Islander News Articles 7/16

New York Islander Fan Central | 7/15/2008 10:53:00 PM | | | | | |
Islanders website: Have a full update on day two of the clubs prospect camp and scrimmage game which include comments from assistant gm Ryan Jankowski, Josh Bailey, Robin Figren among several players while Bryan McCabe, Mike Komisarek, Chris Higgins practiced on the smaller ice surface.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Good stuff from camp today and a chance to see some of these prospects for the first time. Despite the coaching change it's still an exciting time and very important.

Newsday: Greg Logan reports owner Islander Charles Wang stepped in and clarified the lines of authority last season when it became obvious in the middle of year that the decision-making process was too cumbersome giving the general manger the most control over decisions.

Garth Snow comments about how his role has evolved into, again talks about the opportunity his owner gave him two years ago and what his perceptions are about himself and what he is looking to do here as general manager in the long run.

Snow also discusses what he is looking for in a head coach and expects to talk to seven to ten candidates with some only having minor-league experience but the majority having held held NHL jobs.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Anyone who has followed the club or the comments know this was not some ground breaking change of culture, the general manager had his job and what needed to be done and the coach his side of things which is the players/lockeroom. Only Ted Nolan knows if he felt slighted by that.

Mr Botta felt the committee concept was overplayed and told us so a few times in his blog also.

So now Garth Snow sets out to hire his coach and has a list. My speculation is if he has seven to ten names it could take some time and was not expecting to part company with Ted Nolan or would have had his man already.

The right thing for Mr Wang to do is give the gm a contract term equal to that of his general managers choice as coach.

NY Post: Dan Martin went to mini camp for comments from Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey about the coaching change and the expectations for both of them in the long term about what they have to do.

Sporting News/Buffalo News: Reports " bits and pieces " of the NHL schedule will be released today with the full schedule Thursday.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Impossible to figure out the Post editor, no game coverage but draft previews and they spend the money to go Iceworks for prospect comments?

Times & Transcript: Cole Hobson has Moncton Mayor Ian Fowler comments that the coaching change in no way impacts the agreement between the city and the Islanders for the next two years and said he will miss Ted Nolan who he praised as a first class person who has a great work ethic.

Ct Post: Mr Fornabaio also reports on the contract extension with other notables in his Sound Tigers blog.

Ouick Hits:
Aaron Johnson's one year contract with Chicago is official.

Correction:
Craig Custance no longer works at the Alanta Journal Constitution, his work appears in the Sporting News.