The team announced his contract as GM and President will not be renewed, and John Collins will lead a search for a new GM.
The New York Islanders released this statement on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 22:
The New York Islanders organization announced today that Lou Lamoriello’s contract as President and General Manager will not be renewed. Effective immediately, Operating Partner John Collins will lead a search to find the next General Manager.
The Islanders extend a heartfelt thank you to Lou Lamoriello for his extraordinary commitment over the past seven years. His dedication to the team is in line with his Hall of Fame career.
The Islanders missed the playoffs this past season with a roster that was largely unchanged from the season before, and game attendance was noticeably down. The on-ice team has struggled to recapture its peak form under Lamoriello, when Barry Trotz guided them two consecutive Eastern Conference finals appearances.
Fans were getting louder and antsier about a lack of progress with an aging roster filled with long-term deals, while salary cap casualties thrived elsewhere.
Collins is the former chief operating officer of the NHL who was credited with several business developments like the growth and “eventification” of outdoor games and lucrative broadcast/streaming deals. He became a minority owner of the Islanders in 2023.
During the final quarter of the season and particularly in recent weeks, there have been more and more hints that maybe ownership was considering doing something. But you never knew, especially when it felt like this move could’ve been made a year or more ago. But it sounds like now those hints were on to something, with the ownership (including Collins) already feeling out replacement avenues.
The next era begins now.