoff Championship in 2017. 

He left the Steelers midway through the 2018-19 season and was hired by Schwenninger in the DEL, the top league in Germany.  He was let go in December the following season.  During the Covid season of 2020-21, Thompson coached Italian side Unterland, winning the Italian Cup. 

He was hired by Odense ahead of the 2021-22 season and was tasked with turning around a team that had finished last the previous season.  Over the last four years, he has transformed the Bulldogs from a last place team into Champions. 
Pictured above:  Thompson coaching in the chl in 2016 (photo dean woolley)

Managing Director Todd Kelman spoke about the hiring of Paul Thompson:

“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. 

“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. 

“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.  I watched their entire playoff run and I was impressed with the style they played – fast, relentless hockey that was hard to defend. 

“The bottom line is, we’re on the same team now.  We are happy to have him and looking forward to getting him to Cardiff.”