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Beaner
06-07-2006, 07:55 PM
from http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=168159&hubname=nhl



TSN.ca Staff

6/7/2006 8:39:15 PM

The New York Islanders have scheduled a news conference for Thursday afternoon when they are expected to announce Neil Smith as their new general manager and Ted Nolan as head coach, TSN has learned.

Nolan worked as head coach and director of hockey operations for the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2005-06, his first bench job since being fired after winning the Jack Adams Trophy with the Buffalo Sabres in 1996-97.

He spent one season as an assistant coach with the Hartford Whalers before joining the Sabres in 1995-96.

Buffalo missed the playoffs in his first season as head coach, but the Sabres finished on top of the Northeast Division the next season with a 40-30-12 record before losing in the conference semifinal.

Reached at the Stanley Cup Final in Raleigh, N.C., Smith refused to comment.





Smith, who was drafted by the Islanders in 1974, also worked for the organization as a talent scout.

He was hired by the Rangers to be their general manager in 1989 and shaped a team that twice won the Presidents Trophy and captured their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years in 1994.

Smith also worked as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings' farm team in Adirondack, with Nolan as one of the players in his lineup.

The Islanders shook up their front office back in January when assistant coach Brad Shaw replaced fired head coach Steve Stirling, and GM Mike Milbury said he would step aside after helping owner Charles Wang pick a successor.

Milbury will leave the hockey operations side, and will move into a role as a vice president in charge of Wang's sports properties.

The Islanders haven't won a playoff series since Milbury - the team's third GM - has been in charge.

Milbury worked under four ownership groups and hired six coaches - he coached the team on two occasions.

More to follow.
SectionNDeserter
06-07-2006, 08:00 PM
A good start, will be interesting to see how much control over every little decision the clueless upper management of the team gives them.
Toswammi
06-07-2006, 08:25 PM
Should be interesting. He is known to be a GM killer cause everyone likes Nolan. Also with Islanders there is rumbling that Milbury may still have some input on the team this coming season. If he is out of the picture and they get rid of Yashin, you never know they may just gain my respect.
SectionNDeserter
06-07-2006, 08:45 PM
Also with Islanders there is rumbling that Milbury may still have some input on the team this coming season.I have heard that too (from inside sources).

If he is out of the picture and they get rid of Yashin, you never know they may just gain my respect.I don't see that happening soon, what he brings to a team isn't reflected in 10% of what his current contract is worth (and I think it is valid for like 5 or 6 more years :dead: )
Toswammi
06-07-2006, 09:11 PM
With Yashin there has been talks (probably mostly in the media) that they are considering buying him out and eating the $5 million a year for the next 6/7.
SectionNDeserter
06-07-2006, 09:16 PM
they are considering buying him out and eating the $5 million a year for the next 6/7.Only one word to describe that.... Ouch!
Toswammi
06-08-2006, 12:06 AM
If i was running that team i would do it in a heartbeat. The cap will go up by something close to that amount anyhow so meh its even. Yashin lacks heart and that is something every player on my team should have.
nivek_wahs
06-08-2006, 12:39 AM
With Yashin there has been talks (probably mostly in the media) that they are considering buying him out and eating the $5 million a year for the next 6/7.

That would be insane... but worth it IMO. The guy has always been overpaid and never really performed. I think they need to ditch him and get some more youth and "rebuild" (the most dreaded word around). Maybe the Islanders will return to the promised land in the next say... 5-10 years :laugh: .
dondo
06-08-2006, 11:31 AM
well at least Milbury is somewhat out of the picture so maybe the NYI will no longer be source of talented up and comers that GMs can get for a plumber.

Milbury must be one spectacular suckass to have lasted as long as he did :spineyes:
Toswammi
06-08-2006, 11:56 AM
Yeah with the players hes traded away it may have been the Islanders in the finals. Damn they have let a lot of good ones go for next to nothing. (ie. Luongo for Dipetro or Spezza/Chara for Yashin)
dondo
06-09-2006, 02:03 AM
yeah pretty much the worst trades belong to crazy Mike - and not only dumb, but very dmamging and then signing Yashin to that deal ultimate idiocy would have got any GM in any other franchise canned before the ink was dry on the contract.

Milbury just keeps on keeping on - ya almost gotta admire somone that awful at their job managing to keep it for so long - there's gotta be some extortion going on there.
SectionNDeserter
06-09-2006, 06:12 AM
Milbury just keeps on keeping on - ya almost gotta admire somone that awful at their job managing to keep it for so long - there's gotta be some extortion going on there.My theory is that he has some incriminating photos of owner Charles Wang.
rinkrat
06-09-2006, 08:06 AM
Pat Lafontaine has been hired to be the owners consultant of hockey operations.Sounds like Milbury is on his way out.(or up) Also Neil Smith is a great GM.Should be a real positive turn around for the Isles.
Toswammi
06-09-2006, 09:04 AM
Islanders will stick with Yashin

Motivating an underachieving captain will be the job of new coach in Long Island, something Ted Nolan is looking forward to in his first year.

"Having the opportunity to try to get the most out of him as an athlete is going to be fun," Nolan told Newsday.com.

The Islanders have from the end of the Stanley Cup Finals until June 30 to decide whether to buy out the remaining five years and $34 million of Yashin's contract. The buyout option can be revisited at the end of each year.

Team owner Charles Wang believes bringing in Hall of Famers like Pat LaFontaine and Bryan Trottier will send a positive message to the team as a whole.

"You know them, people will listen to them, whether it's a rookie or a superstar."
dondo
06-09-2006, 01:43 PM
Pat Lafontaine has been hired to be the owners consultant of hockey operations.Sounds like Milbury is on his way out.(or up) Also Neil Smith is a great GM.Should be a real positive turn around for the Isles.

Milbury is moving up to VP of the Parent company that owns the NYI - kinda like McCammon was for Orca Bay - and probably about as useful - he's found his perfect brown-nosing niche and there his nose will remain.

Hopefully, Lafontaine and Trottier can help infuse this team with some hope and tales of the glory years, and make some smart hockey decisions for a change.

Btw can't the NYI just waive Yashin and make him play in the minors thus embaraasing him to a point that he opts out of his own accord? :thumb:

I don't know if the rookie GM and a rookie coach is a good way to go though - I still see a few re-building years ahead for the NYI.
Beaner
06-09-2006, 01:48 PM
Btw can't the NYI just waive Yashin and make him play in the minors thus embaraasing him to a point that he opts out of his own accord? :thumb:


I believe that wave clause was a one time deal for contracts that were done before the lock-out.

As far as I know the players still have guarenteed contracts. I dont think they can make him play anywhere, but they still have to pay him.

I am currently reading the CBA, which was just put on the net, when I find out the real deal I will let y'all know.