Relief may be the best way to describe the news that Lou Lamoriello is no longer the Islanders’ president of hockey operations. Lamoriello did many good things for the franchise, but as I pointed out in my last NYI column, ownership needed to replace him.
Lou Lamoriello (photo courtesy Instagram)
Lamoriello fired people in his day for not doing well enough at their job, so he knows the deal that comes with his job. Still, you hate to see how this all ended for a hockey guy who knew nothing but success for his entire life. We are talking about a guy in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Islanders owed it to their fans and themselves to make a change if it wouldn’t work out. Lamoriello had many chances to figure it out, but it just wasn’t happening. It wasn’t just the professional hockey team that was bad. The minors were no better, and there was no more player development. This doomed Lamoriello in the end.
But when history remembers Lamoriello, it will be as the best NHL general manager ever. You can make a case for guys like Bill Torrey for that mantle, but I will go with the hockey guy who made the Devils once the greatest franchise in hockey.
I always marveled at Lamoriello’s ability to find talent from his days of running the Devils. He always knew how to master the art of a trade. He was so good that I can make a case that he was the best executive in professional sports during his heyday. He never missed a thing. It was like he was playing chess while his peers were playing checkers.
It would have been nice to see him do his job up close. He had a way of doing things that worked so well for him.
Lamoriello’s work appealed to Islanders owners Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky, who needed a hockey guy to steer their organization. They thought they had a guy who could lead them for 10 years. It didn’t quite work out that way. The game changed, and Lamoriello couldn’t adapt. He still felt hockey was about defense and goaltending. There’s a place for that, but today’s game is about speed and skating. The Islanders lacked both of those, and it explained why they struggled to score.
In today’s NHL, if a team can’t score, it’s not winning games. The Islanders have experienced this over the last several years, which explains why this organization has been stagnant and why change had to happen. It wasn’t getting better anytime soon.
But for all his negatives, he offered plenty of positives for the Islanders. He had plenty of input on how UBS Arena was built to be the best arena in hockey. He brought order and direction to a franchise that badly needed it. He taught the owners the business of the game. Under his guidance, the team made the playoffs in five of the seven seasons. He was why Barry Trotz and Patrick Roy wanted to coach the Islanders.
Most importantly, Lamoriello always treated people with dignity and respect. He was good to lower-level employees such as ushers, security guards, and ticket agents. He was accessible, honest, friendly, and concerned despite the fact that he can be a demanding boss to work for. There’s a reason workers swear by him, and it’s one reason he should be remembered fondly, not derisively.
Yes, it did not end well, but that’s the reality of sports. It’s rare to see any sports figure leave on top. Most often, careers end like this for people who hold high office in sports.
Undoubtedly, he will be remembered more for his work with the Devils, but no one should forget the good things he did with the Islanders.
Here’s hoping Lamoriello enjoys the rest of his life while still in good shape. He deserves it after putting so much of his life into the game. He has nothing to prove anymore. We can celebrate his departure, but we should also thank him for his work with the Islanders.
