New York Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche Media Availability | 10/22/25

New York Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche Media Availability | 10/22/25

Just to start, what what prompts a goalie coach change this early in the season? I just listen, Pierre’s done a great job for the organization for the last seven years. We just felt at this time it was the right timing to have a reset with our goalies. There’s obviously a history with Sergey and and Ilia and u we just made that decision going forward just to have a little reset for our goalies. Was it’s something that did you have a conversation with Ilia about it at all? No, it’s it’s my decision. It’s not on the player. the players will never tell you, “Hey, I want this coach or that coach.” I know he’s had success with with Sergey and uh and that’s where we we went. So, it’s it’s it’s 100% my decision. Uh and uh the goalie had nothing to do with it. Has Sergey worked with him at all since uh since training camp? No, they they’ve wor they worked together at training camp and in the summer. He’s been his his goalie coach in Russia the last, you know, even before he came over. So, uh, uh, but no, when he was here, like, uh, yeah, I know Pierro was working with him, and now we’re going to give, uh, an opportunity for Sergey to to work with our goenders. When Patrick goes out on the ice, like he did the other day to work one-on-one with Iliad, you know, saying why he felt he needed to do that. Does that play into the overall decision? No, not at all. Patrick, the great thing about Patrick is and uh you know he’s very humble that he’s like I can’t coach a goalie position today because it has changed from the time he’s played but what he knows is a goalie mindset. You know that doesn’t change. So Patrick’s great and you know we we talked about it. I said hey you know with your experience it wasn’t about technical stuff. It’s about mindset stuff that he’s able to talk with uh uh with Ilia and and our goalies because uh like I mean you look at goalending from when Patrick played and today it’s a totally different position. So Patrick at least is humbled enough to understand that that’s not his, you know, the technical part of it is not what it is, but a goalie mindset’s a goalie mindset. And Patrick had a pretty good one. So was Pierro offered another job in the in the organization. And is Sergey the full-time goalie coach, the interimm goalie coach? How are you going forward? We we just made a change there. So no, Pierro uh doesn’t have another role in the organization right now and and Sergey will be our coach for the rest of the year and we’ll go from Do you have Bridgeport? Sorry. Do you have Bridgeport goalie coach name? Yeah, that’s what we’re going to we we’re we’re working on that. Chris Terrari is going to help us right now in Bridgeport in the transition and uh then we’ll see where we go on on that uh that aspect with um Alexander Romanov. Is there any update on his status? And do you guys plan on calling anybody up? Uh we’re we’re looking at things. He he won’t play tomorrow. I I doubt that he plays Saturday also. Uh so we’ll see hopefully next week, but uh it’s it’s nothing serious, but it’s just something we have to deal with. Just an upper body and uh but I wouldn’t really expect him in the next two games most likely. Would that have to be an IR situation if you want to bring someone up or Well, it’s more there’s IR there’s there’s there’s cap there’s because IR you get the roster spot, but you don’t get the cap relief. So there’s a few uh few things we have to look at. So is is LTI a possibility then? It is. Uh I’m not sure yet if we’re going to do it. We’re looking at different options right now and you know that’s that’s part of our job is to play with the CBA and uh and all the rules that come with it to make sure you have a compliant roster and we’ll we looking at different options right now. Do you have anything on uh any update on Vley or Piering? Actually Pierreval had uh surgery yesterday morning uh on his ankle and he’s most likely out for the season or five six months most likely. So uh so we we probably uh won’t see him anytime soon. And Vley’s still progressing like he’s he’s moved to now dropping down more and and testing his knee a bit more. So it’s still like as a wait and see approach with uh with Vley, but he’s still like you saw me was on the ice this morning. So he’s still working towards it. But Pierre will be will be out for a while with Pierre. Is the ankle different? I thought he had a hip. He did have a hip, but uh he had an ankle before and uh through the surgery and then his his his ankle flared up again. So, we just decided with him to get it fixed right now, so he doesn’t linger. I mean, he still has term on his contract, and instead of him uh playing not at full uh full strength, we might as well get it fixed and and and go from there. So, then I guess with with him and Vley, are you looking at moving them to LTI so you can get the cap relief? Well, we will if once we need it. like there’s a you know like the LTIR ideally you don’t want to people always think it’s an advantage and maybe where I came from people think we’re guilty of it but uh it’s not an advantage to be an LTIR like you don’t acrew cap space so you’re trying not to be so that’s why right now uh Vley and and Pingva were an IR because in IR you get the roster spot you don’t get the uh you don’t get the cap relief so if we need then whatever we have to do and even when you invoke LTI you have to maximize your cap space so you want to leave as little as possible under the cap because when you’re invoked that sets your limit. Anyways, that’s that’s my job. So, there’s a few things we have to look at. So, until we need it, we don’t necessarily plan on going into it, but we might. I know Shabanov didn’t skate today. Any uh concern with him? No, just a little maintenance day like he’s he’s progressed well actually as a player and uh he had a little thing. So, we’ll see. Uh he’s getting treatment today. So, we’ll see about tomorrow. You went down to Bridgeport. Um just what have you thought of the way Rocky’s run things there and the and the prospects so far? I think the the energy has been has been awesome. I mean mean we the game I was there that we won 6-2 and last weekend actually I watch the first two periods back from Ottawa on the plane we’re up three nothing and 3-1 and then I get home after driving and I see we lost and things happen sometimes but he’s done a great job like uh Cal Richie looked great in those games and we have a lot of players that have looked good and it’s it’s a really big step forward the way the team’s playing the way the team’s competing so uh uh you know and now like we have guys we had Beckman that was suspended now he’s back we have Julian Goautier who’s almost pack. So, we uh we’re going to have a good team down there. Any uh any reaction to the news yesterday that the uh Olympic sendoff event in February is is scrubbed, but there is a All-Star game coming to UBS in 2017. It’s great for our fans here to have the All-Star game. Actually, it’s almost better to have the All-Star game in 2027 than just a send off with some some events. You know, at least there’ll be some hockey uh well, we think so in 2027. So, uh, it’s it’s unfortunate, but again, like it’s I worry you more like that’s more on the marketing side than than on my side, but I’m happy that the that our fans here in UBS Arena, we will still have it the year after. So, that that’s that’s great for our fans. Has there been any talk I don’t know if this is necessarily your portfolio, but has there been any talk about bidding on um World Cup hockey games for 28? That’s definitely not my portfolio. Uh, I hope we do. like honestly like it’s it’s an outstanding that’s one of the best buildings in the NHL. So uh but that I haven’t talked uh with ownership or marketing to see uh I think it’s in a very early stages of that right now. So but it’d be awesome to have those games at at UBS for sure. Obviously, you know, you guys have won three straight games. What have you just seen from the team especially just transitioning transition? Well, we we we can score goals. Uh we obviously have to to limit chances a bit which we we’re changing the style of play. So, there’s some growing pains going through it, which are we giving up a bit too much? Yes, we are. Uh, I thought Ilia was played a real solid game yesterday. Gave us a chance and we we scored. I like our power plays look good. Even some games where we didn’t score, I thought we had a lot of zone time and you look at analytics and we were I think we’re I didn’t check this morning, but we were first in the league for ozone possession time, first in in uh controlled entry in the zone. So, we’re we’re getting a lot of zone time. yesterday. The power play probably won us the game outside of the shorthanding goal, but uh and the PK like is we’re we’ve had some goals scored, but there’s there’s quite a few in the last 10 seconds of a power play, which kind of sucks because you do a good job for a minute 50 and then you get a goal, but it gives you a a power play goal against and the PK did a great job yesterday. We didn’t give them much on the on their power play yesterday. So, but five on five overall, we do have to to do a better job managing the puck. To me, it’s not even about a structure issue. We just we just mismanaged the puck at times and that’s what we have to fix. But we’re you know in a way we we got out of those games with wins even if we if we at times we were sloppy with the puck but the guys know it. They they they take a lot of pride in that and um it’s it’s a work in progress. We obviously talked to you a lot about Schaefer. Just what can you say about the way he’s played out of the gate here. He’s pretty good hockey player. Uh he’s he’s done a great job. Like he’s he’s you know what’s impressing? I’ve mentioned to you guys before, I think what impressed me the most is the way he defends, too. Like, he defends with his leg. He closes plays. He’s his his legs is sick. And listen, he’s 18 years old. There’s still some learning moments in games, but he’s he’s been playing great. And we just hope he continues to to improve. And and he’s a big part of our team already. So, we’re uh I can I can say that that’s a lucky part I got when I got this job is the I can’t take the credit for the lottery because it was already won before I got here. But, he’s a he’s a special player. Hey, Matthew. Silly house cleaning question. Very obvious, but he’s coming up on nine games, right? I mean, we got three more before uh I listen, we it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to to read the tea leaves, right? Like uh he’s uh I guess there’s no link with rocket science and tea leaves, but you know what I mean. Yeah. Uh so um listen, it’s the way he’s playing right now. I’d be surprised uh to see him uh Yeah. Like I haven’t talked to the Eerie GM yet, but uh I’m sure he’s watching the game and he’s not expecting him in his lineup.

New York Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche addressed the media today after practice