What we learned from Islanders GM Mathieu Darche's first news conference

New York Times

a day ago

ELMONT, N.Y. — The New York Islanders pulled out all the stops — and just about every team employee — to welcome new general manager Mathieu Darche to the fold. Whereas Lou Lamoriello came on board in summer 2018 to very little fanfare, the way Lamoriello likes to operate, Islanders ownership put Darche's name on the UBS Arena marquee Thursday and packed a common area at suite level with team employees, media and some season-ticket holders.
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As operating partner John Collins said while sitting next to Darche on a stage, this is a big deal. The Islanders' month-long search to replace Lamoriello at the head of hockey operations took some twists and turns but landed on Darche, the first-time GM whose resume feels like that of a more seasoned exec: six years in the business world with international logistics company Delmar (coincidentally a business partner of the Islanders), hockey commentator with RDS in Quebec, and then six years in the Lightning front office with his hand in all areas of Tampa's operation under GM Julien BriseBois.
Any of the handful of candidates Collins and principal owner Scott Malkin spoke to this past month would have represented a monumental change for an organization whose last two GMs were hired after one-person searches. Darche represents an even bigger change than if a former GM like Marc Bergevin or Ken Holland had taken the gig, given that he's a blank slate as a manager.
Here's what we learned from a fairly news-filled press conference:
Darche announced rather promptly that Patrick Roy will return as head coach for the 2025-26 season. Though they are both Montreal natives and played for the Canadiens, Darche said his first time contacting Roy was over the weekend. But clearly the new GM made the decision on Roy his No. 1 priority and ultimately stuck with Roy, who has three years remaining on his contract.
'Patrick's a winner,' Darche said. 'He's had success coaching. When he came here the first year, he did have success. I know a lot of people in the hockey world and I've been on the phone a lot. I met with Patrick last weekend just to get to know him more. I'm extremely comfortable and excited to be working with him.'
Roy's strong personality was relatively tamed during his 121 games coaching under Lamoriello, some of which surely had to do with showing respect to the 82-year-old former Isles GM, the first person in the NHL to offer Roy a shot at returning to the league since he left the Avalanche in 2016. Behind the scenes though, according to a team source, Roy and Lamoriello stopped seeing eye to eye last season with injuries piling up and few replacements coming to meet the moment.
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Roy wants the Islanders to be a faster-paced team than the roster allowed last year — and, for that matter, the two prior seasons, too. Lamoriello's goal was to build a team that, foremost, defended well. Darche sounded a lot like Roy on Thursday, saying his goal as GM is to make the Islanders a fast team, one that still defends but plays with pace. So if the coach and GM are aligned, this relationship could work.
Then again, the same team source said Roy had conversations with ownership during the GM search. If Roy feels emboldened to go over the head of a first-time GM and speak to ownership if there's conflict between him and Darche, then it could be problematic going forward.
In keeping Roy, Darche simultaneously sealed the fate of John MacLean and Tommy Albelin, who, sure enough, were let go as assistant coaches. MacLean joined the staff under Lane Lambert in 2022 and Albelin just last season, but they are both longtime Lamoriello employees dating back to the Devils' glory days. MacLean's contract was set to expire on June 30, while Albelin had two more years left on his deal.
Darche said he and Roy will work together to find two new assistants to go with Benoit Desrosiers, the only assistant coach that Roy hired. So Roy will have a say in everyone who's on his bench this season. That's a positive.
Darche also announced that the much-needed overhaul of the AHL operation in Bridgeport has begun, with Rick Kowalsky let go as head coach before his contract expired at the end of June. Before Lamoriello was dismissed on April 22, the former GM had also fired assistant coaches Pascal Rheaume and Matt MacDonald, so Darche will fill out an entirely new AHL coaching staff this offseason.
Development is a key part of Darche's vision and you don't have to work in hockey to know that development has stalled out for the Islanders organization. Simon Holmstrom is the only homegrown drafted player in Lamoriello's tenure to graduate up to the big club from Bridgeport; Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb were undrafted, while Isaiah George showed promise this season but still played half the year in the AHL.
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Some of the developmental struggles have come from trading away high picks and prospects to re-stock the NHL roster year after year, but Bridgeport under assistant GM Chris Lamoriello has struggled, even though their rosters have been dotted with veteran AHLers who should be able to produce and win at that level. The 2024-25 Baby Islanders set an AHL record with just four home wins.
Darche had no announcements on front-office changes, with his focus turning to amateur draft meetings, next week's NHL scouting combine in Buffalo, and the June 27-28 draft, where the Islanders have the No. 1 overall pick.
'There's a lot of strong people in the organization,' Darche said. 'I'm evaluating as we go.'
If you're going by who from hockey operations was on hand Thursday: Assistant GM Steve Pellegrini, Lamoriello's cap expert, was there. Assistant GM Chris Lamoriello, Lou's son and Bridgeport's GM, was not. It may not mean anything, but if Darche is set on building up the AHL operation the way Syracuse has served as a consistent talent pipeline for the Lightning, a change at the top there would not surprise me whatsoever.
Bo Horvat was injured playing for Canada at the World Championships two weeks ago, but Darche said it was an ankle injury with a four-to-six-week timeline, so there is no concern at all about Horvat being ready for training camp.
Darche said he's talked with almost every Islanders player since he was hired last week, and that communication is important for him. 'I told every player, 'Listen, I'm always going to be honest with you, whether it's a hard conversation or not,'' he said. 'That's my way of being with people.'
In addition to talking to his players, Darche has started conversations with the agents for several unrestricted and restricted free agents, notably Kyle Palmieri, Noah Dobson, Alex Romanov and Simon Holmstrom. Only Palmieri is a UFA, so his negotiation window extends to July 1, while the other three can go beyond there.
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Considering Darche signed his contract last Friday, he's packed a lot in already. That's an excellent sign — this was never a job to ease into and now, with ownership having spent a month to complete its search, there's even less time to waste. Darche clearly recognizes that.