Latest news with #LouLamoriello
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Most Important Thing Mathieu Darche Has Done As Islanders GM
When Jonathan Drouin was explaining the reasons why he chose the New York Islanders, one thing really stood out. And that was his answer when asked about the Islanders putting a cancer ribbon on first overall pick Matthew Schaefer's jersey at the 2025 NHL Draft: Taking care of their players is nothing new for the New York Islanders. Advertisement Regarding complaints about former general manager Lou Lamoriello's handling of the roster and salary cap, his players always knew they could go to him for anything. Former Islanders forward Jordan Eberle shared a story on Spittin' Chiclets years ago about how he struggled to get his newborn baby's paperwork to fly back home to Canada amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He called Lou, and a day later, Eberle and his family were able to get the necessary government documents needed to go home. That's just one example of many, with so many of these stories never coming to light because Lamoriello didn't need the validation from them. Advertisement While there's no problem with that, marketing is hard to do when things are done in secret. That's not to say Lamoriello should have shared every good thing he did during his tenure to entice free agents—the hope is that his players would do that for him—but what Darche is doing is out in the open for everyone to see. And, as you can see, a player like Drouin saw that, and it was something that played a part in him signing with the organization. That brings us to marketing in general. Schaefer has been a tremendous asset for the Islanders in terms of marketing, with the fan base buzzing at the chance to see him don the Islanders sweater this fall. Advertisement Opening up development camp practices to fans, as well as bringing back the Blue & White Scrimmage, was a massive boost for the mental psyche of the fan base. But, taking it a step further, players are being given the ability to let their personalities flow. Schaefer was allowed to appear on Spittin' Chiclets and conduct a fantastic interview about his love for Long Island and his excitement for the future. Former Islanders forward turned MSG analyst Cal Clutterbuck has been appearing on the Fore Play podcast with superfan Frank Borrelli, discussing the Islanders honestly. Ilya Sorokin, albeit in Russian, appeared on a show back home to discuss the Islanders. Alexander Romanov, who just inked an eight-year extension, took to social media to express how much it means to him to remain on Long Island. Advertisement This is not to say that Sorokin's interview or Romanov's Insta post is why the Islanders were able to land KHLer Maxim Shabanov, but it certainly didn't hurt their chances. Tony DeAngelo, who wasn't allowed to tweet after signing with the Islanders last season, is back on the bird app. His latest post was him sharing how excited he was to be back with the Islanders. Under Lamoriello, players were not allowed to appear on podcasts or in commercials. Speaking of commercials, Mathew Barzal had one with Paul Bissonnette the year he won the Calder (2017–18). It never aired, and maybe it's just a coincidence that Lamoriello came aboard right around then. Advertisement Long Island is an amazing place to live and raise a family. They have great schools, great beaches, great golf, and you're only a train ride away from New York City. But if the Islanders can't market all that enough—while also showing a commitment to winning on the ice—drawing free agents becomes a challenge, which it has been for a very long time. Darche understands the power of marketing. Expect the players to be able to show their personalities more this season—go on podcasts, maybe be in commercials, be a part of community events during the season. You look at all the dynasty players and how much they became one with the fan base, well, after their playing days were over. Advertisement You're seeing it with Thomas Hickey and Clutterbuck. We see it on the organizational side with Johnny Boychuk and Dennis Seidenberg serving as developmental coaches. Matt Martin, who just announced his retirement, has been named special assistant to Mathieu Darche as he learns the ropes of what it takes to be a GM. The fans love it all. Islanders fans were willing to deal with Lamoriello's antics because the team on the ice was winning. But once the winning and playoff success came to an end—back-to-back first-round losses to the Carolina Hurricanes before missing the playoffs entirely last season—fans were done with Lou. Advertisement It's not that fans wanted things back to the way they were before Lamoriello, since that was an absolute nightmare, but fans wanted transparency. And, boy, has Darche delivered that to a fan base that desperately, desperately needed it. Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Most Important Thing Mathieu Darche Has Done As Islanders GM
When Jonathan Drouin was explaining the reasons why he chose the New York Islanders, one thing really stood out. And that was his answer when asked about the Islanders putting a cancer ribbon on first overall pick Matthew Schaefer's jersey at the 2025 NHL Draft: Taking care of their players is nothing new for the New York Islanders. Advertisement Regarding complaints about former general manager Lou Lamoriello's handling of the roster and salary cap, his players always knew they could go to him for anything. Former Islanders forward Jordan Eberle shared a story on Spittin' Chiclets years ago about how he struggled to get his newborn baby's paperwork to fly back home to Canada amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He called Lou, and a day later, Eberle and his family were able to get the necessary government documents needed to go home. That's just one example of many, with so many of these stories never coming to light because Lamoriello didn't need the validation from them. Advertisement While there's no problem with that, marketing is hard to do when things are done in secret. That's not to say Lamoriello should have shared every good thing he did during his tenure to entice free agents—the hope is that his players would do that for him—but what Darche is doing is out in the open for everyone to see. And, as you can see, a player like Drouin saw that, and it was something that played a part in him signing with the organization. That brings us to marketing in general. Schaefer has been a tremendous asset for the Islanders in terms of marketing, with the fan base buzzing at the chance to see him don the Islanders sweater this fall. Advertisement Opening up development camp practices to fans, as well as bringing back the Blue & White Scrimmage, was a massive boost for the mental psyche of the fan base. But, taking it a step further, players are being given the ability to let their personalities flow. Schaefer was allowed to appear on Spittin' Chiclets and conduct a fantastic interview about his love for Long Island and his excitement for the future. Former Islanders forward turned MSG analyst Cal Clutterbuck has been appearing on the Fore Play podcast with superfan Frank Borrelli, discussing the Islanders honestly. Ilya Sorokin, albeit in Russian, appeared on a show back home to discuss the Islanders. Alexander Romanov, who just inked an eight-year extension, took to social media to express how much it means to him to remain on Long Island. Advertisement This is not to say that Sorokin's interview or Romanov's Insta post is why the Islanders were able to land KHLer Maxim Shabanov, but it certainly didn't hurt their chances. Tony DeAngelo, who wasn't allowed to tweet after signing with the Islanders last season, is back on the bird app. His latest post was him sharing how excited he was to be back with the Islanders. Under Lamoriello, players were not allowed to appear on podcasts or in commercials. Speaking of commercials, Mathew Barzal had one with Paul Bissonnette the year he won the Calder (2017–18). It never aired, and maybe it's just a coincidence that Lamoriello came aboard right around then. Advertisement Long Island is an amazing place to live and raise a family. They have great schools, great beaches, great golf, and you're only a train ride away from New York City. But if the Islanders can't market all that enough—while also showing a commitment to winning on the ice—drawing free agents becomes a challenge, which it has been for a very long time. Darche understands the power of marketing. Expect the players to be able to show their personalities more this season—go on podcasts, maybe be in commercials, be a part of community events during the season. You look at all the dynasty players and how much they became one with the fan base, well, after their playing days were over. Advertisement You're seeing it with Thomas Hickey and Clutterbuck. We see it on the organizational side with Johnny Boychuk and Dennis Seidenberg serving as developmental coaches. Matt Martin, who just announced his retirement, has been named special assistant to Mathieu Darche as he learns the ropes of what it takes to be a GM. The fans love it all. Islanders fans were willing to deal with Lamoriello's antics because the team on the ice was winning. But once the winning and playoff success came to an end—back-to-back first-round losses to the Carolina Hurricanes before missing the playoffs entirely last season—fans were done with Lou. Advertisement It's not that fans wanted things back to the way they were before Lamoriello, since that was an absolute nightmare, but fans wanted transparency. And, boy, has Darche delivered that to a fan base that desperately, desperately needed it. Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canadiens Land Number One Target On Trade Board: Noah Dobson
There had been rumblings for quite some time that Noah Dobson was available from the New York Islanders, but people wondered if that might have changed with Lou Lamoriello's replacement by Mathieu Darche, but it hadn't. By Friday morning, a few teams were said to be in the mix for the right-shot defenseman: the Montreal Canadiens (as first reported by Mario D'Amico), the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the St. Louis Blues. By lunchtime, we heard that it was down to Montreal and Columbus, and then, before 2:00 PM, the Habs emerged as the winner of the Dobson derby. Acquiring a right-shot defenseman was one of the two major issues GM Kent Hughes faced this Summer, along with finding a second-line center. He can now cross the first item off his list, even though the draft hasn't even been held yet. In the hours leading to the trade, there was plenty of speculation about what the return would have to be to land Dobson, and most agree that one of Logan Mailloux or David Reinbacher would have to go the other way. Still, neither of the promising young rearguard left the organization. Advertisement Canadiens: Acquiring A Centre Without Paying The Big Bucks Canadiens: A Revamped Formula Of The Prospect Showdown To Take Place In September Canadiens: Chasing Big Trade For Dobson To get Dobson, the Canadiens traded both of their first-round pick at this year's draft (the 16th and 17th overall) and winger Emil Heineman. Interestingly, two of the three pieces involved in the deal came from the Calgary Flames: the pick from the Sean Monahan trade and Heineman from the Tyler Toffoli deal, one of Hughes' very first with the team. While there is no denying that a pair of first-round picks is significant value, it remains that the draft is a gamble. A mid-first-round pick can become a great player or never live up to their potential; you never know. In Dobson, the Canadiens are acquiring a player who has already demonstrated his capabilities in the NHL. As for Heineman, he had a great rookie season with the Habs until it was derailed in Salt Lake City when he was hit by a car. Upon returning, he struggled to put points up, but he remained true to his style: a determined forechecker who could make a difference even with limited ice time. In just 62 games, the Swede landed 172 hits, the fourth highest total on the team, and an average of 2.79 hits per game. With his acquisition, the Isles will make up for part of the physicality they lost with Matt Martin's retirement. Advertisement As for Dobson, he was the Islanders' first pick at the 2018 draft, the 12th overall. He played his junior hockey in the QMJHL, spending parts of three seasons with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and the final part of his third year with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Over those three years, he won two Memorial Cups, one with each team. The blueliner made the jump straight to the NHL after his junior career was over and progressed exponentially in his first three seasons, going from seven points to 14 and then 51 points in 2021-22. The following season, he dropped to 49 points before rising to 70 points in 79 games during the 2023-24 season. This past year, he struggled a bit offensively, ending the season with 39 points in 71 games. Still, Dobson has shown that he can deliver in the NHL, and there's a reason why many teams were interested in his services. Noah Dobson 2023-24 Highlights Noah Dobson 2023-24 Highlights Find more IslesDen Content here: Advertisement On top of landing his man, Hughes also managed to sign his new rearguard to an eight-year pact with a $9.5 M cap hit. While this number may seem a bit high, it's important to remember that the cap is going up significantly this upcoming season and the following two seasons as well. Dobson's reported asking price was said to be between $10 million and $11 million, and if that was the case, this is a significant win for the GM. Furthermore, Dobson's contract should be a fair comparison for Lane Hutson's contract extension and could go some way towards keeping the figure reasonable. Following the trade, the Canadiens are now without a first-round pick on Friday night, at least for now. It's not impossible to see Hughes move again, as he's still working the phones as I write these lines. Photo credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story. Advertisement Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @ and Threads @karinehains. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
New York Post
27-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
So much of Islanders' future hinges on Mathieu Darche nailing No. 1 pick
LOS ANGELES — Aside from June 25, 2021, when the Islanders lost Game 7 of the NHL semifinals to the Lightning, it's hard to come up with a bigger date for the franchise in recent memory than June 27, 2025. The 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay was the Islanders falling short in their best chance to win the Stanley Cup since the 1980s, and set in motion the four-year series of events that led to this offseason of incredible consequence, with Lou Lamoriello losing his job, the Islanders winning the lottery for the first time since 2009 and Mathieu Darche being installed as general manager. Advertisement Whatever follows will be traced back to the decisions the Islanders make Friday and perhaps in the few days that follow. That's not just surrounding the No. 1 pick, which is widely projected to be Erie defenseman Matthew Schaefer. It's about whether the Islanders trade back into the first round to draft James Hagens as well, whether they re-sign or trade Noah Dobson and any other decisions Darche makes that shape his first roster as general manager. In the main, however, it is the No. 1 pick that will hold deep and lasting consequences for the organization far beyond anything else Darche may or may not do over the next few days.
Forbes
01-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Hiring Of Mathieu Darche Represents A New Era For The New York Islanders
ELMONT, NEW YORK - MAY 29: Mathieu Darche poses for a photo with Islanders owners John Collins, Jon ... More Ledecky and Oliver Haarmann after being named the 7th General Manager in New York Islanders history at UBS Arena, on May 29, 2025 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Dennis DaSilva/NHLI via Getty Images) The first sign the Islanders were ushering in a new era during a press conference introducing Mathieu Darche as their new general manager and executive vice president Thursday morning is the fact they held a press conference introducing Mathieu Darche as their new general manager and executive vice president Thursday morning. Technically, the Islanders publicly welcomed Lou Lamoriello as their president of hockey operations seven years ago last week, But that was via conference call (this was two years before we all had to learn how to Zoom) and everyone in sports knows who Lamoriello is — and that his no-frills introduction would set the tone for his entire tenure, one in which he was the lone and rarely revealing voice of authority on all Islanders matters. So Darche, a first-time general manager who won two Cups as a member of the Lightning's front office, stepping to the podium with co-owner John Collins — the type of senior level executive rarely pictured alongside Lamoriello — moments after Free's 'All Right Now' blasted out of the loudspeakers within the suite level at UBS Arena signaled a fresh start for the organization. And then Darche spent the first 11 words of his answer to the first question he fielded making the most declarative statement of all about the Islanders' new era. 'Well, first of all, Patrick will be our coach next season,' Darche said, referring to Patrick Roy, whom Lamoriello hired in January 2024. Darche also announced the fates of assistants Benoit Derosiers, who will remain on staff, and John MacLean and Tommy Albelin, each of whom were dismissed. Later, he said center Bo Horvat should be recovered from the ankle injury he suffered at the IIHF World Championship after four to six weeks and that '…someone would have to really knock my socks off' for him to trade the no. 1 pick in next month's NHL Draft. That's four bits of information Lamoriello wouldn't have released if Jack Bauer was the one doing the interrogating. This is not meant to denigrate or mock Lamoriello, whose ways worked extraordinarily well for a longer period of time than just about any executive in sports history. He arrived at a critical juncture for the Islanders, who didn't have an arena and were about to lose John Tavares to free agency, and helped steer the club to UBS Arena while overseeing consecutive runs to the NHL semifinals in 2020-21. Lamoriello's insistence on not rebuilding and instead trying to squeeze as much as he could out of the Islanders' core was admirable in an era in which tanking is encouraged. But the Islanders, at another unique if less delicate intersection in franchise history, needed a fresh and collaborative perspective — especially after spending the first quarter of this century as the most insular team in the league. Mike Milbury's chaos gave way, ever so briefly, to Charles Wang's committee approach in 2006. Neil Smith, the nominal general manager, was fired after a mere 41 days and replaced by backup goalie Garth Snow, who remained in place for 12 seasons and one postseason series victory. Snow and Lamoriello both stayed unusually loyal to the Islanders' core — as prospects under Snow, who was reluctant to add to the mix, and as increasingly wizened veterans under Lamoriello. Eleven members of this season's team were with the Islanders since at least the 2019-20 season. In addition, Matt Martin (2009-10), Casey Cizikas (2011-12), Anders Lee (2012-13), Scott Mayfield (2013-14) and Brock Nelson (2013-14) all debuted with the team more than a decade ago. The Islanders' farm system dried up in infamous fashion this season, when Bridgeport won just 15 games — including an AHL record-low four at home — while Lamoriello had to pluck Tony D'Angelo from exile in order to shore up a depleted blue line. (And again, to be fair, D'Angelo immediately became the Islanders' most durable defenseman) 'I believe in developing in the winning environment,' Darche said. 'The AHL will definitely be a focus for me, because your players have to be ready. Because, let's face it, every team needs players called up during the year.' Pivoting to a general manager enthusiastic about player development is doubly important thanks to two bits of good fortune that unexpectedly landed in the Islanders' laps. Lamoriello acquired promising center Calum Ritchie from the Avalanche in exchange for Nelson on Mar. 6, albeit only after he couldn't sign the impending free agent to an extension. A little under two months later, the Islanders won the NHL Draft lottery despite entering the proceedings with a 3.5 percent chance at landing the top pick. The lottery win, in particular, was a reminder any success the Islanders have enjoyed since the dynasty years has been of the serendipitous variety. The 1993 team made an unsustainable Cinderella run to the then-Wales Conference finals. In 2018, Lamoriello hired Barry Trotz a little more tan weeks after he won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals, who refused to sign him to a long-term extension. The Islanders were on the verge of falling out of the Eastern Conference playoff race when the pandemic hit in 2020, but the four-month pause allowed players to get healthy and for Trotz to rework their defensive system for a semifinal run. The 2021 trip to the final four came following a 56-game regular season in which the Islanders had the 12th-most points in the NHL. Hoping for everything to go right once in a while underneath an all-powerful general manager is not a recipe for long-term success. Of the 21 teams in the NHL in 1984, only the Islanders, Winnipeg/Arizona/Phoenix/Utah and the Maple Leafs (LOL) have failed to make the Stanley Cup Final since 1984, when the Oilers ended the drive for five. 'There is a championship legacy here that needs to move forward,' Collins said on the day in which there was no way of knowing how Darche and a collaborative effort would fare, only that it was time to begin finding out.
