Islanders Fire Goaltending Coach Piero Greco
The New York Islanders have made an unexpected decision by firing their goaltending coach, Piero Greco, after only six games into the season. The news, announced by General Manager Mathieu Darche, marks a significant change in the team’s coaching staff. Darche reported that Sergei Naumovs, from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League, will take on the role. Naumovs, of Latvian nationality, has been in Bridgeport since May 2024 and has extensive experience coaching star goalie Ilya Sorokin, with whom he worked at CSKA Moscow of the KHL between 2018 and 2020. The decision comes at a time when Sorokin presents statistics that do not favor him. His goals-against average of 3.90 is the second worst in the NHL, and his save percentage of .873 ranks fourth among goalies who have played at least four games.Darche clarified that the decision was exclusively his and not influenced by Sorokin, who has a $66 million contract that extends until 2032. The general manager trusts Naumovs’ prior connection with Sorokin as a positive factor for the team. In other news related to the Islanders, forward Pierre Engvall underwent ankle surgery and is expected to miss the entire season, with an estimated absence of five to six months. On the other hand, goaltender Semyon Varlamov continues to recover from knee surgery. Due to injuries and salary restrictions, the Islanders placed Marc Gatcomb on waivers. The 26-year-old player has only participated in one game this season.Piero has done a great job for the organization over the last seven years. We simply felt this was the right time for a reset with our goaltenders.
Mathieu Darche
