The New York Islanders named Mathieu Darche normal supervisor Friday, ending a month-long search to interchange outgoing president and GM Lou Lamoriello, the crew introduced Friday.
Darche, 49, has served because the Lightning’s assistant normal supervisor for 3 seasons and labored for Tampa Bay for years. He’s broadly seen as one of many high executives who hasn’t gotten a shot at being a GM but. The Montreal native completed his taking part in profession with the Canadiens in 2011-12. Darche labored within the enterprise world after retirement and joined Julien BriseBois’ entrance workplace in 2019, specializing in budgets and salary-cap administration. However a crew supply mentioned Darche has grown into a job underneath BriseBois the place he’s concerned in practically all areas of Tampa Bay’s operations, making him a greater candidate to ascend to a high spot than most AGMs.
“Mathieu is the proper alternative to guide our hockey operations. He can be given each useful resource obtainable to place the Islanders first-in-class on the ice, with our enterprise initiatives, and locally,” working companion John Collins mentioned in a launch. “Mathieu has served as a key member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and has a various background in top-level enterprise fashions. He’s a confirmed winner and is dedicated, as is our possession group, to constructing a gaggle that can be extremely aggressive subsequent season and past.”
Darche would have been named Penguins GM two years in the past had Kyle Dubas not moved on from the Leafs, and Darche has interviewed for GM openings in Vancouver, Montreal and Chicago in recent times.
The Islanders have spoken with Brendan Shanahan, who the Leafs let go as president Thursday, however a crew supply mentioned New York has no different imminent hiring plans. A separate crew supply mentioned Shanahan was unlikely to take a president of hockey operations job with out the power to pick out his personal GM.
Islanders principal proprietor Scott Malkin, working companion John Collins and co-owner Jon Ledecky undertook this search on April 22, when the crew introduced Lamoriello’s contract wouldn’t be renewed after seven seasons working the Isles. Possession initially sought a fast consequence, interviewing and providing the twin president/GM function to Ken Holland. The Isles have been turned down by Holland, who took the Kings’ GM job, and have been turned away by the Canadiens after they sought permission to talk with govt vp of hockey operations Jeff Gorton.
After that, the Islanders pivoted to a few different candidates: former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen and Darche. Earlier this week, crew sources mentioned the Islanders have been exploring a power-sharing association with Bergevin and Darche, however a ultimate state of affairs couldn’t be reached. Then Shanahan’s title emerged, with the Islanders having requested permission to talk with the Leafs president earlier within the search, and that permission was granted Wednesday.
However Malkin, Collins and Ledecky discovered what they wished in Darche and went forward with the rent. There’ll absolutely be further strikes coming as Darche evaluates a entrance workplace that hasn’t modified in years, with Lamoriello having retained the majority of Garth Snow’s scouting and growth staffs. Darche can even consider coach Patrick Roy, who has three years remaining on his contract.
Lamoriello could keep in some capability past the top of his contract on June 30, however crew sources have mentioned Lamoriello has no deliberate function in hockey operations. As a first-time GM, Darche could search out an skilled govt to advise him or come on board in some capability.
Darche can be busy from the second he takes cost. The Islanders received the draft lottery two weeks in the past, so he has the fast duty of figuring out with the scouting workers already in place who the Isles will choose first total in subsequent month’s draft.
Along with evaluating the entrance workplace, which incorporates assistant normal managers Steve Pellegrini and Chris Lamoriello, the roster additionally wants an overhaul. The Islanders completed twenty second this season and haven’t received a playoff spherical since 2021, with a roster getting older not-so-gracefully and full of long-term offers.
Darche’s major background is in scouting and cap administration, so it is going to be attention-grabbing to see how shortly he can adapt to transferring items round on the roster. The Islanders have Noah Dobson, Simon Holmström and Alexander Romanov as restricted free brokers in want of recent contracts, in addition to pending unrestricted free agent Kyle Palmieri, who was nearing an extension with Lamoriello when the axe fell final month.
(Picture: Bruce Bennett / Getty Photos)
