Islanders cell phones began lighting up early Monday morning as word of coach Ted Nolan’s ouster spread quickly. General manager Garth Snow called several key players to deliver the news personally and offer an explanation.
While most expressed some degree of surprise, captain Bill Guerin didn’t pretend that the obvious rift between the GM and coach didn’t affect the team. “It’s not a real shock to me,” Guerin said. “There was no secret the two sides just weren’t seeing eye-to-eye during the year and over the summer.
“I definitely think it became a distraction. Guys read papers; guys hear what’s going on. We just kind of wondered what was going on and if it was going to resolve itself. So, it has, and you move on.”
From a practical standpoint, Guerin said a coaching change and Snow’s emphasis on giving more ice time to young players shouldn’t have a major impact on the Islanders. “We’ve all been in many different types of situations before, including coaching changes and prospects coming in,” Guerin said. “It’s nothing anybody on our team hasn’t seen before.”
Mike Sillinger had a more sympathetic reaction than Guerin, who only spent one difficult season under Nolan. When the Islanders defied low expectations during Nolan’s first season and made the playoffs, Sillinger was one of the veterans who enjoyed career seasons and reveled in the trust the coach placed in them.
“Snowy called me and told me what happened,” Sillinger said. “Quite frankly, I don’t know that there was any kind of tug-of-war. I didn’t spend the last half of the season with the guys because of my [hip] injury. The year before, we made the playoffs, and Ted did a great job. Obviously, this year we had a bunch of injuries.
“Garth told me they had philosophical differences. So be it. That’s his decision. It’s really unfortunate. Ted and I had a great relationship. I enjoyed playing for him. I guess you move on.”
Sillinger’s final game last season came on Jan. 24 in Boston, where the Islanders lost just before the All-Star break to fall from seventh to eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. As it turned out, that was the beginning of their slide out of playoff position.
“Players play, coaches coach and managers manage,” Sillinger said. “That’s their decision, and it’s really unfortunate. I’m not going to say a bad thing about anybody or the situation. My relationship with Ted was a good one. We had kind of a special year the first year together, and this last year was a terrible year. It’ always the coach’s fault, right? Someone always gets blamed.”
Although the 37-year-old center might see his role diminish somewhat as he fights to come back from hip surgery, Sillinger said the Islanders can use an injection of youth. “I still think we have the foundation of our team, we have good core guys,” Sillinger said of the veteran leaders. “Now what you need is the young guys to step up and play big roles, play on the power play, play in important situations, play on the top lines. I think we have some young guys that are capable of doing that.”
Goaltender Rick DiPietro emphasized that same theme, saying, “You need to develop your talent in-house and have good drafts, and you need young players to step up and play big roles on your team. You see teams that have been successful, and they have a great young nucleus and some veteran guys around to lead. We’re making good steps to get to that point. We have some exciting guys coming up with Kyle [Okposo] and Blake Comeau, and Jeff Tambellini will get a chance to step in and play a big role on this team.”
DiPietro was among the players who had an edgy relationship with Nolan, who benched the goaltender for a key Rangers game in early March and sometimes indicated a lack of faith in the franchise player. At the same time, DiPietro often expressed a desire for the Isles to play a tighter, more basic defense than the system Nolan used.
“I’m sure anyone will agree that, when we were successful, we played smart, defensive hockey,” DiPietro said. “When we play against New Jersey, we’re world-beaters. We get away from that, and things didn’t go well. The less we went in the penalty box, the better we played defensively, and the more simple we played, the better the result was.”
That was part of the reason Snow wanted Nolan out. The Isles were one of the few teams in the league playing a 1-3-1 system, if not the only one. In that setup, one defenseman mirrors the opposing center in the Isles’ zone, placing more responsibility on the wingers to stay on their man coming back.
“For it to work, everyone had to be on the same page,” defenseman Brendan Witt said. “I don’t think it was a hard system to pick up on. As a winger, you had to be very responsible, more than in any other system definitely.”
In Snow’s view, that style of defense is more suited to a team like Stanley Cup champion Detroit, which has an explosive offense and the ability to play a more wide-open game. But the Isles were more effective when they played similar to the Devils’ conservative style.
Still, Witt acknowledged the Islanders were successful playing the same 1-3-1 system in Nolan’s first season. Despite the apparent strains between the coach and general manager, Witt expected to see Nolan behind the bench at least at the beginning of the coming season.
“I was shocked,” Witt said of the coach’s departure. “I didn’t even know there were bad feelings still. That is part of the business, but I would have thought he’d be coaching us this year. If we started bad or struggled, then, management would have decided to do what most managements do when you’re struggling early in the year.”
But Snow decided to act before the Islanders reached that point. And so, they move on.
Comments (61)
From previous thread....
It took me 3 seperate readings to get through all these posts ..
I have to say ... as odd as it is ... I find myself mostly agreeing with ... Steady, 505, AZS, Nick, Sir William, the mass and Netminder39 .... how can that be you say?
Well ... because each of them made some very valid arguements stating their cases for the way they feel. 505 said it with the fewest words ... but before this blog got flooded with the non-NIMBY posts ... we've been debating it ... and even some of us Nolan supporters felt with the situation the way it was ... it might be better just to let Nolan go ... even Steady conceeded that the night before Nolan left.
I don't really see it as Nolan getting FIRED ... maybe he did? Maybe he didn't? ... but as I said the other night .... Snow and Nolan had to get together and hash things out ... and if they can't get past things ..... then guess who's the one to go. It seems that is what happened yesterday morning.
Snow still has a lot to prove to me... and his stock with me dipped slightly since he impressed me during the draft.... as Steady said ... it is HIS team now ... and now everything is on his shoulders ... but ya know what? That is fine .... that is how it should be.
I have a lot more to add ... but I think Netminder39 just summed it up best.
This stuff inLogan's column from unnamed players is really weak. If they're going to slam the guy on his way out the door I wish they had the balls to own up to it and put their name on it. If not, they should shut up. And Greg, if these guys won't go on record with this stuff you should be a good enough writer by now to get points across without giving these guys a free forum to do a hatchett job on someone in this way. It reeks of Seymour Hersh "no attribution journalism." Without attribution, how do we KNOW if anyone really said this? It's wrong and it's weak. Bad job.
This Organization needs to get a clue! they make themselves look bad & the fans look like idiots, b/c we go and pay money to watch this mockery. I feel bad for Season Tiketholders who sink a ton of money into this thinking they will be at least be a respectable - now without a coach and a minor league roster this season doesn't look promising at all.
Hey Brian, I'm pretty sure we'll be starting the season off with a coach. This will be a building season, so for that reason, it may end up being more exciting then we expect.
On the Vinal Flore this morning...Chicago Norm has apparently contracted the Rieber/Baumbach one-eyed journalism disease.
He lambastes the Islanders for having 13 coaching changes in the last 22 years, calling the Isles a "TOXIC CESSPOOL".
If anyone cares to cut and paste the following and post it over there, feel free. I have been banned from the blog.
This is a list of all the Ranger coaches in the last 22 years.
JUST A FEW MORE THAN THE ISLANDERS.
What does that make the Rangers?
Three Mile Island?
List of coaches for The Rangers in the last 22 years:
Herb Brooks and Craig Patrick 1984–85
Ted Sator 1985–86
Ted Sator and Tom Webster and Phil Esposito 1986–87
Michel Bergeron 1987–88
Michel Bergeron and Phil Esposito 1988–89
Roger Neilson 1989–92
Roger Neilson and Ron Smith 1992–93
Mike Keenan 1993–94
Colin Campbell 1994–97
Colin Campbell and John Muckler 1997–98
John Muckler 1998–99
John Muckler and John Tortorella 1999–00
Ron Low 2000–02
Bryan Trottier and Glen Sather 2002–03
Glen Sather and Tom Renney 2003–04
Tom Renney 2004-
Deja Vu, all over again.........Lets see, let's play our younger palyers so that we can be a good team. Let's see how many of these young players are left on this team. The NY Islanders are the grooming site for the NHL. Come get your experience at the Isle and then join a pro team two to three yeras laters.
Original 1972 Islander fan has seen it all!
Good luck Isles!
Haven't been on in awhile ... been frustrated watching these developments though. Nolan is a fine coach ... he's proved that he belongs in the NHL and should be given another job. The cold hard facts are simply this: he was not the right guy for this team. He's much better off working w/ a group of vets who are a 6 or 7 seed and getting them over the top. That's not the Isles.
Nolan preferred crusty vets (Hilbert, Silly, Simon, etc.) over playing the kids. Granted, most of our kids are not "all that and a bag of chips" but they have to be played so that either (1) they actually develop into something decent or (2) we realize we need to cut bait on them. Nolan wasn't into that.
As for our next coach ... I don't know all the names or "hot up and comers" but I think we need a player development guy and not a NHL coaching re-tread. Fact is we're at least 2 seasons away from being ultra competitive and we need someone who can motivate and teach. Bad news for Guerin, Weight, Silly, et al but those guys won't be here in 2 seasons. Flood this team with youth ... motivate them to play their arses off and let them develop. If we wind up dead last next year so be it ... go into 2009 season w/ the #1 pick (Tavares?) an approved Lighthouse project and a boatload of up and coming prospects. Then let them gel in 2009-2010 and hopefully we bring in some quality FA's for the 2010-2011 season (along w/ our developed youngsters) and we should have something here (all playing in a refurbished NVMC???) ...
I think that's the best case scenario. Anything other than that and I fear the Isles may be renamed the Gushers and be playing in Oklahoma City in 2012.
Haven't been on in awhile ... been frustrated watching these developments though. Nolan is a fine coach ... he's proved that he belongs in the NHL and should be given another job. The cold hard facts are simply this: he was not the right guy for this team. He's much better off working w/ a group of vets who are a 6 or 7 seed and getting them over the top. That's not the Isles.
Nolan preferred crusty vets (Hilbert, Silly, Simon, etc.) over playing the kids. Granted, most of our kids are not "all that and a bag of chips" but they have to be played so that either (1) they actually develop into something decent or (2) we realize we need to cut bait on them. Nolan wasn't into that.
As for our next coach ... I don't know all the names or "hot up and comers" but I think we need a player development guy and not a NHL coaching re-tread. Fact is we're at least 2 seasons away from being ultra competitive and we need someone who can motivate and teach. Bad news for Guerin, Weight, Silly, et al but those guys won't be here in 2 seasons. Flood this team with youth ... motivate them to play their arses off and let them develop. If we wind up dead last next year so be it ... go into 2009 season w/ the #1 pick (Tavares?) an approved Lighthouse project and a boatload of up and coming prospects. Then let them gel in 2009-2010 and hopefully we bring in some quality FA's for the 2010-2011 season (along w/ our developed youngsters) and we should have something here (all playing in a refurbished NVMC???) ...
I think that's the best case scenario. Anything other than that and I fear the Isles may be renamed the Gushers and be playing in Oklahoma City in 2012.
Gusher Bri just doesn't have the same ring.
What really bothers me is that our "All Star" goalie had something to do with this as well. Who does Dipietro think he is? He should worry more about stopping the puck and STAYING HEALTHY than talking behind the coaches back and getting him fired. It isn't his job to go straight to the owner and backstab the coach. Becuase he knows that Wang likes his "personality" he feels he has the owner, and therefore the GM, in his pocket.
So you know what Ricky, this is on you as well. No excuses now for you. You think you should be mentioned in the same breath as Brodeur and Lundqvist, you shouldn't. You don't deserve to be, "All-Star" game aside. They are currently out of your league. Stay healthy, stop some rubber and shut up. Because your "marketability" will only get you so far.
No excuses. Because you haven't lived up to your own billing.
Vukota, I think DP surely needs an intervention of some kind, and he needs to understand that he fits within the overall team fabric. It's good to have him locked in for below-market rate, but the downside of a 15-year contract is that he knows he'll outlast the coach and GM, almost assuredly. Honestly, he might even outlast the owner. Only the most mature among us would not abuse that situation, and sadly that label doesn't apply to DP.
Isles Bri - that's unbelievable you said the Gushers, since I was just joking with my friend last night about how amazing it would be if they named the erstwhile SuperSonics the Gushers. Oh, the possibilities....
505 - I've got your back
Oklahoma City ... Just makes sense, right? OK City Gushers ... it's inevitable. will they be playing basketball or hockey though???
Hey, 505. Stop worrying about the Rangers, we are just fine thanks. Your last couple of posts bring up the Rangers to explain why the Isles are so bad and in such bad shape. It weakens your posts. Keep your focus on your team, there is plenty there to worry about.
Your last couple of posts smell of little brother syndrome.
This is just another load of crap for this inept team. To imply that Nolan's desire to play scrappy veterans over young talent wrecked the team is just plain wrong. It is not like he had Sid the Kid in Bridgeport and he preferred to play Miro Satan. The line up just sucks all over. Stop deluding yourself thinking that an infusion of young talent will make next season any better. This goalie Dipietro has flashes of talent but is pretty weak overall-if that is the face of the franchise for the next bunch of years, it was nice knowing you. Why not resurrect the Fisherman uniforms while we are at it? I am very disappointed Nolan was fired.
WELL, If you didn't see this coming, then you might as well call yourself STEVIE WONDER!!!!! As much as i was hoping this would not happen, I think its something that needed to be done...WE ALL KNeW, it wasn't gonna be SNOW that would be fired first....I think NOLAN was an excellent coach and if given the right tools, could of turned this franchise around, and its a SHAME that he wasn't given enough time or the tools to do so....And "BYSTANDER" i agree with you 110% about the article...I think it is another CLASSLESS move...We really just make ourselves look like SCHMECKLES!!
Now that NOLAN is out, who will they bring in? Will there be a coach with experience, credibility who will come to this organization and become yet another puppet for WANG??? I DONT THINK SO!!....IMOP i think that we are going to get a young inexperienced coach or an assistant coach to come to this team, or we will PROMOTE Jack Capuano from Bridgeport...I just cant see Tart, Maurice or Hartley coming to this team knowing how it is ran....
Back to Nolan getting released...LIke i said before we knew this was coming, and we knew it would be NOLAN before SNOW....now the future of this teams lays solely on the shoulders of SNOW!!! he has nobody to blame but himself for the FAILURE or SUCCESS of this team....This whole committee management system is EMBARRASSING....I have been trying to stay OPTIMISTIC since DAY 1 of the draft, and its gettin harder and harder to stay that way....I am TRULY excited to see these youngsters get some quality minutes to PROVE they belong in this league and excited for the future of our current draft picks...On that end i think SNOW did an excellent job(draftday)...and i see the reasoning behind of getting rid of NOLAN, and for players or personnel to say they had NO IDEA there were differences between the two, then u can also call yourself STEVIE WONDER!!!...During the rebuilding phase, which we can actually say we are doing it right way for once, everybody needs to be on the same PAGE!!! and it was clear NOLAN was not on the same page...I just wish we started the rebuilding NOLANS first year, and during the process bring in some FA'S and give him the TOOLS he needed to continually be a contender!!! My only wish is for this team to WAKE UP!!! Its been 8 yrs now that WANG bought the team????
I will continue to stay optimistic, and watch every game as i would expect ALL ISLANDER fans to do...You stick through the good and bad, and yes i know alot on this board have only seen the bad, like myself...Being 26yrs old, being to young to remember the GLORY days, and barely remembering the Pittsburgh game 7 series....All i know of this team is LOSING, MISMANAGEMENT, AND NOW BOBBLEHEADS...I want nothing more then for this FRANCHISE to turn around, and to finally not be embarassed to say My name is ANTHONY and im an ISLANDER!!!! For everyone on this board who wants the TEAM to move, or wants to continually BASH this team, and call themselves DIE hard ISLANDER fans, good things come for those who wait....Its been a long time of waiting, i understand, but I think we have something finally starting in the right direction with the rebuilding phase...which should of started once WANG bought the team.....
PREDICTION: Now that we dont have NOLAN to make filet mignon out of cow tongue, its hard to believe this, but I think we finish over 500..if we DP stays healthy along with the rest of the team.......Comeau and Okposo have 20+ goals, I also believe Guerin and Weight will have BREAK out season...Tambellini 25 goals i hope, but have a feeling thing wont work out for him on the ISLAND..which i also hope im wrong, i believe he has the talent, but needs to be more aggressive in showing it.....Bergie 15+ goals and leads the league in HITS!!! Comrie 25+ goals if he reduces his TOE DRAG....Streit 10 PP goals, 35 assists...
LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!
Hey JD....
Wait a sec....
You're the one coming over here, as a Ranger fan, to wax poetic about the Isles, and you have a problem with me pointing deficiencies within YOUR Ranger program that maybe you should be paying attention to instead?
If I have "little brother" syndrome, what are you suffering from?
Wicked Stepmother Syndrome?
All I am trying to do my friend is to point out to reporters who historically have a hard time concealing their clear bias for the Rangers, that perhaps they should TRY to maintain SOME kind of professionalism on this latest story about the Isles.
Is that unreasonable?
I mean you got a guy on the Final Score calling the Isles a "toxic dump" over the number of coaching changes in the last 22 years, while his preferred brand of hockey team (which is also the preferred brand of his FUTURE EMPLOYER) has had an equal amount or more.
That's just crap JD.
Pure crap.
If you are gonna throw rocks at the Isles make sure there's no windows in your own domicile.
In the light of all the rumblings going on... I had a chance to see the 1st day of rookie camp at Iceworks.
You could see some kids need more development.. blah blah..
But I went there to see Okposo and Bailey, primarily.
Okposo seemed like he had A LOT of energy and was having a lot of fun out there. From what I could notice it seemed he had one of the better shots in the group... skating hard, and even joking around with Trotts on the ice. It was good to see.
Bailey also stood out. He seemed really comfortable with the puck. Patient. Smart. A distributor of the puck. He had some sweet stick handling moves (particularly right in front of the net with little room) and shows a lot of promise in my opinion.
Afterwards they were crowded by kids and cameras and both were very accomodating to the fans.
I think they would be a nice tandem and I hope that's what Garth has in mind.
As Sir William mentioned in the last thread, we hated Snow on Draft day 1, and then he smoothed it over for us on day 2. Let's see what completes this coaching situation for the Isles before we really judge. This is truly Snows team now, and we are all Snowlanders.
In the light of all the rumblings going on... I had a chance to see the 1st day of rookie camp at Iceworks.
You could see some kids need more development.. blah blah..
But I went there to see Okposo and Bailey, primarily.
Okposo seemed like he had A LOT of energy and was having a lot of fun out there. From what I could notice it seemed he had one of the better shots in the group... skating hard, and even joking around with Trotts on the ice. It was good to see.
Bailey also stood out. He seemed really comfortable with the puck. Patient. Smart. A distributor of the puck. He had some sweet stick handling moves (particularly right in front of the net with little room) and shows a lot of promise in my opinion.
Afterwards they were crowded by kids and cameras and both were very accomodating to the fans.
I think they would be a nice tandem and I hope that's what Garth has in mind.
As Sir William mentioned in the last thread, we hated Snow on Draft day 1, and then he smoothed it over for us on day 2. Let's see what completes this coaching situation for the Isles before we really judge. This is truly Snows team now, and we are all Snowlanders.
Once again, 505, you've proven my point. A Ranger bias? Too funny, now Newsday has a Ranger bias because they are being purchased by Cablevision. Once again, my friendly little bro, your whoa is me routine is old.
Yes, I am a Ranger fan reading about another teams firing of their coach. Because I'm a hockey fan and I look to see other hockey fans reactions. But I suppose in your world of conspiracies (the refs, the league, Colin Campbell, Cablevision, Big Brother, Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster) I'm just here to stir the pot. I've been reading this board for weeks and I've posted only once, to comment about your comment. All I'm saying is worry about the Isles and don't focus so much on the Rangers, we're fine.
From zero time zones away......
JD
"I'm just here to stir the pot. I've been reading this board for weeks and I've posted only once, to comment about your comment."
Actually JD,
You have posted twice.
Once yesterday to drop in and call the Isles morons and an embarassment, and then today to "comment about my comment".
Hardly constructive comments in the grand scale of things from someone who seems to be more concerned with simply flaming the Isles and their fans while ignoring their own team.
And then again, who cares about accuracy in Newsday when the Isles and Rangers are concerned, correct?
As long as the Islanders problems are flamed and the Ranger problems are ignored?
Here to stir the pot you say?
By all means, have at it.
I encourage you to do so.
Hope you don't mind if I do the same when it comes to the way certain reporters and a soon to be MSG owned newspaper cover the cross island competitors.
It's only fair, don't you think?
SPECTOR'S NOTE: Here's hoping Nolan doesn't end up waiting another ten years for another head coaching job. This guy's one of the better coaches in the league. No word on Nolan's replacement but this is yet another bad decision in what seems to be a long series of them for this franchise over the past fifteen years.
Will they still call the Nolan Type Players?
If Nolan is better than Renney, how come Renney still has a job?
Do you think Nolan is having another drink?
I like were Spector writes, "another bad decision" the best.
But "...long series of them for this franchise over the past fifteen years" should be a major eye opener for Snow and Wang-doodle.
It won't be.
coming up 16 years of nothing special. 16 years without a playoff series win. 25 year of icing trash night after night.
Tell me, what kind of silly excuses are you guys going to give Wang and his 2nd rebuild since the lock out?
Was it losing all that talent for Smyth. Was it watching the 05-06 winning roster walk away from Nolan? Is it that he ran the players and the team into the ground last season, yet the season before he was a god on l.i.?
This team is getting sold and moved.
They're a losing mess with no upside.
Moving them is all the NHL has left in options.
Poor Islander fans... I'll be there they morning after they leave to record you tears in the giant parking lot. Multi camera, crains, dollies, you name it.
Then I sell it back to you.
hahahahaahhahahaha.
Long Island Losers!
hahahahahahahaha
"From zero time zones away......"
If you're in the same time zone, why bother mentioning you're IN the same time zone? You Ranger fans aren't too smart.
Just stickin' up for you 505, even though I know you can handle this jerk-o** yourself.
Ted Nolan, sorry to see him go because he is a respectable guy, but in my "opinion" Garth absolutely did the right thing. We had no chance of a rebuild with Nolan. You can only squeeze so much out of your vet players and his hesitance to play the kids was a glaring weakness. I also question (now as well as on past posts) the need to play players (vets) who were injured and playing at 80% ability over a player who is healthy. This year Satan, Comrie, Sillinger, Campoli, Guerin, Witt, DP all played for a stretch with their injuries and even though they were not producing they still got the bulk of the ice time. This was during the regular season, it's not like it was the playoffs and you ask guys to suck it up beacause they are your leaders. The smart thing to do was to let your coach go before the season starts, it does you no good to let him go 1/4 of the way through the season. That would have been the step backwards that tacks on another year to the rebuild. This is Snow's team now and that is what it should be. He has been making moves now that removed players he didn't draft or beleive in. I think we will all get our answers on Snow by season's end. The young guys Snow feels fit into the future will be playing this year, his hand picked coach will be coaching them, his PP QB will be in the lineup running the PP, his band-aid at center will be playing. Lets see how it plays out, the answers will inevitably surface.
If I am Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, Frans Neilson and Blake Comeou I am happy a change is being made, now you know you will have the opportunity to prove yourself and you most likely will get a fair chance at doing so.
If I am Richard Park and Andy Hilbert I would be wondering what direction my ice time is headed, you can even throw Trent Hunters name on that list if you so choose. Trent Hunter needs to play BIG, go to the net and put the puck in the net 25 times a year (IMO).
Did Ted Nolan's move to place Chris Campoli in Bridgeport 2 years ago help him in any way? Did Ted Nolan's resistant to playing Bergenheim more hamper his development? Ted was not the right coach for a rebuilding team. Not one of our prospects would be able to develop under Nolan. Bergenheim is going to be a star and he showed he was ready to take the next step last year, but Ted had a bug up his arse about Sean and never threw him a bone. All the bones were being thrown at Park, Simon, Hilbert, Satan as well as others. Park in his defense earned what he was given and he deserved to be rewarded for his play.
My uneducated choice for a coach would be Butch Goring. He got a raw deal last go round and he has a track record of developing young kids, plus I like the guy and he is very energetic and passionate about the game. But if I were Garth Snow, I would not hang my hat on anyone who does not have a cup win or appearance on his resume.
This was an impossible situation. Why would any coach want to sacrifice winning to develop young players without any years left on his contract??? Nolan wasn't Snow's guy, this disagreed on too much to coexist. One thing is for sure, Ted Nolan had a winning record in 2 years here with an absolute joke of a roster.
As a diehard fan since 93 I have only known losing. If they cant get the new arena than what is the big deal if they move??? I would rather them move and be a functioning franchise than them stay here and keep getting destroyed year after year. I'll still watch every game, it just means I'll have to buy the NHL Center Ice package rather than watching them on cable. The tickets are so expensive now I can only afford to see them a few times a year anyways. I'll just see them when they visit the Rags and the Devils.
I just can't take the incompetence anymore. I had to watch them get swept by the Rangers and see the Rags win the cup. I had to see them trade my favorite player Turgeon for nothing, then they tried to trade my favorite player Palffy to the Rangers but thank God the NHL stepped in but they still got nothing for him, then instead of having Gaborik, Jokinen and Luongo Milbury makes the worst trade of all time and we end up with DP, Kvasha, and Parrish. Then they get that clown Yashin, and after that they fire Laviolette and he goes and wins the cup with Carolina. I cant remember the last stud prospect who was developed and stayed with Isles was??? If we cant get the new arena I say LET THEM MOVE, if than means they will be able to become a competitive franchise.
This was an impossible situation. Why would any coach want to sacrifice winning to develop young players without any years left on his contract??? Nolan wasn't Snow's guy, this disagreed on too much to coexist. One thing is for sure, Ted Nolan had a winning record in 2 years here with an absolute joke of a roster.
As a diehard fan since 93 I have only known losing. If they cant get the new arena than what is the big deal if they move??? I would rather them move and be a functioning franchise than them stay here and keep getting destroyed year after year. I'll still watch every game, it just means I'll have to buy the NHL Center Ice package rather than watching them on cable. The tickets are so expensive now I can only afford to see them a few times a year anyways. I'll just see them when they visit the Rags and the Devils.
I just can't take the incompetence anymore. I had to watch them get swept by the Rangers and see the Rags win the cup. I had to see them trade my favorite player Turgeon for nothing, then they tried to trade my favorite player Palffy to the Rangers but thank God the NHL stepped in but they still got nothing for him, then instead of having Gaborik, Jokinen and Luongo Milbury makes the worst trade of all time and we end up with DP, Kvasha, and Parrish. Then they get that clown Yashin, and after that they fire Laviolette and he goes and wins the cup with Carolina. I cant remember the last stud prospect who was developed and stayed with Isles was??? If we cant get the new arena I say LET THEM MOVE, if than means they will be able to become a competitive franchise.
if ted nolan is such a great coach and found ways to get into the playoffs as the #8 SEED WITH A JOKE OF A ROSTER, then did NO TEAM offer ted an interview when he was granted permission by the isles to speka with other teams this summer. this info is in greg logan's article ladies and gentelmen. wake up, nolan is not the scotty bowman that some of you make him out to be. also if neil smith is supposedly a miracle worker, then why hasn't he gotten a job yet? Why is he still doing games for NBC? Makes you wonder doesn't it? As much as I hate to say it, this is no longer being done by a committee. This is the Garth Snow Show and Garth has a plan in mind. That is to develop young guys. Many of you wanted to see the young guys get playing time down the strecth well now we got our wish. Then why are some of the same people still b!tc*ing. As for the writers in the media like Reiber, Baumberger or whatever his name is, Wallace Matthews, these guys need to write like professionals instead if like 7 year old kids. When you write that this is a "Mickey Mouse" franchise or the "Nassau Malaseoum", I begin to wonder if the trolls on this board are the writers themselves. Its time the media stops acting like 7 year old and start behaving professionally because they get nothing out of it except losing credibility.
Here are a few names of the last TIMES the Islanders have gone the way of the YOUTH.
1991 Zigmund Palffy
1993 Tod Bertuzzi
Brian McCabe
1995 Wade Redden
1996 Zdeno Chara
JP Dumont
1997 Robert Luongo
1999 Tim Connolly
We have been re-building for years! Sooner or later every one of these guys left for greener pastures and we as islanders fans were sold on the notion "we have to build around our prospects."
Projection, 2 to 3 years Kyle Oksopo bolts for greener pastures because the Isles can not afford to keep a solid team together.
At that that time whatever GM or owner will try to sell us on the "we are re-bulding thorught the draft" AGAIN!!!!!!!
SORRY GARTH, NOLAN was not the problem. The organization IS!!!
Original Islander fan from 1972.
People here really need to get thier emotions in check and look at the facts.
First off, in Teds first season he had SIX twenty goal scorers on that team and another with 18. So how bad was that team really?
Nolan singlehandedly, by his misuse of Dunham, almost cost us a playoff spot that we should have locked up earlier in the season.
The team made the playoffs in spite of Nolans awful coaching.
Nolan must be the only coach with an Islanders record of 78-68-21 to be held in such high esteem. If you discount the crazy was the NHL counts overtimes losses, Teds real record was 78-89.
That's correct. His team LOST 89 games and only won 78. That my friends is a losing record.
Anyone who read Logans Newsday article today sees a whole different picture of Nolan come to light. One can only wonder
which players had to go behind Nolans back because of the poor job he was doing. Doesn't sound to me like Ted the great motivator was all that he was cracked up to be.
Snow made the right move here...............Sir William
and whoever Sir Sappy is, Dont Refer to me again that way......Sir Brian G.
BRIAN G, I hope you are not referring to me. I have not written a word about you, so you must be talking about someone else. I have yet to see anthing that you wrote that was worth commenting on.........Sir William
Welcometothejungle.....
STANDING OVATION......
"You Move On"... the very phrase makes me laugh aloud. Thanks Billy, for that incredible insight from the captains chair. Moving on is what this team is all about, isn't it? You move from one joke to another. Year after year.
It goes nicely with the "Wait and See!" that echos throughout the fan base. Wait and SEE what kind of coach the backup goalie, I mean GM hires! Wait and SEE if the team sucks! Wait and SEE if they really can't score a goal to save their lives. Wait and SEE if they make the playoffs, etc, etc ad nauseum.
Its rough being as smart as I am following this team, because I don't need to wait to see, I already know, which, as you might imagine, takes quite a bit of the suspense out of the coming season. The short answers are: It does not matter who the coach is, because the team will have no talent; No, they will not be able to score; No, they will not be able to compete. Etc, etc. The Losing-Lovers can't even smoke that playoff-hope stuff anymore now that Nolan is gone, you won't even be able to get your fix from squeezing in on the last day in a shootout and being decimated and embarrassed in the first round. Now there's not even a facade of a reason to hope this team will overachieve, never mind having lost the incredible free-agent attracting power of the great Ted Nolan. It will be interesting to see how this gets rationalized by those who simply refuse to accept the monumental laughingstock failure that this team has become.
To really get the proper effect with any of this stuff, you first have to imagine the voice of Ricardo Montalban saying "WELCOME to Mockery Island!" as you enter the hallowed doors of the coliseum.
I keep saying it time after time but it never gets old... Just when it seems this team has become the most mockable mockery there is, they manage to do themselves one better.
Let's see what to go over... First, Tortorella. Anyone thinking Tortorella is a good idea is an idiot and should go shoot themselves in the face right now. If Nolan is a "Players Coach", as we've all been led to believe since the long-long ago, and can motivate and get the very, very most out of his players, then John Tortorella is the diametrical opposite. He's the guy that just got fired for being an insufferable a hole to his players and completely losing their respect. That won't go very far on a talentless team that cannot score and thusly cannot win or compete. Here's what happens: the team loses all the time. So he yells and screams and stomps his feet and players realize he's a douche and tune him out, and then you have little mutinies and cliques in the locker room and more division on top of the already inexcusable losing and well that just isn't very much fun now, is it? So stop the Tortorella BS. At least, learn to spell his name before you make him head coach.
Another philosophical flip-flop that is, the kind of coach this team needs. But hey, whats another u-turn in philosophy to this franchise? It's not as if there's any kind of PLAN in place here. Not one formed by anyone that knows what they are doing, anyhow.
This, folks, is why you don't try to have little science experiments with your NHL hockey team by creating progressive little committees that self-destruct within two seasons. Then you dissolve the committee and leave the one person with the least amount of experience in charge, ensuring you team will continue to be a failure and a laughingstock. The rest of the league already knows this. But Charles Wang, he must learn this firsthand.
Its funny, for that reason, I think Tortorella is the most likely candidate to replace Nolan. Because its just about the most inexcusably asinine thing that could be done. The more asinine, the more likely it is to happen on Mockery Island
For anyone interested, the answer to the coaching question is Hartley, not because of any real hockey qualifications, but because he's got ties to the GM and this franchise is based on nepotism. So, read it, folks: Hartley. Simple as that. You're welcome.
Now, on to a few items I noticed yesterday. I saw one that said the difference between the coach and GM was that the GM thought the team was fine the way it was and simply underachieved, while the coach thought the team lacked talent and players able to play at the NHL level. One of these ideas I agree with, the other one I find to be inexcusably asinine. Since we're on Mockery Island, I leave it to the readers to decide which is which.
I also noticed yesterday an item from Garth that read something like "After a thorough search, we will select the best coach available". That to me sounds a lot like "We're going to pick the best player available" in the draft, which, as we all know, is a complete crock of steaming BS. Garth, you are a lousy liar, and a worse GM, and intelligent and savvy fans do not believe you. Fortunately, now the noose is around Snow's neck, and so if we don't have another cup in three years we can publicly castrate him. It won't do a damn thing to help the joke of a hockey team that's here, but it will make some of us feel better. I for one am looking forward to it, because in three years this team will be nowhere, and if it is somewhere, I pray it wont be here.
At some point even you die-hard PR-style BS shoveling fans will have to accept what's happening here at face value. Maybe when that happens we can put together a unified front and just push for the dissolution of the franchise, rather than this annual group-masturbation thing where everyone yanks on cords and talks about how great things will be in just three short years.
It will NEVER EVER HAPPEN with current ownership / management in place. Not in three years, or five, or ten, NEVER.
This team is a diseased mockery of a shell of what it once was and must be allowed to die in peace.
Reality. Sad, but true.
Actually, 505, I've posted only twice, this makes a third. All three times today.
"Once yesterday to drop in and call the Isles morons and an embarassment, and then today to "comment about my comment"". Not sure who you are referring to yesterday but it wasn't me. I only posted this morning after your second Ranger based comment, apology accepted.
Again, I'm not here to bust on the Isles, it appears you guys are doing just fine yourselves. A lot of venom here. I think you're all directing it at the wrong guy. In my opinion, Nolan made this bed. I do agree with Vukota above, your goalie needs to focus better and remember he's NOT the GM.
That's all for now.
From zero time zones away.........(don't worry Anonymous, you don't get it so just move on).
Hey Russel,
What are you talking about??? None of those guys left the Islanders, the Islanders got rid of them!!!!!!! And knowing this team they'll go ahead and trade KO for a bag of pucks like Trevor Linden, Bryan Smolinski, Kirk Muller or Felix Potvin.
If Mike Milbury wasnt the worst general manager in the history of hockey this team would be an absolute power house!!!!!! But that the thing with the Islanders, we can never do what all the analysts recommend, we have to go against the grain about EVERYTHING!!! Just when you think that they cant mess something up, they do!!! Its absolutely incredible!!!
Comment at 16:19 was not me.
Must be close to quitting time in Melville.
JD
"That's all for now".
Nice overall post.
I liked it.
Peace
You are right on the money Frei. I feel for you, believe me I do. Long suffering Islanders fans (as myself) have gone throught, Fish Sticks, Mad Mike's end of the year talent clearance sales, Yashin debacle and now Nolan. The only direction this team is headed is down.
Original Islander fan from 1972.
TAKE MY HOCKEY TEAM, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!
Ted Nolan Firing = Just another Sad Chapter in the Islanders last 20 Years of utter Futility!
Maybe someone in Kansas City wants this basket case of an organization.
How the coaching situation plays out, remains to be seen. Maybe we'll do better, maybe not.
As for the line-up, kids such as Comeau & Bergenheim return. Okposo and Tambellini get a chance to play a full season. A few others may get a chance to break the line-up as well.
We unloaded Satan, Vasicek and Fedetenko (each of whom scored 16 goals by the way). We added a PP QB in Streit. There is a definite transition here, but not a major overhaul. I think we got faster, without losing talent.
If the kids continue to develop, we'll have a chance to be better........THIS YEAR!!!
Many of you are over-reacting!!!!!!!!!!
The Oracle has had a vision.....I hope to GOD this is one that is wrong.
I see another coach with NO or Little NHL experience.
It will be further proof that Wang is pulling the strings and AS USUAL putting people in positions they are no suited for so he can control them ...... IT is a trend folks...You cannot argue that.
A power hungry guy owns our beloved team.
Hope I am wrong.
As for who I believe should coach this team. I admit I am not sure. I truly liked Nolan and thought he had the personality for NY and could of done some good things here. When he was hired do you think Wang told him that he would be playing kids??? Obviously not, especially after Snow traded three #1's for Smyth....Nolan was lied to......The so called "plan" changed and he was not willing to change with it. One of them had to go and Wang chose his Snowy doll......We will have to wait and see if that was the right choice. If it was the wrong one this franchise is doomed for another 10 years!
With that.....prove me wrong Garth...Make the right call...The eyes of the island are on YOU!
Posted by Hock | July 15, 2008 17:27
"Many of you are over-reacting!!!!!!!!!!"
Well said Hock, I really hope some of these characters have something else in their lives to make them happy, because if they don't, I'm scared they'd kill themselves the way they talk about the Isles...
Steady, last time Wang hired a guy with little or no NHL experience it was Laviolette...who within a few years became the bench boss of a SC champion.
Were you against that move then? If not, why are you against a potentially similar situation now? This is an honest question with no underlying motives, just curious why you would be so concerned about a similar move now?
And on that note, the highly overrated Hockeybuzz cites knowldege that the Isles would love to bring back Laviolette and wonders if the team would bring in a stop gap until his current contract (over after 09 if I remeber correctly) is done.
Not to mention, Ted Nolan - a guy you really like - had little NHL experience, and Wang took a flyer on him...again, no underlying motives, just curious why they should rule out non-NHL coaches...the other options (except Torts) have plenty of experience and resumes, but have been bounced around like ping-pong balls lately...
Hymmmmm .... we have a little bit of everything in today's thread ...
I will say again .. I liked Nolan as a coach and person a lot ... he was the perfect coach for the team in 06-07 ... however looking back and getting more info ... he was too rigid with his coaching philosophy ... and he just didn't want to take part in a youth movement of any kind.
I don't know if he'll even get a job right away ... what coaching vacancies are out there?? Maybe he'll be coaching the Rangers by the All-Star break? Wouldn't that be ironic?
well .. I'll be back with more.
This is what I'm talking about. DiPietro needs to backoff and worry about stopping pucks, a-hole.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07152008/sports/islanders/dipietro_diss_was_final_straw_120008.htm
Actually the post at 17:58 was not me. The others were. C'est la vie.
Frei, In case your keeping score:
TORTS....1 Stanley Cup Won
NOLAN... 0 Cups won
Torts coming to the Island......PRICELESS.........Sir William
19 ISLES That's it?? I barely got eye strain reading that. LOL .....Sir William
I take umbrage ( like that one?, 505) at the way the2006-07 team is being maligned. That team had a lot more talent than the nitwit so called experts gave it credit for. Since the team was so bad how come when free agency struck the rest of the NHL signed so many of out "castoff" players.
Jason Blake Toronto HaHaHaHaHa (Sorry couldn't help that one)
Tom Poti Washington
Viktor Kozlov Washington
Ryan Smyth Colorado
R. Robatille Ottawa (eventually)
R. Zednick Florida
A Asham NJ Devils
S. Hill Minn
Fully 8 of the 23 players went on to sign with other teams. If the were so bad, how come?............Sir William
thank you 505.
I've got a question. Actually, I've got a few.
According to Logan, Snow already gave Nolan written permission to speak to other teams about any coaching vacancies.
1- How could it be that Snow just now finally makes up his mind to dump Nolan? He obviously already made up his mind that he was entirely fine with the idea of releasing Nolan THIS YEAR to fill another team's coaching vacancy.
2- Assuming Snow has known for some time that he wanted Nolan out of here this year, why is he only now starting the search for a new coach? Does this mean that he's already been looking? And if so, does this also mean that he's having some trouble convincing someone to accept a coaching job on fantasy island?
Something smells fishy around here. And this time it's not the uniforms.
Vukota,
That article by Larry Brooks is simply WRONG in so many ways and is pure conjecture from YET ANOTHER WRITER WHO IS ABSOLUTELY CLUELESS.
That article is at best a parable of no facts and incorrect facts with assumptions made by a writer who is....Hell, I don't even have a clue where he is going.
A/Not a single quote from DP validating YOUR assumptions that DP was involved in Nolan getting fired.
B/Love this line from Brooks.....
"Nolan also clearly misunderstood his rung on the organizational ladder..in March..after snubbing DiPietro twice in three days against the Rangers.
DP MISSED the 1st game against the Rangers because HIS AUNT DIED. And he went to the funeral. Nolan didn't SNUB DP.
DP WAS NOWHERE NEAR THE RIGHT ZIP CODE.
C/And another quote from Brooks.....alluding to Nolan "snubbing DP"
"..but Nolan's failure to recognize the sway that DiPietro holds within the organization represents the true philosophical divide that got him fired."
How does Mr. Brooks confront the feeling that DP was "overplayed" by Nolan in the 2nd half of the season?
Nolan rode an injured DP in the 2nd half like Nicholas Skinner violated every PETA rule in working the main character in Black Beauty.
Until DP went lame, just like Black Beauty.
I get the feeling that Brooks' is claiming that Nolan got canned because he didn't play DP in the 2 Ranger games. (and we all know it was only ONE).
Well, if that is REALLY TRUE...and if anybody chooses to believe that.....
It would be the 1st time in the modern history of sports that I ever heard of a coach getting canned because a player, regardless of his prima donna status, didn't play in ONE REGULAR SEASON GAME.
That Brooks' article is simply garbage Vukota.
If anything, it is becoming clear to me that more than a 1st line center or a boxer, The Islanders need a journalism ombudsman, hitman, or watchdog.
Cuz I continue to be amazed by the diarrhea that spews into newspapers back there by people who claim to be Sports Reporters.
They are simply fiction writers that couldn't even give Sir William a run for his money.
More ice time to young talented players??? Let's see who they are... Jeff Tambellini? Is Jeff the same caliber player like Malkin or Crosby? Definitely not. Can he be developed into the same caliber, should he has more ice time? I highly doubt it. I'm sure if Nolan had young talent like Malkin last year, he would gladly give him 20 min ice time. No one should get ice time based on age or anything else, good personality, nice smile, etc. Players have to deserve it working hard on practice and taking everything from minutes they get every game. Sorry, but I don't see that Jeff and a few other young guys deserved it. NYI has a lot of 3d liners and no single decent first line forward. Bill Guerin is not a 1st line player. That's what Ted asked for. I highly doubt that Jeff can be built into first line player, no matter how much time he gets. We'll see about Kyle. Terrible mistake firing a good coach. It is still "re-building". Snow will follow Ted next year or year after.
CINCY The firing was timed to the Baseball All Star game in Yankee Stadium. All eyes are on the mid summer classic and hockey is the last thing on most peoples minds. A simple PR stunt.
Rest assured that Snow already has his coach lined up. Again they will not introduce him until the All Star festivities are long gone.........Sir William
I told you so. I told you so. some of you have seen the light for the first time today and yesterday. 1972 was the best. all day hands down the best post of the day.
Standing O to you Sir.
Looks like Terry Murray got the Kings job. So much for the Nolan to the Kings predictions. Tough luck, Ted......Sir William
Where is this Logan article saying how snow gave nolan permission to talk to other clubs? I was on newsday's site and couldn't find it.
You guys are going crazy...we had no chance with or without Nolan..so it makes no difference... He's a great coach but needs to learn when to keep his mouth shut. Trust me fellas...it does not chang next year. With our roster I'll be exited with 32 wins next year. As long as they're not as boring as last years team its cool with me.
There is actually a positive article about the Islanders moving in the right direction by EJ Hradek on the ESPN site. Hard to beleive because this guy is usually an Islander killer. He thinks that the youth movement here is a good step........Sir William
Firing Nolan cause he wanted more $$ and more years on his contract.....trading down was to avoid paying big money to the 5# pick.. losing decent players and signing doug weight & some 4-5th defenseman was a joke.....would like to hear real reason neal smith was fired, cause he saw what a wreck this palce was and is un