Lamoriello drops Weight, GM Snow
It took Lou Lamoriello exactly two weeks to figure out what most have known for close to a decade.
The legendary team builder who took control of the Islanders’ front office on May 22 decided Tuesday there needed to be a “culture change,” so he fired general manager Garth Snow after a tumultuous 12-year run in charge. He also axed Doug Weight after a 122game cameo as head coach. For now, the 75-year-old Lamoriello will assume the GM responsibilities, which now include looking for a new coach.
Both Snow and Weight will remain with the organization in ambiguous roles — due in part to their current contract situations — but Lamoriello made it clear why they were relieved.
“We’ve had meetings and conversations throughout the past two weeks. Since I’ve been here, it’s my opinion that at this point there’s a culture change that’s needed, and there are new voices needed in different areas,” Lamoriello said on a conference call. “Because of that, change was made.”
Though Lamoriello was hired to run all hockey operations, this decision can be seen as a direct result of ownership’s displeasure with its first two seasons at the helm. The disconnect was clear during a bizarre press conference at the end of this regular season on April 9, when co-owner Jon Ledecky read an awkward prepared statement that said ownership was “evaluating all aspects of our hockey operations,” followed by Snow and Weight proclaiming confidence in their job security.
It was the second straight season the Islanders had missed the playoffs, with only four playoff berths and one series win during Snow’s tenure. Much of that time, though, was spent with a threadbare budget under Charles Wang, who sold a majority share of the organization to Ledecky and Scott Malkin, taking over full time at the start of the 2016-17 season. They soon realized a change was needed, bringing in Lamoriello to do the dirty work of cleaning house.
“Culture is a very overused word and underdeveloped,” Lamoriello said. “It’s just doing little things a certain way, a different way, a consistent way. I really couldn’t define that. It’s only going to be time until we’re going to see how it’s going to work out.”
Things have developed quickly under Lamoriello with the pressure of the June 22 draft looming. The Islanders have two picks apiece in each of the first two rounds and have many needs on the current roster. The scouting department was spared, as Lamoriello decided they had done their due diligence and were prepared.
“I’m very comfortable with the job they have done,” Lamoriello said. “The draft is in the hands of the scouts.”
That includes Lamoriello’s own son, Chris, who has been an assistant GM since August 2016. As for any future structure of the front office, Lamoriello continued in his usually tight-lipped manner in saying that things are “status quo.”
Islanders captain John Tavares, set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, was known to be close with both Snow and Weight, but Lamoriello said his contract status “has not, and did not, enter into any of the decisions that are made.”
As for what type of coach he is looking for, Lamoriello said, “We’re going to get the best coach available. I think that we’ve been in the league long enough to know different coaches, and different coaches are for different teams. But right now, if we had the coach, he’d be here.”
The candidates are plentiful, from veteran NHL head coaches to up-and-coming college coaches. Those decisions are still to be made, but it’s clear Lamoriello is in charge and is bringing with him a whirlwind of change.
“Right now, it’s just trying to stabilize everything,” Lamoriello said. “Start off with a fresh face, start off with a fresh mind, a fresh coach, and just go forward.” GARTH SNOW