Unexpected Changes in the Islanders’ Coaching Staff
The New York Islanders have made a surprising decision by dismissing their goaltending coach, Piero Greco, after only six games into the season. This move, announced by General Manager Mathieu Darche, marks a significant change for the team. Darche informed 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 an extensive career coaching star goaltender Ilya Sorokin, whom he coincided with at CSKA Moscow of the KHL between 2018 and 2020. The decision comes at a time when Sorokin has shown below-expectations statistics, with an average of 3.90 goals against, the second worst in the league, and a save percentage of .873, ranking among the worst.Darche clarified that the decision was exclusively his and not influenced by Sorokin, who is in the second year of a $66 million contract that extends to 2032. In other news related to the Islanders, forward Pierre Engvall underwent ankle surgery and is expected to miss the entire season, approximately between five and six months, according to Darche. In addition, goaltender Semyon Varlamov continues to recover from knee surgery. Due to injuries to some players and salary cap limitations, the Islanders placed forward 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, General Manager of the Islanders
