Islanders Coach Nolan Quits

[Matt Molnar]

If not for the Knicks, Islanders management would be the biggest joke of an organization in professional sports. Actually, they're pretty even in their ridiculousness now that I think about it. (And I'm an Isles fan).

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/stor ... NHeadlines

[lijk604]

He didn't quit, face it, he was let go.

From Newsday: This time the GM was Garth Snow, who called Nolan into his office yesterday morning and put an end to months of internal clashes by reaching what was described as a "mutual agreement" to part company.

I'm also an Islander fan, been one since I was 10 years old, so that's 32 years now, their best years were before free agency, when a team actually stayed together. Wang has some strange views on how to run the team as an owner. What I wouldn't give to have a Mike Ilitch as an owner...someone who loves hockey, knows the game, and hires people who know the game to take care of business.

[wunaladreamin]

This is almost as good as signing Yashin and DiPietro to loooooong term contracts. Way to go Snow! You couldn'tcrack it as a backup and you're rockin it out as a GM. Maybe he can bring Trots back as a Head Coach because his handwriting was nice (a la Rangers). What a sh*t show this upcoming season's gonna be.

Side note: Wang. That's a great name for the owner of the Islanders. LOL

[Matt Molnar]

I think Yashin was Wang and Milbury's idea, but according to my friend who works for these clowns, the ridiculous DiPietro deal was all Snow's work and Wang somehow agreed with it. Seeing the guy make business decisions like this it's not hard to see how his former Computer Associates partner is doing federal time. I used to be a huge Isles fan but their suckage and idiotic management, combined with the incompetence of the league in general, have severely dampened my interest in the NHL.

[PhilDernerJr]

Though a Ranger fan, it's things like that which make me enjoy the NHL more, and not root for individual teams. I just want to see a good game, although I find more exciting games going on in the Western Conference.

[lijk604]

Though a Ranger fan, it's things like that which make me enjoy the NHL more, and not root for individual teams. I just want to see a good game, although I find more exciting games going on in the Western Conference.

I have to agree with you Phil, the Western Conf games are more up-tempo games, and they seem to flow better. They hit there, albeit not as much as a Flyers-Rangers game.

[NYARTCCFAN]

I didn't know there were this many Islander fans here. I've been long suffering since 80 myself. NUmber 1 Islander mistake-YASHIN(good riddence). and mistake number 2-Letting Wang buy the Islanders(idiot savant if there ever was one). I personally liked Nolan as Coach. He was a hockey players coach in my opinion. Living in Tampa now there was a fired coach here named Tortorella that is availiable. I think the Isles need a drill sgt of a coach like him to whip them into contenders. Bunch of overrated kids are on this team and need to be spanked into producing. Many years of promises have been squandered on highly touted talen that fell short. Isles need hard leadership and a boss that knows what is hockey. Goodbye Wang and Snow hopefully. Stan Fishler can do a better job than those 2 combined. I say hire Laviolette as GM

[PhilDernerJr]

Though a Ranger fan, it's things like that which make me enjoy the NHL more, and not root for individual teams. I just want to see a good game, although I find more exciting games going on in the Western Conference.

I have to agree with you Phil, the Western Conf games are more up-tempo games, and they seem to flow better. They hit there, albeit not as much as a Flyers-Rangers game.

And I always remember it being that way for some odd reason. When I was young, I'd stay up late with friends to watch the Coyotes or Avalanche play the Blackhawks or whoever else. They always have the hard hitters and played rough and tough hockey....with someone liek Brett Hull and Keith Tkachuk. Eastern seems to be filled with more finesse players.

[moose135]

mistake number 2-Letting Wang buy the Islanders(idiot savant if there ever was one).

Take a look at this - http://www.islesinfo.com/Owner-History.html and tell me how Wang stacks up to former Islander owners.

Roy Boe: The Isles first owner (who also owned the NY Nets), while he wasn't bad, he got in over his head, shifting funds from the Islanders to support the Nets, and was finally removed due to lawsuits against the team.

John Pickett: A minority owner with Boe, he took over the team and saved it from both bankruptcy and a move off LI. May have been the best Islander owner during his tenure, but also helped cause some of the problems they still face today with his 30-year deal with SMG to run the Coliseum.

The Gang of 4 (Rosenthal, Walsh, Grossman, Palleschi): Pickett had moved to Florida, and eventually sold part of the team, as well as day-to-day control to this group of reportedly "longtime season ticket holders". They gave us Don Maloney as a GM, and the much-loved fisherman logo. Fishsticks, anyone?

John Spano: When the Gang of 4 realized they were in over their heads, Pickett attempted to find new ownership, and found Spano, a 32-year-old Texas businessman, thanks to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Spano had attempted to buy two other NHL teams, before Bettman steered him toward the Isles. The NHL actually approved his ownership, and the sale closed in 1997. A few months later, after missing payments and bouncing checks, the truth behind Spano was reveled. He was sentenced to jail and probation on bank and wire fraud charges.

NY Sports Ventures (Milstein brothers, Steven Gluckstern): Brought in following the Spano debacle, it turned out they were more interested in the potential to develop the area around the Coliseum than in the team itself. They tried to get the Coliseum deemed "unsafe" for operations, moving the team out for a short time until ordered to return by the courts. When Milstein couldn't get control of the building, he slashed player salaries, and move on to other interests, attempting to buy the Washington Redskins. Negative publicity surrounding his Islander ownership killed that bid.

While Wang certainly has his faults (Mike Milbury, anybody?) he has restored the teams payroll, and they have returned to the playoffs under Wang. I think if Wang had not stepped in and bought the team when he did, it is quite possible a new owner would have moved them off Long Island.

[Matt Molnar]

and mistake number 2-Letting Wang buy the Islanders(idiot savant if there ever was one).

You may recall their previous owners forced their mostly AHL-grade roster to fly regular (not chartered) Southwest flights one season. Fans were pissed enough that an organization I was involved in staged a protest against the Milsteins during a game which made national news. So at the time, Wang seemed like a savior, he lives on Long Island so he wasn't going to move the team, and he was willing to spend/lose money. The league and the fans were also still reeling from the debacle a few years earlier where the previous owners, the Pickett family, had sold the team to a guy who turned out had defrauded them and didn't actually have any money. Wang was the owner of a large, well-known corporation, which made him even more attractive.

In the eight years since Wang took over, he has upgraded the payroll and the roster, but he still hangs on to a lot of the same management, namely Mike Milbury, which has produced no results. And then out of nowhere he hires a goalie as his new GM. A few years ago he drew up some great plans for a new arena and revitalization of the surrounding area which has gone nowhere, but that is seemingly more the fault of assbackwards county politics than Wang. It doesn't seem like anyone is going anywhere soon, so we're stuck with these clowns.

[Matt Molnar]

Great minds think alike! I started my post before I saw yours, took awhile to finish it though.