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Subject: Garth Snow...Isles GM???
Posted by: J
- Leader [10171012] Wed, Jul 19, 2006, 11:54
Smith Fired, Snow Hired As Islanders GM
By IRA PODELL, AP Sports Writer
Wed Jul 19, 3:19 AM
UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Neil Smith campaigned to be the New York Islanders' general manager the very day the position opened up six months ago.
After getting the job last month, it took him less than six weeks to lose it.
Smith was abruptly fired Tuesday and replaced in stunning fashion by goalie Garth Snow, who retired _ going from backup to boss in an instant.
"You get to a point where philosophically you're not in sync, you're just not in sync," team owner Charles Wang said. "You have to make a decision then."
Just more than a month earlier, Smith _ a Stanley Cup-winning GM _ was hired as the centerpiece of a new front office by committee. But he quickly showed that he wasn't prepared to live up to Wang's terms and was let go before he had a chance to put his new team on the ice.
"This is a decision made by me," Wang told reporters in the Islanders' otherwise empty locker room. "I'll take the blame and I'll take the credit. This is something that I feel very strongly about. I was clear. I said this is what we're going to, here's how we're going to run it."
Smith was something of a surprise choice when he returned to the NHL following a six-year absence and replaced Mike Milbury on June 8. Smith's replacement was even more of a shock.
Snow, who was to be officially introduced at a luncheon Wednesday, joins an overhauled organization that includes new coach Ted Nolan, player development director Bryan Trottier, chief amateur scout Tony Feltrin and pro scouting director Ken Morrow. Pat LaFontaine was brought in as a senior adviser, but late Tuesday reports surfaced that he was ready to give up his new post.
Wang set it up so each person would report directly to him. Every member of the front-office team has a role.
Smith wasn't used to that kind of setup. One point of contention was the hiring of an equipment manager. As GM, Smith thought that was his job. Wang decided all things involving the team would be determined by Nolan.
"I knew it would get worse because when you know it's wrong, it doesn't work," Wang said. "You feel it and you've got to correct it."
A self-proclaimed non-hockey guy, Wang hired someone with zero experience in the business end. Snow will have to learn on the job and decipher the cap, which his playing contract will count against for each of the next two seasons when he was due to earn $750,000 per year.
What was as surprising is that Snow was an original finalist.
"I knew what he could do, I was comfortable with him in the past," said Wang, who has grown close to Snow since the goalie signed with the Islanders in 2001. "If I hadn't chosen Neil, he was one of the prime last candidates. It was an easy choice."
The Islanders missed the playoffs last season, finishing next-to-last in the Atlantic Division.
Snow, who went 4-13-1 last season as the backup to top Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro, will be in charge of making trades, scouting and contracts.
DiPietro doesn't yet have a deal for next season. Snow will have to complete that and search for his replacement as the backup.
"This is a proud moment for me, a dream come true," said Snow, who played 12 NHL seasons, the final four with the Islanders. "It's an opportunity I wanted more than anything."
Smith, Nolan and LaFontaine were all hired on the same day. The GM and coach came in as a package deal and Smith didn't have any say in Nolan's hiring.
"I picked Teddy before I picked Neil. I made all those decisions myself, one of them I got wrong," Wang said. "Rather than to try not to do anything ... I am going to fix it, and I don't want this to linger in any way. The last thing I want to do is have any unrest or any controversy in the middle of the season. It would be a disaster."
A message left on Smith's cell phone wasn't immediately returned.
Snow, about a week shy of his 37th birthday, is the fifth GM in team history. He was 135-147-44 with a 2.80 GAA and .901 save percentage in 368 NHL games. His career also included stints with Quebec, Philadelphia, Vancouver and Pittsburgh.
Smith's greatest NHL success came when he was in charge of the rival New York Rangers. As their GM, he built the team that ended 54 years of frustration and finally won a Stanley Cup title in 1994. He was fired late in the 1999-00 season _ 10 years after he took the job.
His roots were with the Islanders, who drafted him as a player, but never had a chance to rebuild the once-proud franchise. The Islanders haven't won a postseason series since 1993.
Smith's dismissal came as the free-agent shopping season wound down and teams prepared for salary arbitration hearings that begin this week. Forwards Arron Asham and Mike York were the only Islanders to file.
Smith was active in his short tenure, including running the draft. New York has only a handful of players without contracts and has added several veteran free agents.
The Islanders signed Mike Sillinger to a three-year deal after he came off a 31-goal season; hard-hitting defenseman Brendan Witt, who also agreed to a three-year contract; offensive-minded defenseman Tom Poti; and forwards Chris Simon and Andy Hilbert.
"I don't think you can say in any way this is chaos or anything," Wang said. "Look at the people we signed, look at the drafting. I'm proud of what we've done."
Smith was chosen by the Islanders in the 13th round of the 1974 draft, but never made it to the NHL. He was part of the organization during its run to four straight Stanley Cup titles in the early 1980s.
The Islanders' regime change started in January, when Milbury announced he would step down from the position he held since 1995. He is now in charge of Wang's sports properties. |
| 1 | C.SuperFreak
ID: 413282610
Thu, Jul 20, 2006, 10:17
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I do not believe that is the kind of news Isles fan wanted or deserved. Me thinks that Milbury is still holding on to some strings.
With all these rookie GM's I am still holding onto the dream thatt hope that one day I could be GM of a pro sports team.
If any NHL owners read this forum send me an email. I'm interested in any vacant GM positions or could work as an assistant. (hint: Click on my name)
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| 2 | Matt S
ID: 18635717
Thu, Jul 20, 2006, 14:54
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Haha, the Islanders are doomed to SUCK for eternity.
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| 3 | The Beezer
Leader
ID: 191202817
Thu, Jul 20, 2006, 17:24
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It doesn't make any sense - why not bring Snow in as an assistant, let him learn from Smith for a while, then throw him overboard (or upstairs depending on how he does) and promote Snow if that's what you want to do. What a mess.
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| 4 | barilko6
ID: 16529229
Fri, Jul 28, 2006, 13:55
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Somehow I missed this thread!
GM killer Ted Nolan strikes again???
I can totally understand getting rid of Smith (ok, no I can't, but let's assume I can), but how do you hire your back-up goalie from the year before to take over?
I thought smart business guys like Charles Wang always made sure to surround themselves with strong leadership for their businesses. Isn't that what makes them successful?
I am going to send a couple of John C. Maxwell books to Wang to make sure my resume makes more of an impression then Superfreak's does...
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| 5 | Dec
ID: 45622248
Sun, Jul 30, 2006, 08:53
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Snow, who went 4-13-1 last season as the backup to top Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro, will be in charge of making trades, scouting and contracts.
I guess if he's not in goal next year, that's an improvment
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| 6 | The Beezer
Leader
ID: 191202817
Sun, Jul 30, 2006, 08:59
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Once again, Sportpickle.com's fake news is truer than a lot of real news. Garth Snow makes great first move as GM by replacing Garth Snow in Islanders’ net
Best quote: “But to be honest, even if I didn’t have to quit playing, I would have cut myself anyway. I know I sucked. Everyone did. Well, at least, everyone but the Islanders’ former management. I was just collecting a paycheck. But I won’t have players like me under my watch. You don’t win titles with players like Garth Snow on your team.”
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