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Islanders: Brendan Shanahan and Marc Bergevin will not be hired (short-term)

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated May 23, 2025 3:37 PM ET

Mathieu Darche will be the new GM of the New York Islanders. We’ve known it for a few minutes now.

Of necessity, he’ll have a few decisions to make. Will he keep his assistants? What will Lou Lamoriello’s role be? Will he change coaches, or will he decide to continue working with Patrick Roy?

This is undoubtedly THE big question.

But in the meantime, we’re also wondering how the Islanders are going to manage the top hockey operation itself. Will there be just one GM and that’s it?

Right now, that seems to be the case.

With Darche in as #Isles GM, I’m hearing no additional management hires are expected on Long Island in the near future – Brendan Shanahan is not joining the club at this time.

As for now, Darche will report directly to the ownership brass (Malkin/Ledecky/Collins). The futures..

– David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) May 23, 2025

Both David Pagnotta and Arthur Staples have the same information: in the short term, the Islanders aren’t going to hire another hockey man at the top of the pyramid.

Could it happen later? Perhaps. But in the short term, Brendan Shanahan isn’t going to New York and Marc Bergevin is obviously in L.A. to stay.

From what I’ve heard, Darche hiring likely takes Brendan Shanahan off the table for #Isles president spot. No other hires imminent, source says. Plenty of time left in the offseason for that to change.

– Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) May 23, 2025

Bottom line? No big hires are imminent and Darche is in charge.

The Québécois, who will have his work cut out for him, will report directly to the club’s owners for the time being. By necessity, it’s a big vote of confidence in the man who was taking up a lot of space in Tampa Bay.

I imagine that Kent Hughes, who got the GM job in 2022 in Montreal against Mathieu Darche, will give him a call to congratulate him, but also to talk about his center players.

Because finally, the Habs know who to talk to in this matter to see if Mathew Barzal or Bo Horvat are potentially available.

overtime

– Wow.

After winning the Gagarin Cup, Lokomotiv team visited the 2011 plane crash memorial site in Yaroslavl. pic.twitter.com/oD6F92sM2Y

– KHL (@khl_eng) May 23, 2025

– Um…