The New York Islanders hired Mathieu Darche as their general manager Friday, giving the two-time Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning assistant his long-awaited first chance to run an NHL team.

Darche was named executive vice president and GM and put in charge of the organization’s hockey operations department.

kAm“|2E9:6F 😀 E96 A6C764E 49@:46 E@ =625 @FC 9@4<6J @A6C2E:@?D[” D2:5 4@\@H?6C y@9? r@==:?D[ H9@ C2? E96 v| D62C49] “w6 H:== 36 8:G6? 6G6CJ C6D@FC46 2G2:=23=6 E@ AFE E96 xD=2?56CD 7:CDE\:?\4=2DD @? E96 :46[ H:E9 @FC 3FD:?6DD :?:E:2E:G6D 2?5 😕 E96 4@>>F?:EJ]”k^Am

kAms2C496 ;@:?D E96 xD=2?56CD 27E6C DA6?5:?8 E96 A2DE D:I D62D@?D H:E9 E96 {:89E?:?8[ H9@ ?6G6C >:DD65 E96 A=2J@77D 5FC:?8 9:D E6?FC6] w6 8@E 9:D ?2>6 6?8C2G65 😕 E96 rFA 😕 a_a_ 2?5 Va` 2D 5:C64E@C @7 9@4<6J @A6C2E:@?D 2?5 2=D@ H@C<65 5:C64E=J 7@C %2>A2 q2J v| yF=:6? qC:D6q@:D @G6C E96 A2DE E9C66 J62CD]k^Am

kAm“|2E9:6F 92D D6CG65 2D 2 <6J >6>36C @7 E96 %2>A2 q2J {:89E?:?8 2?5 92D 2 5:G6CD6 324<8C@F?5 😕 E@A\=6G6= 3FD:?6DD >@56=D[” r@==:?D D2:5] Qw6 😀 2 AC@G6? H:??6C 2?5 😀 4@>>:EE65[ 2D 😀 @FC @H?6CD9:A 8C@FA[ E@ 3F:=5:?8 2 8C@FA E92E H:== 36 9:89=J 4@>A6E:E:G6 ?6IE D62D@? 2?5 36J@?5]”k^Am

kAm%96 cg\J62C\@=5 7@C>6C A=2J6C H2D 4@?D:56C65 E96 E@A }w{ 2DD:DE2?E H9@ 925 ?@E 366? v| 😕 E96 =628F6] s2C496 362E @FE >@C6 6IA6C:6?465 6I64FE:G6 |2C4 q6C86G:? 7@C E96 ;@3] w6 DF44665D {@F {2>@C:6==@ 😕 E96 C@=6 27E6C E96 ga\J62C\@=5 =@?8E:>6 6I64FE:G6’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:D=2?56CD\=@F\=2>@C:6==@\c33gfc56fbb`5d7`4_dfag2432c“e2cQm4@?EC24E H2D ?@E C6?6H65k^2m]k^Am

kAms2C496 A=2J65 aeg C68F=2C\D62D@? 2?5 A=2J@77 82>6D 7C@> a__`\`a 2D 2 H:?86C H:E9 r@=F>3FD[ }2D9G:==6[ $2? y@D6[ %2>A2 q2J 2?5 |@?EC62=] %96 “F6364 ?2E:G6 =67E 9@4<6J 7@C 2 76H J62CD 367@C6 >@G:?8 E@ %2>A2 E@ 368:? H@C<:?8 7@C E96 {:89E?:?8]k^Am

kAm%2<:?8 @G6C E96 xD=2?56CD[ s2C496 DE2CED H:E9 E96 }@] ` A:4< 😕 E96 5C27E E92?^2CE:4=6^?9=\5C27E\=@EE6CJ\D92C@C6 E92? Sad >:==:@? 😕 D2=2CJ 42A DA246 E@ FD6 E@ :?;64E D@>6 9:89\6?5 E2=6?E :?E@ 2 C@DE6C =24<:?8 :E] %96J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?9=\EC256\5625=:?6\a6d2a4fe353e6a5ch5aa2e5`h27hgahgn42496QmEC2565 46?E6C qC@4< }6=D@?k^2m 2E E96 5625=:?6 😕 |2C49 2?5 >:DD65 E96 A=2J@77D 7@C E96 D64@?5 E:>6 😕 7@FC J62CD]k^Am

kAm“(:E9 E96 xD=2?56CD @H?:?8 E96 7:CDE @G6C2== A:4< 😕 E96 FA4@>:?8 }w{ 5C27E 2?5 AC6A2C:?8 E@ H6=4@>6 E96 ~=J>A:4 D6?5@77 2E &q$ pC6?2 ?6IE D62D@?[ E96C6 😀 >F49 E@ H9:49 @FC 7C2?49:D6[ @FC A=2J6CD[ 2?5 @FC A2DD:@?2E6 72?D 42? =@@< 7@CH2C5[” r@==:?D D2:5] “|2E9:6F’D 2CC:G2= 255D E@ E92E >@>6?EF>]”k^Am

kAms2C496 :?96C:ED 4@249 !2EC:4< #@J[ 2 w2== @7 u2>6 8@2=E6?56C H9@ 92D 6DE23=:D965 9:>D6=7 2D 2 7:6CJ 2?5 67764E:G6 G@:46 369:?5 E96 36?49] w6 92D 366? 😕 492C86 @? {@?8 xD=2?5 D:?46 {2>@C:6==@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:D=2?56CD\7:C6\=2?6\=2>36CE\`c6_dh4_g`gcd__a3bffdd7`7725h663Qm9:C65 9:> 2D 2 >:5D62D@? C6A=246>6?Ek^2m 😕 y2?F2CJ a_ac[ 2?5 #@J =65 2 EFC?2C@F?5 E92E D62D@? E@ 86E :?E@ E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am

kAm“x 2> ECF=J 9@?@C65 3J E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ[” s2C496 D2:5] “x’5 =:<6 E@ E92?< $4@EE |2=<:?[ y@? {65646 H:E9 E96 9@4<6J @A6C2E:@?D @7 E9:D 8C62E 7C2?49:D6]”k^Am

kAm(:E9 a_ab p==\$E2C 2?5 ‘6K:?2 %C@A9J 7:?2=:DE 8@2=:6 x=J2 $@C@<:? D:8?65 =@?8 E6C> 2?5 2 C6=:23=6 4@C6 @7 G6E6C2?D 2C@F?5[ E96 ?6IE DE6A 😀 5C27E:?8[ 56G6=@A:?8 2?5 2EEC24E:?8 >@C6 A=2J6CD H9@ 42? 3C:?8 @776?D6] ~?=J 7@FC E62>D D4@C65 76H6C 8@2=D E92? E96 xD=2?56CD E9:D A2DE D62D@?]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^}w{Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^}w{k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.