Latest news with #Lamoriello
New York Post
23-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Islanders hiring Mathieu Darche as new GM with massive to-do list awaiting him
The Islanders have their man. After a search that dragged over a month, the Islanders finally found their new general manager on Friday. The Post confirmed that Lightning assistant general manager Mathieu Darche will be named as Lou Lamoriello's replacement, with the 48-year-old beating out Jarmo Kekalainen and Marc Bergevin for the job. 3 Mathieu Darche of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates with the Stanley Cup. Getty Images At this time, there are no plans to hire a president of hockey operations above him, The Post has learned. Darche had been Tampa's director of hockey operations since 2019 and an assistant general manager since 2022. His job with the Lightning primarily focused on salary cap management, budgeting and player contracts at first, but expanded to touch other areas of hockey operations. A former NHLer, Darche was part of the Blue Jackets, Predators, Lightning, Sharks and Canadiens organizations during his playing career. He was also part of the NHLPA's negotiating team during the 2012-13 lockout. There is also the apocryphal tale between Darche and Lamoriello: at the end of Darche's career, in 2013, he attended Devils training camp. The story goes that Lamoriello — still running things in New Jersey at the time — asked him to stay on, but Darche retired. So, at least to some extent, there's a connection between the old Islanders regime and the new. 3 Canadiens' Mathieu Darche during a 2010 game against the Rangers. Anthony J. Causi / New York Post That could prove important if, as has been reported by The Athletic, Lamoriello does intend to stay on in some capacity. Either way, early indications are that Darche may be the Islanders' only hire — which is to say there may not be a president of hockey operations above him. The Islanders reportedly got permission to speak to Brendan Shanahan after he was let go by the Maple Leafs Thursday, and many around the league believed he was the brass' first choice, but hiring Darche just a day later refutes that unto itself. With the plan being for Darche to report directly to ownership, he will walk into his first job as general manager with no shortage of tasks in front of him, and the chance to reshape a franchise that's stagnated badly in recent years. He's got to decide the future of head coach Patrick Roy, whether to keep some or all of Lamoriello's hockey operations staff intact — including Lou's son, Chris, currently the general manager of the Bridgeport Islanders — and what to do with the No. 1 overall pick, which the Islanders won in the draft lottery. There's also negotiations that Lamoriello left on hold between the Islanders and the respective camps of Kyle Palmieri and Adam Boqvist for contract extensions, along with a slew of pending restricted and unrestricted free agents, including Noah Dobson, who could command well upwards of $8 million annually. 3 New York Islanders' general manager and president of hockey operations Lou Lamoriello watches a practice. Getty Images And that is just the stuff that needs to get done between now and July 1. In a greater sense, the first-time general manager will need to reverse the fortunes of a franchise that has been spinning its wheels both on and off the ice. The Islanders need to build out their front office, rebuild a team that's fallen into the pit of mediocrity and rebuild a marketing apparatus that was nonexistent by decree under Lamoriello's aegis. It is a monumental task for someone who has never run an NHL team — and indeed, Darche's relative lack of experience was the criticism leveled at him during the process. The Islanders' brass, led by minority owner John Collins, evidently saw enough in Darche's interviews to abate any worries. This is his show now.
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
What Anders Lee thinks about Lou Lamoriello's exit, Islanders' stunning lottery win
Anders Lee knows that this is a business, that general managers are hired to be fired and every other cliché you can throw at the situation. Still, Lou Lamoriello's omnipresence around the Islanders over the past seven years made it seem at times like he would leave only on his own terms. Advertisement And watching a general manager who built and repeatedly stood by the current Islanders core leave wasn't easy for the captain. 'It was tough. [We've] been through a lot together,' Lee told The Post on Tuesday at BTIG's Charity Day, where he was promoting his Jam Kancer in the Kan Foundation along with the Islanders Children's Foundation. 'Worked with one another alongside, working towards a common goal. We've been through a lot. Anytime you have that relationship with someone where not only is there a working relationship, but there's a relationship where people care about each other, it's never easy. 'Unfortunately it's a part of our business and how things work. We'll have to continue to look forward here and move forward.' Advertisement Lamoriello led the Islanders to two consecutive conference finals in 2020 and 2021, but the team has failed to win a playoff series since then. Their failure to make the playoffs this season was the final straw for ownership, which announced a month ago it would not renew the 82-year-old's contract as president of hockey operations and general manager. It's not yet clear whether Lamoriello will stay on in an advisory role once a replacement is hired. 3 Anders Lee said former general manager Lou Lamoriello helped him become a better captain or the Islanders. NHLI via Getty Images Advertisement 'In so many ways, Lou was everyone's best mentor,' Lee said. 'And was able to tell you honestly where and how he felt about the game individually, where he felt the team was. His guidance for me personally as a captain and the position I had as a player on this team go unmatched. So grateful for everything he's done for me and my family personally. 'Lou is one that could always tell you honestly, maybe not always what you wanted to hear, but what was gonna make you a better person and a better player. He played that role for everyone that came through our building during his tenure. I think all of us are just extremely grateful for who he was and the character that he has taking us through all those times.' St. John's coach Rick Pitino, who was hired by Lamoriello at Providence College in 1985 and has maintained a close relationship with him since, echoed the sentiment. 3 The Islanders let Lou Lamoriello go as the team's president and general manager and have not hired a new one yet. Corey Sipkin / New York Post Advertisement 'He leads with tremendous honesty,' Pitino told The Post. 'He cares about professional athletes who play in his organization as if they're part of his family and that's unheard of in professional sports today.' The Islanders have yet to make a hire, but reports indicated Monday night that Marc Bergevin and Mathieu Darche had both received second interviews for the position. Whoever gets the role will jump headfirst into the scouting combine, which begins June 1, with the Islanders holding the No. 1 pick after a shock lottery win. 3 Rick Pitino, talking to the media during a Mets game in April, said Lou Lamoriello led the Islanders with 'tremendous honesty.' AP 'That was a pretty fun 20 minutes there, seeing the balls come out and all that stuff. Have a little spark for us as a team,' Lee said. 'I think it's very exciting. There's some great options out there. Someone that's gonna make a great impact for our club.' Defenseman Matthew Schaefer is widely rated as the top prospect in this class, with centers Michael Misa and James Hagens — a Long Island native — also possibilities to go first overall. 'These guys [the scouting staff] know what they're doing up top. They'll make a great choice for our team,' Lee said. 'From my understanding there's some great options out there. Someone that's gonna make a great impact for our club.' Advertisement The Islanders said in a statement that Bo Horvat sustained a lower-body injury at World Championships for Team Canada, and will see team doctors on Long Island. Horvat will miss the remainder of World Championships, as Hockey Canada announced that Porter Martone, a projected top five pick in the draft, will replace him on the roster.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rangers archrival finally parts ways with GM Lou Lamoriello after missing playoffs
Lou Lamoriello's legendary career as an NHL executive and New York Rangers nemesis may have come to an end Wednesday when the New York Islanders said in a statement that the 82-year-old Hockey Hall of Famer's contract as president and general manager would not be renewed. No replacement was announced. The Islanders said operating partner John Collins will lead a search to find the next GM. Advertisement 'The Islanders extend a heartfelt thank you to Lou Lamoriello for his extraordinary commitment over the past seven years,' the team said in a statement. 'His dedication to the team is in line with his Hall of Fame career.' The Islanders missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, finishing 35-35-12 while dealing with a host of injuries to key players. Their most dynamic forward, Mathew Barzal, was limited to 30 games and didn't play after sustaining a broken kneecap Feb. 1. The defense corps was so injury-riddled that the Islanders at times had three players (Tony DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist) on the blue line who weren't with the team for the first half of the season. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-3 shootout loss at the Philadelphia Flyers on April 12 and finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division. Special teams were a huge problem – the Islanders were 31st on both the power play (72.2 percent) and penalty kill (72.2 percent). Advertisement Notorious among Islanders fans for doubling down on his aging core, Lamoriello finally gave in a little this season, when he traded veteran center Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche and received highly-regard forward prospect Calum Ritchie and a conditional 2026 first-round draft pick in return. Related: Why GM Chris Drury deserves much blame for doomed Rangers season Rangers nemesis Lou Lamoriello out as Islanders GM The Islanders were a mess when they brought in Lamoriello to run the team on May 22, 2018. They finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of only the Rangers, and surrendered an NHL-worst 296 goals in 2017-18. Advertisement But Lamoriello quickly turned things around, hiring Barry Trotz as coach just weeks after Trotz led the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship. Despite losing star center John Tavares to free agency in July 2018, the Islanders made the playoffs in 2018-19 and swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round before being swept by the Carolina Hurricanes. The Islanders then advanced to the Stanley Cup Semifinals in 2020 and 2021, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six and seven games, respectively. Their 1-0 loss to the Lightning in Game 7 during the 2021 postseason was the closest they came to returning to the Stanley Cup Final since their glory days in the early 1980s, when the Islanders won four consecutive championships before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the 1984 Final. Andy Marlin-Imagn Images They missed the playoffs in 2021-22, partly because they were forced to begin the season with a 13-game road trip before opening UBS Arena, then made the postseason in 2022-23 and 2023-24, losing to Carolina in the first round each time. Advertisement Lamoriello's 1,470 wins as GM of the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Islanders are second in NHL history behind David Poile's 1,533. His 325 Stanley Cup Playoff games are the most by any NHL general manager, and he's second in postseason wins with 172, behind Glen Sather's 187. His success largely came at the Rangers expense since the each of his three teams also reside in the Eastern Conference, and the Devils and Islanders are bitter division rivals. Most of those playoff wins came during his tenure with the Devils, who won the Stanley Cup three times (1995, 2000, 2003) under Lamoriello after he became team president and GM in 1987. He helped build teams that reached 100 points 13 times, won nine division titles, qualified for the playoffs 21 times, made the Stanley Cup Final five times and won three titles. New Jersey qualified for the playoffs in 13 consecutive seasons from 1997-2010 and was 1,093-759-179 with 109 ties in the regular season and 136-116 in the playoffs during his time in New Jersey. Advertisement Lamoriello actually coached the Devils for 50 games in 2005-06 and again for the final three games of the 2006-07 season, with New Jersey qualifying for the playoffs each time. He left the Devils on July 23, 2015, and was named GM of the Maple Leafs the same day. His Toronto teams were 118-95-33 in three seasons and improved each year – winning the 2016 NHL Draft Lottery and using the No. 1 pick on Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs announced April 30, 2018, that Lamoriello would not return but he remained as a senior adviser before joining the Islanders. In addition, Lamoriello was GM of the United States team that won the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 and played at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder in 2009, and into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame three years later.
New York Times
06-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Islanders have no GM but plenty of excitement after winning the NHL Draft's No. 1 pick
It was perfect. Sixteen hockey executives in little Zoom rectangles on the ESPN screen at 7 p.m. on Monday — 15 general managers and one Miracle on Ice/four-time Stanley Cup winner. Ken Morrow, who has been an Islander since he shed his U.S. hockey jersey in February of 1980 — first for a decade as a player and now for three-plus decades as head of scouting — represented the Isles for the NHL Draft Lottery. With Lou Lamoriello relieved of duties two weeks ago as president and GM and no one yet named to replace him, Morrow was the man on the scene. Advertisement And, armed with about the same win probability as the team of Americans had in 1980 against the USSR, Morrow watched the ping-pong balls pop up in the Isles' favor. They won it! Now, uh … Does anyone want to make this pick? The Islanders in the post-dynasty era have been, shall we say, erratic. Too many cheap (or broke) owners, too many lost seasons, too many arena shenanigans. Current principal owner Scott Malkin and co-owners Jon Ledecky and John Collins have done a lot to change that. From hiring Lamoriello and Barry Trotz to opening UBS Arena and now firing Lamoriello, the Islanders are trying to be taken seriously in a league that often looks at them as an afterthought. In fact, just a few hours before the lottery luck went down, New York Governor Kathy Hochul sent a letter to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman expressing her unhappiness with the league's decision to turn next season's All-Star weekend — awarded to UBS Arena and the Isles — into an Olympic kickoff instead, denying the Islanders a chance to have the sort of All-Star festivities that loads of other teams with new buildings get. Just another instance of sand being kicked in the face of the Islanders. Or so we thought. If the Islanders had just another down year in 2024-25, if they were only in need of a quick retool this offseason, winning this lottery would have set up one of the great moments of kismet in NHL history: The Long Island team drafting Long Island kid James Hagens, the Boston College freshman who could be the first player from the area drafted in the top three. That could still happen, but there are about a dozen steps the Islanders need to take before they kick off the draft on June 27. The first, of course, is finding a GM to actually make that pick, whether it's Hagens, Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman's consensus top prospect Matthew Schaefer, or another top talent. Advertisement The search for a new top executive has been underway for a couple weeks and could wrap up sooner rather than later. It could also generate some renewed interest after the lottery results on Monday. Whether it's Ken Holland, Marc Bergevin, Jarmo Kekäläinen or another candidate, this job suddenly has a very big check mark in the 'pros' column. There are more than a few 'cons,' though. Lamoriello leaves behind a relatively stagnant roster littered with immovable contracts, there's a coach in Patrick Roy who's been on the job for a year and a half but may not be the right coach going forward and that nice arena isn't exactly filled to the brim after four mediocre seasons and just five playoff games there. There's also the matter of staffing. Part of the reason the Islanders haven't been considered a big-league franchise is Lamoriello has run a very tight ship — the Islanders have one of the smallest front offices in the league. It was that way out of necessity when Garth Snow ran the team for 11 years and by design when Lamoriello came in. Now, the owners understand to be taken seriously means you need to spend on all aspects of the organization. After a couple of years of inactivity, Malkin acted decisively last month to move on from Lamoriello and start the next phase of the franchise. That next phase got a big boost from the ping-pong balls on Monday. The last time the Islanders won the lottery was 2009, when they held onto the No. 1 pick and selected John Tavares. Even that transformative moment in team history has morphed into something less than pleasant for the Islanders. In 2018, the same year Malkin hired Lamoriello, Tavares took his talents to Toronto after a decade of carrying the franchise on the Island. The betrayal was a deep, deep wound — we're seven years past that offseason, with two semifinal runs by the Islanders since then, and Tavares still gets lustily booed at UBS Arena every time he touches the puck. Advertisement But that's part of the Islanders fan experience. It's why Monday night was such a bizarre, enjoyable surprise, with Morrow reacting with real joy in a situation he probably never thought he'd be in. He surely didn't think a couple weeks ago he'd be sitting in for Lamoriello on a Zoomful of GMs, watching the balls pop up in just the right order. WE KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE A GOOD NIGHT WHEN THIS GUY SHOWED UP. — New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 5, 2025 The Islanders are easy to dismiss. They've been pretty blah for four straight seasons. The game had passed Lamoriello by. Their most notable moment in 2024-25 was being on the receiving end of Alex Ovechkin's 895th career goal. They got an All-Star Game and the league turned it into an Olympic watch party. It's all so very Islanders. But things changed a bit on Monday. They don't have a GM and they need to overhaul their hockey operations, but they've got that No. 1 pick and there's eyes on the Islanders now, wondering what they'll do next. It's an opportunity. It's exciting. It's the Islanders. No, really.
Epoch Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Epoch Times
Is Lou Lamoriello NHL's Most Coveted Free-Agent?
Is there a next NHL challenge for Hockey Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello? On May 5, the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs will be up and running. Along with the teams still in the hunt for arguably professional sports' most famous championship trophy, what the future holds for one of the game's most successful executives is also on the minds of hockey fans. Dismissed from his duties as president and general manager of the New York Islanders, who didn't qualify for the postseason with a record of 35–35–12, Lamoriello had been running the Long Island-based team since May 2018. The Islanders didn't renew Lamoriello's contract at the end of the NHL's regular season last month. Now, at 82, Lamoriello is once again available on hockey's open market, for all other 31 franchise owners to consider bringing him into their organization. As Islanders ownership, led by Scott Malkin, Jon Ledecky, and John Collins, is committed to taking their team in a different direction than Lamoriello's, the Hall of Famer could be on the shortlist with other organizations if he wants to continue. As organizational builders go in NHL history, the Rhode Island native is at the top of the mountain. Twenty-eight years calling the shots for the New Jersey Devils, Lamoriello drafted, traded, and signed free agents who had his teams skating in Newark, New Jersey, consistently among the Eastern and Western Conferences elites. Shortly after joining the Devils in 1987, postseason dominance became routine. Related Stories 4/19/2025 4/9/2025 New Jersey appeared in five Stanley Cup Finals, winning three times (1995, 2000, and 2003), and the Devils teams he brought together experienced 100-plus-point seasons 13 times. As general managers go, Lamoriello has amassed 1,470 wins, solidifying him in second place all-time in NHL history, only trailing David Poile (1,533). Jim Dowd, who enjoyed an 18-year NHL career as a center drafted by New Jersey in 1987, knows firsthand of Lamoriello's effectiveness with his players on and off the ice. 'Lou is one of the best general managers in the history of sports, not just hockey,' Dowd told The Epoch Times on Thursday. 'Everywhere he goes, Lou drives the ship. He's amazing to the people in his organizations outside of the rink. Lou has been there for his people through thick and thin.' Dowd pointed to Lamoriello's success in New Jersey, with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the past seven seasons on Long Island. He said he feels that if his former boss does want to continue on, be it on a full-time basis or consulting for an NHL team, he will 'definitely add value' wherever he goes. '[Lamoriello] got Toronto moving in the right direction. His Islanders' teams made the playoffs in five of seven seasons. Lou is in unbelievable shape,' says Dowd, who operates a nutrition performance company in his native New Jersey. Just as with skaters and goalies who put their services up for grabs when NHL free agency officially begins at noon on July 1, executives could field offers. Any completed deals probably won't be made publicly until after the Stanley Cup Finals are completed, at the earliest. As a seasoned executive, Lamoriello embraces analytics. He remains attuned to the evolution of the game, and how scouting is approached. After leaving the Devils to revive a Maple Leafs organization that previously had qualified for the playoffs once in 10 seasons, Toronto fans saw their beloved team skate in the postseason in 2017 and 2018. Respectability was returned to the Maple Leafs organization. Same results on Long Island, courtesy of Lamoriello planning. The Islanders, who moved into their new home ice—UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, in November 2021, reached the Eastern Conference Finals in both 2020 and 2021 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lamoriello is a proven builder of successful programs, but all good things do come to an end, that is, if Lamoriello is ready for shuffleboard, seaside walks, and sunset watching. But, a bungalow in Florida may not be in the cards just yet. How the NHL president of hockey operations and general managers hiring and firing carousels shake out could determine Lamoriello's future. Lamoriello is said to be tough with contract negotiations for skaters and goalies. However, fairness and caring are two other words that his peers use to describe the veteran NHL executive. With qualities like these, surely Lamoriello's 'in between jobs' classification could see a correction in the near future.
