Island rumors: Set for 3 potential General Manager interviews in New York this week
The NY Islanders are grappling with a pressing dilemma, as they seek a fresh face to steer the ship in the franchise's front office, with the contract of current General Manager and President of Hockey Operations, Lou Lamoriello, about to expire in June. Rumors suggest that the Isles won't be renewing his deal, thrusting them into the market for a replacement.
To address this vacancy, the Islanders have lined up interviews with three notable figures this week, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. According to his post on X (formerly Twitter), these individuals are Marc Bergevin, Jarmo Kekalainen, and Mathieu Darche.
Veteran figure Lou Lamoriello has been manning both the Islanders' president of hockey operations and general manager roles since 2018. Under Lamoriello's reign, New York managed to make the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs five times, even making it to the conference finals in 2020. However, the team missed the playoffs in the 2024-25 season, following a streak of first-round postseason eliminations in the previous years.
Bergevin, an advisor for the LA Kings, has been generating interest lately. The Kings are also reportedly considering Bergevin as their potential next general manager, following their split with Rob Blake. Bergevin previously spent nearly a decade as the Montreal Canadiens' GM.
Meanwhile, Kekalainen, who last worked with the Columbus Blue Jackets, has also been interviewed. Kekalainen served as the Blue Jackets' general manager for 11 seasons before being let go in 2024.
Darche, the only one among the trio without NHL general management experience, has made a mark with the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant general manager. The Lightning clinched consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021 under his watch.
Despite the search for a new GM, there's talk that Lamoriello could still stay on with the team in a different capacity. Principal owner Scott Malkin has reportedly expressed interest in keeping the octogenarian.
Other potential candidates include Ken Holland, Peter Chiarelli, and Brendan Shanahan, though their involvement hasn't been confirmed at this time. The Islanders are planning to widen their search to also consider candidates from teams still active in the playoffs, with a decision expected post-playoffs.
- "[Rumors] regarding the NY Islanders' front office have circulated in the general-news, with speculation about the future of current President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, Lou Lamoriello, whose contract expires in June."
- "The Islanders' vacant general manager position remains a hot topic in sports news as they recently interviewed three notable figures: Marc Bergevin, Jarmo Kekalainen, and Mathieu Darche."
- "Although Lou Lamoriello, a veteran figure in hockey, has been managing the Islanders since 2018, leading the team to the playoffs five times, [draft] reports suggest that the team might be looking for a new general manager post-playoffs."
