10-30-2018, 08:59 AM
Lou Lamoriello moved quickly to shake up the New York Islanders by firing coach Doug Weight and general manager Garth Snow and naming himself the team’s new GM just two weeks after taking over as president of hockey operations.Lamoriello made the moves Tuesday that begin to reshape the organization in his image Troy Brouwer Jersey , two weeks to the day ownership said he’d have ”full authority over all hockey matters.” Lamoriello left the Toronto Maple Leafs to run the Islanders and will begin the search for a new coach immediately.”It’s my opinion that at this point there’s a culture change that’s needed and there’s new voices needed in different areas and because of that, the changes (were) made,” Lamoriello said on a conference call with reporters. ”There’s been a lot of changes for different reasons, and right now is just trying to stabilize anything, start off with a fresh face, start off with a fresh mind, a fresh coach and just go forward.”The end of Snow’s tenure seemed inevitable after owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin brought in Lamoriello to oversee the hockey operations department. Snow was previous owner Charles Wang’s hire.The Islanders missed the playoffs eight times in Snow’s 12 years as general manager, including the past two seasons. He has four years left on the contract he signed when Wang still owned the team.”Both Garth, who is a personal friend and one who I’ve known for a long time and also Dougie who played for me in `96 and `98, I have tremendous respect for,” Lamoriello said.This latest front-office development comes with the Islanders at a crossroads this summer. The face of the franchise, John Tavares, can become a free agent July 1. The team took one step toward making Tavares feel comfortable about re-signing by planning a permanent home at Belmont Park after spending the last three seasons playing at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but the direction of the organization still threatens to push the superstar center to leave.Lamoriello said Tavares’ situation ”certainly has not and did not enter into any of the decisions that are made.”Tavares, who would be the top free agent on the market http://www.officialhurricanes.com/authen...kov-jersey , had a good relationship with Weight, who was his teammate for two seasons and assistant coach and GM from 2011 until he replaced Jack Capuano as head coach in January 2017. Weight just finished his first full season as Islanders coach.The Islanders now have the only coaching vacancy in the NHL. Asked what kind of coach he’d like to hire, Lamoriello essentially only alluded to the fact that Weight was not the guy he wants behind the bench.”Not every coach is for every team and not every team is for every coach,” Lamoriello said. ”If we had that coach, he would be in place.”In a statement, Lamoriello thanked Snow and Weight and the team said they would remain with the organization. Specific roles and responsibilities for them have yet to be determined, though Lamoriello said, ”I feel they can be valuable in me picking their brain, asking their opinion in certain areas.”—Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno at https://twitter.com/SWhyno— Los Angeles Kings goalkeeper Jonathan Quick could return from a lower-body injury when the New York Islanders visit Staples Center on Thursday night.Quick, a three-time NHL All Star and 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, sustained the injury during practice on Oct. 7, two days after a 3-2 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks in the season opener.Jack Campbell has played the past five games and went 2-3-0 with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.Article continues below ...The Kings have lost two in a row while getting outscored 9-2.The Islanders (2-3-0) have also dropped two in a row after losing 4-1 at the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night. Robin Lehner will start in goal for New York after Thomas Greiss gave up three goals on 24 shots against Anaheim.Lehner made 35 saves in a 4-0 shutout against the Sharks on Oct. 8, but gave up four goals on 28 shots in a 5-2 loss at the Nashville Predators on Saturday.Lehner has struggled against Los Angeles in his career, owning a 1-5-0 mark, 3.08 GAA and .908 save percentage.Quick went through a normal practice Wednesday Brock McGinn Jersey Kids , giving promise that he would return to the lineup in the near future.“I just want to feel good and confident out there and feel like you’re not risking further injury,” he told LA Kings Insider. “Just always constantly working towards those goals.”Kings coach John Stevens added that he’ll need to get a thumbs up from the medical staff before he decides when to insert Quick into the lineup.“I’ve got to wait for them to tell me, No. 1, that he’s ready to go, and No. 2, there’s no risk of re-injury,” Stevens said.Quick has put up good numbers the limited times he has faced the Islanders.He’s 5-1-2 with a 1.59 GAA and .935 save-percentage.Los Angeles also recalled forward Sheldon Rempal, who could make his NHL debut against the Islanders.Rempal is the leading scorer for Ontario of the American Hockey League, totaling four goals and four assists in four games.He had 23 goals and 23 assists in 39 games with Clarkson University last season. He signed a two-year entry-level contract as an unrestricted free agent last March.“He’s obviously played really well down there,” Stevens told LA Kings Insider. “I thought he looked good in practice (Wednesday), played with really good pace, really good skill and he had really good confidence, so it was good to see.”Islanders fourth-line center Casey Cizikas returned to the lineup on Wednesday night after missing the previous game with a lower-body injury and scored the lone goal for New York with 34 seconds left.