Lou Lamoriello recalls the 'ball of energy' that was Lou Carnesecca

MONTREAL — Lou Lamoriello, who always prefers to look ahead rather than reminisce, was asked. So he answered. Long before he was the Islanders' president/general manager, he was Providence College’s athletic director.

He was there for the Big East’s heyday. He was there in 1985 when Villanova won the NCAA men’s basketball title and St. John’s and Georgetown also were in the Final Four. He was there in 1987, when Providence, coached by current St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, lost to Syracuse in the semifinals.

So, yes, one Lou certainly knew another Lou.

“Just a legend,” Lamoriello told Newsday on Tuesday when asked about St. John’s men’s basketball coach Lou Carnesecca, who passed away at age 99 on Saturday. “Not only on the court but a legend off as far as energetic, enthusiasm, love of the game. He just personified college athletics for so long.

“I don’t know if he ever had a bad day in his life. He was just smiles. Fiery. Just a ball of energy every day.”

Lamoriello, speaking at the Bell Centre before the Islanders faced the Canadiens, also was all smiles as he recalled moments he shared with Carnesecca and moments the two competed.

Lamoriello acknowledged he was never “close” with Carnesecca, though they did go out socially occasionally. That didn’t diminish the admiration Lamoriello felt for Carnesecca.

“They were all unique,” Lamoriello said of Big East coaches such as Carnesecca, Georgetown’s John Thompson, Pitino, Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun and Villanova’s Rollie Massimino. “Competitive. But you get them together and it was like they were brothers, really.”

St. John’s campus arena, now named for Carnesecca, was Alumni Hall when Lamoriello would travel to Queens with Providence for games.

“It was just like, if you want to relate it to hockey, when you went into the old Forum,” Lamoriello said, recalling the Canadiens’ prior home. “There was a home-court advantage before you stepped on the court. The fans, the intimidation of the building, their history. All of that.”

Lamoriello was still Providence’s hockey coach when the Big East was founded in 1979. He watched as the late Dave Gavitt, his mentor and predecessor as Providence AD, his roommate and teammate in the Cape Cod Baseball League, a groomsman at Lamoriello’s wedding and, eventually, the Big East’s first commissioner, spearheaded the new league.

Lamoriello said he also realized how important it was to get Carnesecca’s program into the fold.

“Dave Gavitt was the driving force behind the Big East and just a genius in his own way,” Lamoriello said. “But you get St. John’s in there and to get St. John’s to join you got Villanova. And then Pittsburgh. You had to get the top teams in it.

“You think about what the Big East did. There was no cable television at that time. That’s when that came. Hockey East really piggybacked off of that. Hockey East was done and formed the same way the Big East was. You had to get teams that were willing to come out of their own circle.”

All this was initially sparked by a question regarding Lamoriello’s relationship with Carnesecca.

Matt Martin, who has played for Lamoriello both with the Islanders and Maple Leafs, was asked if Lamoriello will sometimes reminisce with his players. After all, Lamoriello’s career not only includes his college and NHL experience but stints as a Major League Baseball and NBA executive.

“I would say only when it’s relevant to what message he’s trying to give you,” Martin told Newsday. “He’s not just generally telling stories. He’s not one to talk about all of his accomplishments. You’ll hear stories from him when it’s relatable to you.

“Both in good ways and bad ways. He’s very honest. He’s very open. He’s really an easy guy to talk to. It’s just whether you want to hear it or not.”

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.