Lou Lamoriello is out as president and general manager of the New York Islanders, after the team said Tuesday the longtime NHL executive’s contract was not being renewed.
Managing partner John Collins will lead a search to find the Islanders’ next GM.
“The Islanders extend a heartfelt thank you to Lou Lamoriello for his extraordinary commitment over the past seven years,” the team said in a statement. “His dedication to the team is in line with his Hall of Fame career.”
Lamoriello, 82, spent the past seven years running the Islanders' hockey operations with a close connection to ownership. They missed the playoffs this season but qualified five times under Lamoriello's watch, including a trip to the Eastern Conference final in the 2020 “bubble” during the coronavirus pandemic.
For the bulk of his time in the league, Lamoriello worked as president and GM of the New Jersey Devils from 1987-2015, a stretch during which they won the Stanley Cup three times. He served as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2015 until he joined the Islanders in 2018.
A Hall of Famer in the builders category, Lamoriello’s old-school approach with everything from not sharing information to banning facial hair for players and coaches made him a rarity in modern hockey and arguably played a part in stagnating the once widely successful franchise. It is now more than four decades removed from the dynasty days when the Islanders won the Cup four years in a row from 1980-83.
Moving on from Lamoriello puts the entire organization in flux, including the future of the rest of the front office and coaching staff. Lamoriello hired Patrick Roy as coach in January 2024 to replace Lane Lambert.
Son Chris Lamoriello has worked for the Islanders since 2016, originally as director of player personnel, and was promoted to assistant GM to work for his father in 2018.
Agent Dan Milstein called Lou Lamoriello “one of the greatest minds and most respected leaders our sport has ever known."
“It’s been an absolute privilege to work with him over the years,” Milstein wrote in a social media post. “His impact on the game — and on all of us who’ve had the honor to work with and sometimes against him — goes far beyond wins and losses. He brought professionalism, discipline and integrity to everything he touched. (He is) a true legend whose legacy will stand the test of time.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2016, file photo, Lou Lamoriello leaves an NHL hockey news conference in Toronto. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - New York Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello responds to questions after the second day of the NHL hockey draft, June 29, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, file)
MADRID (AP) — Coco Gauff overpowered defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-1, 6-1 to reach the Madrid Open singles final for the first time Thursday.
Gauff broke Swiatek's serve three times in the first set and twice in the second to cruise to a 64-minute semifinal victory over the second-ranked Swiatek at the clay-court tournament.
It was Gauff's first win over Swiatek on clay.
“The mentality that I had in the whole match was aggressive,” the fourth-ranked Gauff said. “Maybe it wasn't her best level today, but I think I forced her into some awkward positions.”
Swiatek had recovered from losing the first set 0-6 to Madison Keys on Wednesday.
“I couldn’t really get my level up,” the four-time French Open champion said. “Coco played good, but I think it’s on me that I didn’t really move well, I wasn’t ready to play back the shots with heaviness, and with that kind of game. It was pretty bad.”
The last time Swiatek won only two or fewer games in a match — on any surface — was a 6-0, 6-2 loss to Jelena Ostapenko in Birmingham in 2019.
“For me," Gauff added, “it was just making sure my level stayed the same. In the second, I raised it.”
Gauff will face either top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka or Elina Svitolina in the final.
In the men's quarterfinals, Casper Ruud advanced by defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-5 to become the first player born in 1990 or later to reach 30 tour-level semifinals on clay.
The 15th-ranked Norwegian had been 0-3 against Medvedev in his career.
“I looked at our stats last night and saw he beat me on grass, outdoor hard and indoor hard. The last surface was clay so I thought, ‘please don’t make it 4-0,’” Ruud said. “I tried to use the surface to my advantage. I thought the level was pretty good from both players, I was impressed with Daniil’s ability to produce power here on clay."
Ruud will next face Francisco Cerundolo, who rallied to defeat teenager Jakub Mensik 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
Cerundolo had beaten top-seeded Alexander Zverev in the previous round.
In another quarterfinal, fifth-ranked Jack Draper defeated Matteo Arnaldi 6-0, 6-4. Arnaldi had beaten Novak Djokovic in the second round.
The Madrid Open was disrupted on Monday because of the major blackout that brought Spain and Portugal to a standstill. More than 20 matches had to be postponed at the Caja Magica tennis complex, creating a packed schedule the rest of the week.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Iga Swiatek of Poland reacts during her match against United States' Coco Gauff during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
United States' Coco Gauff serves against Iga Swiatek of Poland during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Casper Ruud of Norway, left, shakes hands after winning against Russia's Daniil Medvedev during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Casper Ruud of Norway celebrates after winning against Russia's Daniil Medvedev during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Casper Ruud of Norway returns the ball against Russia's Daniil Medvedev during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Casper Ruud of Norway returns the ball against against Russia's Daniil Medvedev during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Russia's Daniil Medvedev returns the ball against Casper Ruud of Norway during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Iga Swiatek of Poland leaves the court after losing against United States' Coco Gauff during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
United States' Coco Gauff returns the ball to Iga Swiatek of Poland during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
United States' Coco Gauff returns the ball against Iga Swiatek of Poland during the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
