Brenjetsfan Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Steve Stirling unwillingly joined a not-so-select group: New York Islanders coaches fired by Mike Milbury. Stirling was dismissed Wednesday night by Milbury, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official announcement was scheduled for Thursday. It is the eighth coaching change the general manager has made in nine years. An interim coach will be in place before the Islanders' home game against Calgary on Thursday night, and it won't be Milbury, who has had two stints behind New York's bench. The rest of the coaching staff is expected to remain and Stirling will likely be offered another position within the organization. He went 38-29-11-4 during his rookie year of 2003-04 and guided New York to its third straight playoff appearance after taking over for the fired Peter Laviolette. But a recent skid dropped the Islanders out of the playoff picture and sealed Stirling's fate. The final blow came Tuesday when the Islanders lost in Nashville to fall to 18-22-2, fourth place in the Atlantic Division. Stirling, who ran practice Wednesday morning, was hired as the 11th coach in Islanders history in June 2003. He is the second NHL coach to be fired this season, joining Pittsburgh's Ed Olczyk. New Jersey coach Larry Robinson stepped down, citing health and family issues. After the Islanders dropped a home-and-home series last weekend to Carolina, in which they were outscored 7-1, Milbury said he wouldn't sit back and watch the club fall out of playoff contention. New York, which slipped into 12th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference, traded disappointing defenseman Janne Niinimaa to Dallas on Tuesday before the 2-1 loss to Nashville. But if the move was intended to create a spark, it didn't happen instantly as the Islanders lost for the eighth time in nine games and 10th in 13 - including six straight on the road. ``If you win, you keep your job. If you don't win, you could lose it or you do lose it,'' Stirling said after what turned out to be his final practice. ``I didn't make the rules, Mike didn't make the rules.'' Milbury has revamped the roster several times, changed coaches eight times, and has never won a playoff series since he's been in charge. Yet, his job has never been threatened by team owner Charles Wang. When Stirling replaced Laviolette after the Islanders' second consecutive playoff appearance following seven years out of the postseason, Milbury figured this was the last coach he'd be allowed to hire. That wasn't the case, and more changes might be coming. Milbury took a chance on a guy who had never led an NHL team after Stirling came off a successful two-year stint as coach of the Islanders' AHL Bridgeport affiliate. While Stirling lasted less than 1 1/2 seasons, Laviolette moved on to Carolina and now has the Hurricanes in first place in the Southeast Division, just one point behind Ottawa for the best mark in the Eastern Conference. Laviolette will also be the U.S. coach at next month's Turin Olympics. Stirling was The Hockey News' minor pro coach of the year in 2001-02, after taking Bridgeport to the AHL finals, and compiled a mark there of 83-51-19-7. He got the unexpected call to the big leagues at age 53. Stirling's only trip to the playoffs ended in a five-game loss to eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay. When the Islanders got back together after the lockout wiped out last season, they were a different club. During the offseason, New York decided against buying out Alexei Yashin's big contract to create more space under the $39 million salary cap and instead dealt away Michael Peca. Not only did the Islanders keep Yashin, Stirling named him Peca's replacement as captain. But Yashin has not become a leader on or off the ice. Despite being one of the highest-paid players in the NHL, he has produced only 15 goals and 38 points in 42 games. In Tuesday night's 2-1 loss at Nashville, Yashin took two of New York's four penalties - both for delay of game. It wasn't just the loss of Peca that left the Islanders looking for leadership, they also saw defensemen Adrian Aucoin, Roman Hamrlik and Kenny Jonsson depart, along with veteran forward Dave Scatchard. Replacing them with defensemen Alexei Zhitnik and Brent Sopel and forwards Mike York and Miroslav Satan hasn't helped. And Stirling's final three games were lost with rookie Wade Dubielewicz in goal instead of injured regulars Rick DiPietro and Garth Snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gang Green Girl Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 If the Islanders had an owner who was paying a ******* ounce of attention, he would realize that it can't always be the fault of the 8 coaches Milbury has fired in 10 years. BOOT Milbury TODAY, Mr. Wang, you idiot!! Laviolette can coach now, can't he?!!!! I'm glad I'm not an Isles fan or I'd be really pissed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetsMan57 Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 Laviolette is a good coach, but he had to go because he lost the team. No matter how good you are, when you lose your players you are doomed. The ISlanders were one disfunctional bunch for those 2 years, only some of it made it out to the media this offseason, but yashin and peca hated eachother. THey actually got into a fist fight before a game once. THe team was divided with the Peca and Yashin faction... Thats why this offseason Milbury got rid of peca, and made little attempt to bring back aucoin and scatchard. Wang decided Yashin was going to stay over Peca so Milbury had to get rid of his two biggest supporters (scatch and aucoin). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gang Green Girl Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 Laviolette is a good coach, but he had to go because he lost the team. No matter how good you are, when you lose your players you are doomed. The ISlanders were one disfunctional bunch for those 2 years, only some of it made it out to the media this offseason, but yashin and peca hated eachother. THey actually got into a fist fight before a game once. THe team was divided with the Peca and Yashin faction... Thats why this offseason Milbury got rid of peca, and made little attempt to bring back aucoin and scatchard. Wang decided Yashin was going to stay over Peca so Milbury had to get rid of his two biggest supporters (scatch and aucoin). No doubt. Lavi's close personal relationship with Peca was dividing the lockerroom. Aucoin was my favorite player on the team. Scatch was scrappy. Both are missed. Wang cannot let Milbury 'fix' this team. The Isles are in need of fresh ideas and new leadership. Milbury was ordered to reduce payroll and in the process he acquired a lot of talented young players. But putting a team together is different from gathering talent. And Milbury is a useless scumbag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlugORama99 Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 The problem here is that Milbury crafted this team and as we all know, the make-up of the "room" is so important to success - especially in hockey. Mad Mike's fingerprints are still all over this team and they are just not getting it done. They are rarely consistent, show no fire or hustle (besides Blake) and have been a disappointment to me for the last few years, despite the playoff appearances. I hope the fans replace the "Fire Stirling" chants tonight with "Mike Must Go!" and hopefully Mr. Wang can hear it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gang Green Girl Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 I hope the fans replace the "Fire Stirling" chants tonight with "Mike Must Go!" and hopefully Mr. Wang can hear it!! The fans hate the sunuvabiatch. How is his job NOT in jeopardy? Get Sutter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlugORama99 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I know another thread has been started about this, but: Mike Milbury is stepping down as GM!!!! If only Bradway had done the same, this would have been a great sports week for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenjetsfan Posted January 13, 2006 Author Share Posted January 13, 2006 I know another thread has been started about this, but: Mike Milbury is stepping down as GM!!!! If only Bradway had done the same, this would have been a great sports week for me. Watch what you WISH for I just came true....Bradway to KC Thank you GOD for answering my prayers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormshadow19 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 http://www.hockeynut.com/0304/nyitrans19972003.html some of the Islanders transactions from 1997 to 2003. Some high lights. Traded Bryan Berard (pre eye injury) for Felix Potvin. Traded Zigmund Palffy for Olli Jokinen. He did turn Potvin for Kevin Weeks, Dave Scatchard, and Bill Muckalt. Traded Jokinen and Luongo for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha. Traded Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyat for Mike Peca. and the biggest blunder, traded Zdeno Chara, the pick that was used to select Jason Spezza, and bill Muckalt for Alexi Yashin (then signed him to a ten year deal). Poor Islanders... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetsMan57 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 You forgot the brilliant Bryan McCabe/Todd Bertuzzi for Trevor Linded trade because the idiot Mike thoUGHT the Islanders were lacking a leader. We had an AHL team at the time and the moron mike thought we just needed a captain with credibility. I always loved Linded when he was younger but he wasnt even teh same player anymore when we got him. Like I said, you get back the prospects Milbury traded away and we'd be the Senators. Maybe better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormshadow19 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I didn't forget it. It happened pre-1997. So, I didn't include it. I only took the time period 1997-2003. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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