Islanders Hire New GM

Darche, 48, was reportedly one of two finalists for the role, the other being former Montreal Canadiens general manager and current Los Angeles Kings executive Marc Bergevin.

Darche previously served as an assistant general manager with the Tampa Bay Lightning, leading the team's hockey operations alongside general manager Julien BriseBois. He won two Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021, defeating the Islanders in the conference finals both years.

Now, he'll head up to Long Island to replace Lou Lamoriello, whom the Islanders parted ways with on April 22 after seven seasons on the job. Lamoriello's later years with the Islanders may have been a bit ugly, but he's still one of the most iconic executives in the league, and Darche will have big shoes to fill.

Darche also takes the job with the gift of the No. 1 pick after the Islanders unexpectedly won the draft lottery earlier this month. There's no clear-cut No. 1 pick in this class, so Darche will have to decide who fits his new team the best.

As a player, Darche suited up for 250 NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Lightning and Canadiens. He scored 72 points (30 goals, 42 assists) and had 58 penalty minutes throughout his career.