Bad Times at Islander High

As if it was not bad enough that Neil (Noah) Smith was fired after 40 days and 40 nights as GM of the (not so) Good Ship NYI, late last night it was learned that Special Advisor to the owner Charles Wang, Pat LaFontaine, has resigned his position. Now, there were those (I’m talking to you Larry Brooks) who felt Pat was out of his depth in this role, given he had no previous experience. They are sure to be happy. As a fan, it is another nail in the coffin for the team. Having a past star like Pat involved had given many fans hope. For too long the organization had ignored the special history of this franchise. As of late, Wang had worked hard to change that, retiring Trottier’s jersey, having the night last season to celebrate the 1980 Stanley Cup Championship team, hiring Trottier and Pat.

Why Pat left is not exactly clear. Newsday reported that he was unhappy with the way yesterday’s debacle unfolded. He had apparently advised Wang to wait 48 hours to make the decision, and then to wait to announce a new GM. Wang ignored the advice. If my title is Special Advisor to the owner, and the owner is ignoring said advice, I would leave as well. It is too bad really. Pat was always a classy guy, the trade that sent him to Buffalo was one of the final mistakes made by the great Bill Torrey (although the return was not too bad, Pierre Turgeon). I and many fans had hoped that the page was turning. Apparently, it was turned back. Back to the bad old days of poor management.

Where do we go from here? Garth Snow is the new GM. Of course, no experienced GM was going to take this job at this point. His retirement leaves an opening at back-up goalie to Rick Di Pietro. His salary also still counts against the cap apparently (despite what I posted earlier, which was based on a couple of reports). DP is a restricted Free Agent, and enjoyed a good relationship with Snow (it was said that DP had a role in Snow getting his 3 year deal prior to last season). Now the two must work together on a new contract. There are many reservations about Snow. He has no front office experience. He has been involved with the Players Union, and has an MBA in Business, so he is bright. Being a player for a number of years gives him experience of how players work, which many GM’s who have not played the game lack. I hope that this gives him an edge.

Some have seen Ted Nolan’s hand in this, or Mike Milbury. Wang made a point yesterday of quelling those rumors. He flat out said Nolan had no role. As for Milbury, he apparently told Wang to give Smith more time. His advice was ignored by Wang, in what may be a first when involving Milbury. Perhaps Wang is starting to cut Milbury out, a hopeful sign for Islander fans.

One last point I would like to make. People are justifiably upset about what happened yesterday. The team looks bad. Again. However, we must remember that Wang has at least shown a willingness to spend money on this team. He has a lot invested, not only in the team, but in his deal to re-develop the Coliseum and surrounding area. Some feel he may be looking to move the team. Based on his investment, it does not appear that is his plan. Besides, where is he going to move it? What local is going to take on this team at this point? Not only is the team in disarray, the league itself is hurting after the strike. Despite the announced numbers for attendance and revenue, it is obvious to most the league is still struggling. No local is going to want to take the risk on a franchise and league in trouble.

Let’s hope this all works out fans. We have suffered long enough.