A 360 Islanders View Of A Franchise Altering Day
Here's my thoughts after the Mathieu Darche press conference.
ELMONT, NY — Today, the Islanders introduced Mathieu Darche as their new general manager and executive vice president.
Now, I could sit here and do a "press conference wrap" with the latest news from our introductory press conference with the man of the hour, but I don't want to bore you, as all that is already online.
However, as someone who had the privilege of being there in person to hear from Darche and operating partner John Collins, here are my initial thoughts on the hiring and the direction the organization is taking.
First off, you can tell how good of a communicator Darche is. His answers were in-depth. He knows how to command a room, and it's clear that honesty is a policy he lives by, whether it's with us, the media, his staff, or his players.
But the biggest takeaway was that Darche already has a plan. He may not have divulged the entire plan to us in full detail, but one is in place.
He's going to pay more attention to Bridgeport and the minor leagues than we've ever seen on Long Island. He wants to build a winning culture, starting at the bottom.
I asked him about the relationship between the Syracuse Crunch and the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he said it was massive. I also asked if the team would be having a development camp right after the draft, something the Islanders haven't done since 2019.
He said absolutely, citing the importance of getting the young players in the door and showing them how accountable they must be in contributing to the culture from Day 1.
Darche called for all aspects of the organization to be "vertically integrated," ensuring everyone was on the same page.
I mean, that's massive, especially after what we've seen under Lou Lamoriello.
It's pretty standard for a new general manager to come in and replace everyone from the old regime, but Darche wanted head coach Patrick Roy back. He had no previous relationship with the Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender and actually drove up to Montreal to speak with the bench boss.
The way Darche wants the Islanders to play — he wants to play fast, wants to defend well, and that there's a difference between playing defensive and defending — lines up precisely with the way Roy wanted his team to play.
It will be up to Darche to bring in the players and ultimately move on from those who cannot play that way. Lou liked to play defensive, and Roy did not, so this is a game-changer for Patrick.
It was also clear that Darche understood the Islanders' legacy and the need to return to it. That's why Collins ultimately hired the first-time GM.
"There's a championship legacy here that needs to move forward. And we believe strongly that Mathieu Darche understands how to make that happen."
While today was a professional setting, Darche was making jokes, keeping the room light rather than everything being so buttoned up. It was a breath of fresh air if we're being honest.
After the event, amongst the chatter, it was pretty unanimous that the Islanders had made the right decision. Everyone was enthusiastic about the future.
Fun fact: I’ll touch on this tomorrow morning in my exclusive interview with Collins, but it was Darche's idea to call season ticket holders.
Connecting hockey ops to the business side of the Islanders is essential to the overall success of the franchise.
It's a new age for the Islanders. It's a new role for Darche. It's a new opportunity for Roy to spread his wings. It's a new day in age for the fan base, an exciting bunch.
It's a new era for the Islanders' prospects, including those in Bridgeport and those continuing their development at the collegiate or junior hockey level.
Change can always bring many questions, but it's essential for a fan base to know that the person in charge has a pulse on more than just the NHL squad.
Darche, by the way he spoke, clearly knows he doesn't have to be the smartest person in the room and will build a team from top to bottom that can help play a role in making the Islanders, one day, a Stanley Cup contender again.
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Sears found out today Patrick will have a large part in building and coaching this team. Why Sears was hoping he was fired can only be explained by Nerds vs. Jock. 100% don’t like his reporting it’s slanted to his opinion. There was no way Patrick wasn’t going to be the coach. Owners love Patrick! I also think Darche is looking forward to working with him and is collaborative. Read the room dude!
Glad we got a fresh young dude that’s on the same page as Patrick. They can make a successful tandem. Relieved to hear him basically say we are sticking and picking Matthew Schaefer. Also seems well on the way to negotiating and eventually signing Holmstrom Dobson Tsyplakov Romanov and Boqvist. I wouldn’t sign any of the other RFA or UFA. Collins is a pretty impressive dude. The last real achievement missing from this ownership group is that star young FA. Mitch Marner coming to the Island would be a pivotal moment. There will be a tremendous amount of opportunities for Mitch. With the skill he brings to the table I don’t think he gets a better fit professionally or personally than the Island. He knows the area because of the friendship with Matt Martin. It’s a Zero Sum Game and everything ownership has done is leading up to a successful run at Marner. Wouldn’t be surprised if Eiserman signs his ELC with the team. Patty has to call him and say I penciled you in next to Barzel on line 2 and PP1. Let’s face it the kid will improve the PP and learn on the job. https://youtube.com/shorts/25r0WypXMY8?si=ySYioo-x6M-E8-5s