Islanders to interview Lightning exec for GM vacancy

The Islanders have received permission to interview Lightning assistant general manager Mathieu Darche to fill their GM vacancy, Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News and NHL.com reports (link from The Elmonters).

Darche has been receiving calls for GM roles ever since Tampa Bay’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. He was a contender for the Canadiens’ in-season vacancy in 2022 before they hired Kent Hughes, and he was also considered for the Canucks’ vacancy in the same window. More recently, he was a finalist for the Penguins’ GM job two years ago before president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas decided to take over the role himself.

The 48-year-old Darche has been in the Bolts’ front office since 2019. He first joined as their director of hockey operations but had AGM added to his title ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. Working under Tampa GM Julien BriseBois, Darche has played a role in not only assembling the Bolts’ championship squads but keeping them in legitimate playoff/championship contention in the years since.

The Quebec native had a 250-game NHL career spanning parts of nine seasons as a depth call-up, mainly consisting of stops in Montreal and Tampa (although he was also a member of the inaugural Blue Jackets). His position with Tampa is the only front-office role he’s held since retiring as a player in 2012.

He’ll emerge as one of the stronger backup options to Hall-of-Fame executive Ken Holland, whom Arthur Staple of The Athletic said earlier this week is New York’s preferred candidate to succeed Lou Lamoriello in the GM’s chair. Other names firmly linked to their search so far include Kings senior advisor Marc Bergevin and Devils AGM Kate Madigan.