Lou Lamoriello is making big changes to the Islanders after taking over hockey operations last month.
Islanders general manager Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight have been “relieved of their duties,” the team announced Tuesday. The move furthers a front office overhaul that began earlier this offseason with the hiring of Lou Lamoriello as president of hockey operations.
“The New York Islanders would like to thank both Garth and Doug for their dedication to the franchise,” Lamoriello said. “Both started their tenures with the franchise as players and grew as tremendous leaders to the positions they held.”
Snow and Weight will both remain in the organization in unspecified positions, but this continues an effort from the Islanders to clean house with Lamoriello, formerly of the Devils and Maple Leafs, taking over the reins. The team says Lamoriello will take over GM duties and immediately begin a search for a new head coach.
The moves have huge implications for the franchise as it tries to retain franchise player John Tavares, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. The superstar center would be the top player available on the market.
Snow served as Islanders’ general manager since 2006, the same year he retired from his playing career. He promoted Weight to interim coach after firing Jack Capuano in January 2017, and Weight was officially named head coach in April 2017 after the team finished strong with a 24-12-4 record under his watch.
However, the Islanders failed to improve with a 35-37-10 record last season despite the urgency surrounding Tavares’ situation. Lamoriello officially joined the franchise on May 22.
