Islanders Unveil New GM
2022-01-06When the New York Islanders called a press conference for Thursday morning, it was expected they would be introducing a new general manager, completing the search which began in early December after the resignation of longtime GM Tony Chiu.
What was not expected, however, was the man the Islanders have recruited for the job: former San Jose Sharks GM Kyle Phillips.
Yet for all that league insiders were caught off guard by the decision, it was Phillips himself who seemed as surprised as anyone that he was rejoining the Elite Hockey Experience.
"To be honest, I didn't expect to be sitting here today," said Phillips, flanked by Islanders owner Jon Ledecky and President of Hockey Operations Pierre Turgeon. "But it's great to be back."
When asked about the reasons for his departure over a year ago, and the process which led to his ultimate return, Phillips was somewhat coy.
"Well, I needed time away to deal with some serious personal issues, and I'll leave it at that," said Phillips.
"But lately I've been checking in on the league pretty regularly, so I'd say there was mutual interest. When this opportunity opened up, things came together pretty quickly."
As to the job at hand, the Isles' new boss was clear on his mandate.
"First off I want to acknowledge the work done by my predecessor. Tony Chiu stocked this organization with talent from top to bottom, and I'm walking into a great situation thanks to him.
"Having said that, it's clear this team has underachieved for a while now. When you look at the collection of talent here, being on the fringes of the playoffs every year isn't acceptable. This is a bottom-line business, and it's my job to help this group get to the next level in terms of results."
Following up on that point, local media were quick to pose the next logical question: should Islanders fans expect major changes?
"I'm not coming in to blow things up just for the sake of putting my stamp on the team," Phillips insisted. "As I said, there's a tremendous group of players and staff already in place. But I will be doing a thorough evaluation of all our hockey ops because I'm here to make this organization into a contender.
"From Worcester to Bridgeport to Long Island, the only goal is to win championships, and I'll do whatever I think is necessary to make that happen."
If the initial press conference was any indication, Islanders fans can feel optimistic about their team's transition to a new GM; not only did Phillips say all the right things, but his EHE resume includes two Masterton trophy wins, a pair of Calder Cup championships, and a three-year rebuild of the Sharks which culminated in that franchise's first conference semifinals appearance.
In other words, Phillips managed to raise the bar for his previous club. The question now is whether he can do the same on Long Island.
If nothing else, it sounds like the new GM will be doing his part to ensure that his unexpected arrival isn't the most exciting thing to happen to the Islanders in 2022.
Welcome back bud!
Islanders Unveil New GM
A familiar face, in a new place.
Welcome back!
Islanders Unveil New GM
A familiar face, in a new place.
Glad to see you back, buddy
Islanders Unveil New GM
A familiar face, in a new place.
Welcome back
Islanders Unveil New GM
A familiar face, in a new place.
Welcome back Kyle!
Islanders Unveil New GM
A familiar face, in a new place.