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King Philip High hockey coach Bob Piotti was all set to send off an e-mail to New York Islanders General Manager Garth Snow the other day.

"I was going to e-mail him and kid him that I have my resume together," chuckled Piotti after Snow kept the New York Islander organization a Hockomock League area family by naming Providence Bruins' head coach Scott Gordon as the NHL franchise's new mentor.

Snow, who resided in Norfolk while attending and tending goal at Mt. St. Charles Academy and later the University of Maine, tabbed Gordon, who resided in Easton while tending goal for Thayer Academy and later at Boston College.

And like another Hockomock League area protege, Peter Laviolette of Franklin, Gordon succeeded him behind the bench of the Providence Bruins and now four seasons removed from two other Islander coaches (Steve Stirling, Ted Nolan).

"I was very fortunate in my time there in Providence," Gordon said via the Islanders TV network Wednesday in accepting the Islanders' head coaching position. "It was the belief and trust that they had in each other, the accountability they had in that room." "He had the ingredients that I was looking for in a coach, the communication skills, the ability to instill a sense of pride," said Snow of selecting the 45-year-old Gordon, who directed Boston's AHL affiliate to 221 victories during his five seasons as head coach at The Dunk. "Scott is the right coach for this team."

Through the Bruins' organization, of which Boston GM Peter Chiarelli gave Gordon an opportunity for an interview and through the southern New England area, of which Gordon was such a part - during his days at Boston College (1982-86), as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team and for the past eight seasons serving in Providence (three as an assistant coach under Mike Sullivan, also a candidate for the Isles' job) - hockey fans are genuinely happy for him.

"It's great, to keep it in the area," added Piotti as the vast number of local ties to the NHL, including Providence College-trained GM's Lou Lamoriello and Brian Burke and coach Ron Wilson.

"Scott is going to do a great job because he's great with young kids," added Piotti. "That was the riff between Nolan and Garth when I last spoke to him (Snow). He's going with a guy who is used to dealing with young kids."

With Islander owner Charles Wang, captain Bill Guerin and franchise goalie Rick DiPietro also on hand, Gordon paid tribute to his days in Providence for allowing him to become more than just a coach.

"Coaching is coaching - it's the other stuff that is the hard part," said Gordon, whose Providence Bruins won 55 games last season and captured the regular season Atlantic Division title before bowing out in the conference semifinals.

"I never looked at being there (in Providence) as a disadvantage, I looked at it as it could be a strength."

Gordon recalled in his early days, then Boston GM Mike O'Connell setting rather broad parameters for coaching in the AHL, not just winning, but developing players for the NHL and motivating older veteran players.

"I remember Mike saying that he wanted the team to play 10 games over .500 and maybe make the playoffs," said Gordon. "What I came to realize is that it forces your players to play with adversity, that things won't be great all the time."

Gordon, who had inked a new three-year pact with the Bruins' organization last year, was convinced that the Islanders' position might be a good one - knowing the circumstances for Laviolette in leaving Providence for another organization; with a wealth of prospects in the Islander organization; and with the construction of the new "Lighthouse" arena to replace the Nassau Coliseum. "Two things stood out, the style of play and the culminating environment," said Gordon of the support that he suspects he will receive from the upper levels of the organization, the players and the community.

"Style-wise, the way to go about it is to put pressure on the other team, to be aggressive with the forecheck," added Gordon, whose Providence teams wore out foes and forced turnovers.

"The first step is that we have to have the belief that we can win the Stanley Cup."