Rhode Island native son won three Stanley Cups with the Devils
Lou Lamoriello, architect of three Stanley Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils and General Manger behind the Toronto Maple Leafs’ recent rise, has been named president of hockey operations for the New York Islanders.
“I am excited to join such a storied franchise and look forward to working with [managing partner] Scott Malkin and the entire New York Islanders organization,” Lamoriello said.
Lamoriello, 75, starred on the ice with LaSalle Academy and Providence College before becoming the winningest coach in Friars hockey history and making the jump to the NHL. He will have full authority over all hockey matters. His son, Chris Lamoriello, has been with the Islanders the past two seasons and was assistant general manager this season.
“We are committed to giving Lou every resource and the full support of the entire organization as we pursue our program to compete at the highest level,” Malkin said.
Lamoriello was GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs the past three seasons. They went 118-95-33 under his direction and improved each season. They were 29-42-11 in 2015-16, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but won the 2016 Draft Lottery and used the No. 1 pick on center Austin Matthews who won the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top rookie, after finishing with 69 points (40 goals, 29 assists) in the 2016-17 season.
Last season, the Maple Leafs finished 40-27-15 to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2012-13. They were defeated in the Eastern Conference First Round by the Washington Capitals in six games.
This season, Toronto went 49-26-7, setting team records for wins and points (105) to finish third in the Atlantic Division, but were defeated by the Boston Bruins in the first round. The Maple Leafs reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2002-03 and 2003-04.
Lamoriello was removed as Maple Leafs general manager and named senior adviser April 30. Kyle Dubas replaced him as GM on May 11.
“I’d like to once again express our deepest appreciation to Lou Lamoriello for the work he did over the last three years as our general manager and congratulate him on his new role with the Islanders,” Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said. “Lou’s contributions to the Toronto Maple Leafs will be felt for years to come. We wish him the best.”
Lamoriello resigned as president of the New Jersey Devils to become the 16th GM of the Maple Leafs on July 23, 2015. He won the Stanley Cup three times (1995, 2000, 2003) with the Devils and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.
Garth Snow, another local, has been Islanders president and GM since July 18, 2006. New York has reached the playoffs four times since then and has missed the past two seasons, going 35-37-10 this season. The Islanders’ first-round win against the Florida Panthers in 2016 is their only playoff series victory since 1993.
Lamoriello’s first major task will be attempting to re-sign center John Tavares, who can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Tavares, the No. 1 pick at the 2009 NHL Draft, has 621 points (272 goals, 349 assists) in 669 games with the Islanders. He has been their captain since Sept. 9, 2013.
by Brian Compton, NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor