Fraserburn
01-12-2006, 02:42 PM
Can you say Brent Sutter?
I can and i think he's coming and coming quick
He's done almost all there is to do at the junior level
He is the Owner, GM, Coach of the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL
He has Piloted the Canadian National Junior Team to 2 straight World Junior Championships going undefeated in both tournaments
back during his playing days he captained the Islanders when it meant something to be an Islander.........He is coming I stake my reputation on it(not that i have much of one)
Good bye Millwrong you have a laundry list of brutal trades, deadline deals, draft day disasters.........6 coaches fired under your tenure??
Milbury to step down once new GM if found; Stirling fired
Milbury to step down once new GM if found; Stirling fired
January 12, 2006
CP - Jan 12, 12:09 pm EST
More Photos
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CP) - Mike Milbury's run as GM of the New York Islanders will finally come to an end after a turbulent decade.
Owner Charles Wang announced at a news conference Thursday that Milbury would step down as GM once a replacement for him was found. "My goal is to have someone in place by the June draft and off-season signing period," Wang said. "Until his successor is found, Mike will continue to run hockey operations and work with coach (Brad) Shaw because we are not giving up on this season.
"There are 40 games remaining. We have a very talented team here. I expect us to make a run."
Brad Shaw was also elevated to interim head coach after the expected firing of Steve Stirling. It is the eighth coaching change for the Isles in nine years.
"We're hoping that Brad can handle this and give us a jump start," Milbury said at the news conference.
Once a new GM is hired, Milbury would then become senior vice-president of Wang's sports properties, which include the Islanders, New York Dragons (AFL), Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) and Islanders Iceworks.
"Even prior to our current slump, Mike and I had been discussing the next phase for him," said Wang. "I have often challenged him about what he wanted to do when he grows up. Yesterday, Mike came to me and selflessly said that the time had come for a change in the general manager's seat.
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"Mike told me he felt it was the right thing for the Islanders, it was the right thing for Charles Wang and, most importantly, it was the right thing for the fans."
Milbury took over as GM from Don Maloney in December 1995 and became notorious for his blockbuster trades, most of them not helping the Islanders. He traded away the likes of Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, Eric Brewer, Wade Redden, Roberto Luongo, Zdeno Chara and Olli Jokinen.
The Islanders failed to win a playoff series during his 10-plus seasons and missed the playoffs seven times.
Stirling, meanwhile, went 38-29-11-4 during his rookie year of 2003-04 and guided New York to its third straight playoff appearance after taking over for the fired Peter Laviolette. But a recent skid dropped the Islanders out of the playoff picture and sealed Stirling's fate.
"All the coaches and players are disappointed about Steve because they like him," Milbury said. "He worked hard at it, but it just wasn't happening."
The final blow came Tuesday when the Islanders lost in Nashville to fall to 18-22-2, fourth place in the Atlantic Division.
"We have under-performed this season," said Wang. "We have a very talented team. Our fans have every right to be disappointed - so am I and so is everyone in the Islanders family. Let me be clear that our expectations are to bring the Stanley Cup back to Long Island - nothing else."
Stirling, who ran practice Wednesday morning, was hired as the 11th coach in Islanders history in June 2003. He is the second NHL coach to be fired this season, joining Pittsburgh's Ed Olczyk. New Jersey coach Larry Robinson stepped down, citing health and family issues.
After the Islanders dropped a home-home series last weekend to Carolina, in which they were outscored 7-1, Milbury said he wouldn't sit back and watch the club fall out of playoff contention.
New York, which slipped into 12th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference, traded disappointing defenceman Janne Niinimaa to Dallas on Tuesday before the 2-1 loss to Nashville.
But if the move was intended to create a spark, it didn't happen instantly as the Islanders lost for the eighth time in nine games and 10th in 13 - including six straight on the road.
"If you win, you keep your job. If you don't win, you could lose it or you do lose it," Stirling said after what turned out to be his final practice. "I didn't make the rules, Mike didn't make the rules."
Stirling was the Hockey News' minor pro coach of the year in 2001-02, after taking Bridgeport to the AHL finals, and compiled a mark there of 83-51-19-7.
He got the unexpected call to the big leagues at age 53.
Stirling's only trip to the playoffs ended in a five-game loss to eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay.
When the Islanders got back together after the lockout wiped out last season, they were a different club.
During the off-season, New York decided against buying out Alexei Yashin's big contract to create more space under the $39-million salary cap and instead dealt away Michael Peca. Not only did the Islanders keep Yashin, Stirling named him Peca's replacement as captain.
But Yashin has not become a leader on or off the ice. Despite being one of the highest-paid players in the NHL, he has produced only 15 goals and 38 points in 42 games. In Tuesday night's 2-1 loss at Nashville, Yashin took two of New York's four penalties - both for delay of game.
It wasn't just the loss of Peca that left the Islanders looking for leadership, they also saw defencemen Adrian Aucoin, Roman Hamrlik and Kenny Jonsson depart, along with veteran forward Dave Scatchard. Replacing them with defencemen Alexei Zhitnik and Brent Sopel and forwards Mike York and Miroslav Satan hasn't helped.
I can and i think he's coming and coming quick
He's done almost all there is to do at the junior level
He is the Owner, GM, Coach of the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL
He has Piloted the Canadian National Junior Team to 2 straight World Junior Championships going undefeated in both tournaments
back during his playing days he captained the Islanders when it meant something to be an Islander.........He is coming I stake my reputation on it(not that i have much of one)
Good bye Millwrong you have a laundry list of brutal trades, deadline deals, draft day disasters.........6 coaches fired under your tenure??
Milbury to step down once new GM if found; Stirling fired
Milbury to step down once new GM if found; Stirling fired
January 12, 2006
CP - Jan 12, 12:09 pm EST
More Photos
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CP) - Mike Milbury's run as GM of the New York Islanders will finally come to an end after a turbulent decade.
Owner Charles Wang announced at a news conference Thursday that Milbury would step down as GM once a replacement for him was found. "My goal is to have someone in place by the June draft and off-season signing period," Wang said. "Until his successor is found, Mike will continue to run hockey operations and work with coach (Brad) Shaw because we are not giving up on this season.
"There are 40 games remaining. We have a very talented team here. I expect us to make a run."
Brad Shaw was also elevated to interim head coach after the expected firing of Steve Stirling. It is the eighth coaching change for the Isles in nine years.
"We're hoping that Brad can handle this and give us a jump start," Milbury said at the news conference.
Once a new GM is hired, Milbury would then become senior vice-president of Wang's sports properties, which include the Islanders, New York Dragons (AFL), Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) and Islanders Iceworks.
"Even prior to our current slump, Mike and I had been discussing the next phase for him," said Wang. "I have often challenged him about what he wanted to do when he grows up. Yesterday, Mike came to me and selflessly said that the time had come for a change in the general manager's seat.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Mike told me he felt it was the right thing for the Islanders, it was the right thing for Charles Wang and, most importantly, it was the right thing for the fans."
Milbury took over as GM from Don Maloney in December 1995 and became notorious for his blockbuster trades, most of them not helping the Islanders. He traded away the likes of Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, Eric Brewer, Wade Redden, Roberto Luongo, Zdeno Chara and Olli Jokinen.
The Islanders failed to win a playoff series during his 10-plus seasons and missed the playoffs seven times.
Stirling, meanwhile, went 38-29-11-4 during his rookie year of 2003-04 and guided New York to its third straight playoff appearance after taking over for the fired Peter Laviolette. But a recent skid dropped the Islanders out of the playoff picture and sealed Stirling's fate.
"All the coaches and players are disappointed about Steve because they like him," Milbury said. "He worked hard at it, but it just wasn't happening."
The final blow came Tuesday when the Islanders lost in Nashville to fall to 18-22-2, fourth place in the Atlantic Division.
"We have under-performed this season," said Wang. "We have a very talented team. Our fans have every right to be disappointed - so am I and so is everyone in the Islanders family. Let me be clear that our expectations are to bring the Stanley Cup back to Long Island - nothing else."
Stirling, who ran practice Wednesday morning, was hired as the 11th coach in Islanders history in June 2003. He is the second NHL coach to be fired this season, joining Pittsburgh's Ed Olczyk. New Jersey coach Larry Robinson stepped down, citing health and family issues.
After the Islanders dropped a home-home series last weekend to Carolina, in which they were outscored 7-1, Milbury said he wouldn't sit back and watch the club fall out of playoff contention.
New York, which slipped into 12th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference, traded disappointing defenceman Janne Niinimaa to Dallas on Tuesday before the 2-1 loss to Nashville.
But if the move was intended to create a spark, it didn't happen instantly as the Islanders lost for the eighth time in nine games and 10th in 13 - including six straight on the road.
"If you win, you keep your job. If you don't win, you could lose it or you do lose it," Stirling said after what turned out to be his final practice. "I didn't make the rules, Mike didn't make the rules."
Stirling was the Hockey News' minor pro coach of the year in 2001-02, after taking Bridgeport to the AHL finals, and compiled a mark there of 83-51-19-7.
He got the unexpected call to the big leagues at age 53.
Stirling's only trip to the playoffs ended in a five-game loss to eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay.
When the Islanders got back together after the lockout wiped out last season, they were a different club.
During the off-season, New York decided against buying out Alexei Yashin's big contract to create more space under the $39-million salary cap and instead dealt away Michael Peca. Not only did the Islanders keep Yashin, Stirling named him Peca's replacement as captain.
But Yashin has not become a leader on or off the ice. Despite being one of the highest-paid players in the NHL, he has produced only 15 goals and 38 points in 42 games. In Tuesday night's 2-1 loss at Nashville, Yashin took two of New York's four penalties - both for delay of game.
It wasn't just the loss of Peca that left the Islanders looking for leadership, they also saw defencemen Adrian Aucoin, Roman Hamrlik and Kenny Jonsson depart, along with veteran forward Dave Scatchard. Replacing them with defencemen Alexei Zhitnik and Brent Sopel and forwards Mike York and Miroslav Satan hasn't helped.