Rebirth of the Islanders

Yesterday the New York Islanders provided some pretty good leadership lessons in the hiring of Neil Smith (GM), Ted Nolan (coach), Bryan Trottier and Pat LaFontaine. My dear brother, Tim, may actually have something to cheer about as an Islanders fan after years of frustration. Congratulations to co-owner Charles Wang for providing us with a few leadership lessons:
1) They connected their future to their past - Smith began his NHL managerial development with the Islanders under Bill Torrey and Al Arbour and he made a point in the press conference of noting that taking on the GM job was in a sense the "full circle." Smith did what was necessary to get the Rangers to a Stanley Cup team just over a decade ago and so he has proven successful. Obviously Trottier & LaFontaine's connections to the team and their success of the late 70's and early 80's speaks for itself. Trottier was also successful as a player and assistant coach in Pittsburgh. All three of these guys made it clear that they want to see the future Islanders achieve a level of greatness comparable to the past.
2) Dangerous Diversity - While still connecting to their organizational past, the Islanders have taken a significant risk, in some hockey people's minds, in hiring Ted Nolan as their head coach. As Don Cherry recently commented on Coach's Corner, Nolan was having a hard time finding an NHL job because he is a "hard guy to fire." Credit Wang with taking a calculated and strategic risk. BTW, I seriously doubt that Neil Smith was not supportive of Nolan's hiring as head coach (as some are speculating) or he would not have taken on the GM position.
3) Admitted past failures - Although not directly spoken of by Wang and answered very politely by Nolan, the Islanders as an organization admitted a handful of errors in their announcement yesterday. Nolan interviewed for the coach's job three years ago and was not chosen - and the Islanders have blundered along as they were before since then. Likewise, by bringing in Smith along with Trottier and LaFontaine as "special consultants," it seems they have finally put the reigns on Mike Milbury, even though he maintains a position with Wang's Sports Industries organization. (Why anyone would keep Mike Milbury around at all in a sports organization after his track record the past decade is a mystery).

A once proud and successful organization which had languished in mediocrity and chaos for years appears to be on its way to being restored to a new level of glory.