Neil Smith is no longer general manager of the New York Islanders.
The team announced that they have fired Smith and have hired former Islanders goaltender Garth Snow as the new general manager.
Unbelieveable.
This is a franchise who've done more to kick their fanbase in the balls than any other in the NHL, and yet Charles Wang seems to have learned nothing.
Say what you will about the player moves Neil Smith made (personally, I thought they were solid). Even if they were awful, does the man not at least deserve a full season before you axe him?
It's painfully obvious what is going on in Long Island. As many of us suspected, Mike Milbury is pulling the strings, and Smith probably had no interest in serving as his puppet. While GM jobs aren't easy to come by, I'd think Smith and his cup ring, one more than Milbury has as an exec, had too much pride for that.
Snow? Apparently not. But hell, if a guy gave me a three-year contract as a 36-year-old, I'd be more than willing to let him make me dance too.
Anyone who continues to be an Islander fan after all this nonsense has my infinite respect, because I can safely say I would've bailed long ago. If you're not throwing out those blue jerseys and taking the posters off your wall yet, you're a better fan than I.
