Islanders hire Lightning assistant Mathieu Darche as their general manager
Darche joins the Islanders after spending the past six seasons with the Lightning, who never missed the playoffs during his tenure. He got his name engraved in the Cup in 2020 and '21 as director of hockey operations and also worked directly for Tampa Bay GM Julien BriseBois over the past three years.
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'Mathieu has served as a key member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and has a diverse background in top-level business models,' Collins said. 'He is a proven winner and is committed, as is our ownership group, to building a group that will be highly competitive next season and beyond.'
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The 48-year-old former player was considered the top NHL assistant who had not been GM in the league. Darche beat out more experienced executive Marc Bergevin for the job. He succeeds Lou Lamoriello in the role after the 82-year-old longtime executive's
Darche played 268 regular-season and playoff games from 2001-12 as a winger with Columbus, Nashville, San Jose, Tampa Bay and Montreal. The Quebec native left hockey for a few years before moving to Tampa to begin working for the Lightning.
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Taking over the Islanders, Darche starts with the No. 1 pick in the draft thanks to their
'With the Islanders owning the first overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft and preparing to welcome the
Darche inherits coach Patrick Roy, a Hall of Fame goaltender who has established himself as a fiery and effective voice behind the bench. He has been in charge on Long Island since Lamoriello
'I am truly honored by the opportunity,' Darche said. 'I'd like to thank Scott Malkin, Jon Ledecky, John Collins, and the entire ownership group for entrusting me with the hockey operations of this great franchise.'
With 2023 All-Star and Vezina Trophy finalist goalie Ilya Sorokin signed long-term and a reliable core of veterans around, the next step is drafting, developing and attracting more players who can bring offense. Only four teams scored fewer goals than the Islanders this past season.
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