The New York Islanders have found their new leader. It comes in the form of Mathieu Darche, who will lead and build the team for the future. He was hired on May 23rd to become General Manager and Executive Vice President. However, today was his first time speaking to the media for his introductory press conference. Darche announced updates to the team’s coaching staff, among other topics. We will dive into all of that and what to make of it.
Welcome to @UBSArena, Darche! ? pic.twitter.com/gF4maYHLiC
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 27, 2025
Takeaways from the Mathieu Darche Press Conference
Who is Mathieu Darche?
Before we get into all that, a little on Darche. He is a former NHL player who made it into the league in 2000 and signed his first contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. After that, he went on to play part-time in the league for nine seasons. In those seasons, he scored 72 points (30 G, 42 A) in 250 games. He had stints with the Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens.
After his playing days, he would return to the Lightning in 2019. It was here that he would win two Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, serving as the team’s Director of Hockey Ops. He had a huge role in Tampa’s contract negotiations and salary cap management that kept them on top for so long. His good work got him a promotion to Assistant General Manager in 2023, holding both positions since 2023. While he has never been a general manager on his own, he has worked within one of the best hockey organizations for the last six years. He has been apart of a lot of winning, so hopefully that will carry over to Long Island.
Roy Will Remains Coach
This was Darche’s first major decision in charge, which was announced at the press conference. The move to retain Patrick Roy was an expected one, but you can never be too sure when a new boss comes in. Roy returns for what will be his third season as the team’s head coach but just his second full one. The former NHL goalie is 55-47-17 in 119 games with the Islanders through his first two seasons since taking over for Lane Lambert in the middle of the 2023-24 season. He has a history of winning, while his fire and passion behind the bench have been well-received by the fans. He will get the chance to prove to his new boss that this was the right choice.
Roy is back, but the same cannot be said for some of his working staff. Assistant Coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin will not return to the club in 2025-26. These moves do not come as a surprise, and fans are probably happy to see these two go. They were not Roy guys, he didn’t get to pick his staff. Lou Lamoriello did that for him. Under Darche, the two will work together to fill the assistant coaches position. The Islanders also had the 31st-ranked power play and penalty kill last season; this simply won’t cut it, so a change was needed and welcomed.
Changes Coming to Bridgeport
While the coach at the NHL level remains the same, the opposite is true for the Bridgeport Islanders, their AHL affiliate. Darche announced the team was moving on from head coach Rick Kowalsky and his entire staff. More welcomed change as fans have been frustrated for years by the lack of production coming from the team’s minor league system. The cherry on top was a season where the AHL team went 15-50-7 last season, finishing last in the league. No decision has been made on Bridgeport General Manager Chris Lamoriello. However, given the lack of success and his dad not being in charge anymore, he could be on his way out, too.
It seems early on that developing a winning program in the minors is a focus for the team. This is smart, as most teams have to dip into their AHL team for players at times. These players have to be ready to go at all times during the season whenever the opportunity arises. Darche seems like the right man for the job with this goal in mind. During his time in Tampa, their AHL affiliate made the playoffs every year. In addition, as a player, he spent 552 games in the AHL. He knows the importance of a good minor league program and developing your young players before they get to the NHL.
A Look Ahead to the Offseason
A lot of buzz has been surrounding the team in regards to the NHL draft. Rightfully so, as the Islanders hold the number one overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft. Naturally, questions came up for the new decision maker about the plans with this pick. Darche said he plans to make the pick. With the position this team is in, that is the smart move; they need as much young talent as possible. While they have young prospects like Cole Eiserman and Calum Ritchie, adding to that is important. Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, and James Hagens seem to be the leaders in the clubhouse to be the number one pick, and any of those three would be a great addition to the team.
Another change for this offseason was announced by Darche regarding a developmental camp. The camp will be held for the team’s prospects over the summer. This is the first mid-summer camp since 2019. Under Lou, it had been held in September, right before training camp. This is a big change as it allows NCAA prospects to attend. Meaning college prospects like Eiserman and others who normally couldn’t attend now will be able to. Giving these young players to work directly with Islander coaches.
In Summary
A lot of positive things were said at this press conference that have fans excited. The head coach is back, which is a plus, as he is well-respected by his players. Having continuity is always good, so players don’t have to learn a new system over the offseason. The coach also will now be able to pick his staff for a change, as this team desperately needs better special-teams play. The AHL team is getting a whole new staff. There will be more emphasis put on building a winner in the minor leagues. That is important for player development and getting players held to a standard of winning early on. Holding onto the first pick is exciting, as the team will get to take the best player in the draft. Now we’ll see how Darche upgrades the roster in free agency to get this team back in the playoffs.
Main photo by: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
