New Islanders GM Mathieu Darche is at least a fresh face to steer the ship
Mathieu Darche of the Tampa Bay Lightning holds the Stanley Cup following the series-winning victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place on Sept. 28, 2020, in Edmonton. Credit: Getty Images/Bruce Bennett
Did the Islanders make the right call hiring Mathieu Darche on Friday as their new general manager?
I don’t know. You don’t know. They don’t know. Check back in two to five years.
But we can say this right now: They made the right call bringing in a fresh young face to try to jump-start a fresh, new post-Lou Lamoriello era.
Many fans expected a familiar name who has been there and done that, most recently after Brendan Shanahan and the Maple Leafs parted ways on Thursday.
And the Islanders did consider such candidates, including former Red Wings and Oilers GM Ken Holland, who landed in Los Angeles.
But it’s better this way.
The franchise had gotten stale late in Lamoriello’s successful run as boss, and the 48-year-old Darche represents needed change.
The fact that the job comes with selecting the No. 1 overall pick in the coming NHL Draft adds to the pressure, sure, but also to the vibe.
The team needs to get better on the ice and also wants to get better off the ice in its marketing, which often was a challenge under the old-school Lamoriello.
Free suggestion for a marketing motto for 2025-26: “Fresh Ice!”
Darche played 250 regular-season games as an NHL forward — and 552 more in the AHL — so he knows the game itself. But he also knows the sport’s business game, having started as an NHL executive on salary-cap matters.
He also understands the labor side of the business, having been part of the NHL Players’ Association negotiating team during the 2012-13 owners’ lockout.
But since joining the Lightning in 2019, he has expanded his duties and left as assistant general manager. Oh, and he also won two Stanley Cups while in Tampa, both times with the Lightning eliminating the Islanders in the semifinal round.
If the Islanders had not made their move to elevate him, some other team likely would have done so in the near future.
“I am truly honored by the opportunity,” Darche said in a news release.
He should be, given the franchise’s history and possibilities. But there is a lot to do, starting with whether to retain Patrick Roy as coach.
The vote here is yes, and one would think it would take a lot for a French-Canadian such as Darche to can a French-Canadian hockey icon such as Roy.
But hey, the new guy has the right to put his own stamp on this team. So do what you must, Mathieu.
Darche was not named president, a title Lamoriello had, which is interesting. But the team said he will “manage all aspects of the team’s hockey operations,” which is what fans care about most.
Again, it is impossible to say where this will go over the weeks, months and years ahead. But give the Islanders credit for thinking outside the box and taking their shot at a rising star executive, one who is 34 years younger than Lamoriello.
It was time for a change. Why not go all-in on that?
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
