Lou Lamoriello did not let personal relationships stand in the way of doing what he felt was right with the New York Islanders. As such, general manager Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight were relieved of their duties Tuesday, two weeks after Lamoriello assumed control of the club's hockey operations department.
"It's my opinion that at this point there's a culture change that is needed, and there's new voices needed in different areas," Lamoriello stated in a conference call with reporters. "Because of that, the change was made."
Lamoriello, who named himself the sixth general manager in franchise history to go along with his title as president of hockey operations, did not elaborate on what specifically needed to change as far as the culture with the Islanders, who completed a seventh-place finish in the Metropolitan Division this season.
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"Culture is a very overused word and underdeveloped," explained the 75-year-old executive and Hockey Hall of Famer, who joined the Islanders organization after serving as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs the previous three years.
"It's doing little things a certain way, a different way, a consistent way."
The embattled Snow, whose Islanders teams reached the playoffs only four times in his 12 years as general manager — winning only one playoff series in that span, is a long-time friend of Lamoriello's, though that was not enough to save his job. Both Snow and Weight also had prior ties to the new Isles executive with USA Hockey.
Though relieved of their duties, Lamoriello stated that Snow and Weight will remain in the organization in roles that have yet to be determined.
"Both Garth, who is a personal friend and one I've known for a long time, and Dougie, who played for me in '96 (World Cup of Hockey) and '98 (Winter Olympics), I have tremendous respect for," offered Lamoriello, a three-time Stanley Cup champion as GM of the New Jersey Devils.
"They are not specific roles laid out, but the respect I have for them as people and as hockey people -- they understand the decision that has been made -- and I feel they can be valuable in me picking their brain and asking them their opinion in certain areas."
Personal relationships aside, Tuesday's announcement did not come as a surprise. The Islanders missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons after consecutive 100-point campaigns and a 2016 first-round series win over the Florida Panthers. Snow has long been under fire by an angry fan base, even while seemingly bullet-proof in the eyes of Islanders ownership. And Weight was heavily criticized in his first full season behind the bench this past year as the Islanders underachieved with an 80-point season which featured the league's statistically worst defensive team.
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All the while, team captain John Tavares' looming unrestricted free agency this July 1 hangs over the organization, though Lamoriello denied that Snow's inability to sign or trade Tavares before the impending free agency period played into the decisions to replace the general manager.
"That certainly has not and did not enter into any of the decisions that were made," he said of the Tavares situation.
As for what's next, Lamoriello said he wants to hire "the best coach we can get for this particular group" and that the upcoming NHL draft "is in the hands of the scouts" and that he is "very comfortable" with that after personnel meetings the past two weeks.
"Right now, it's just trying to stabilize everything and start off with a fresh face, fresh minds, fresh coach and just go forward."