It was a breath of fresh air. That’s my takeaway from Mathieu Darche’s introductory press conference as the Islanders’ new general manager.
In this town, most general managers rarely say anything worth saying when they do pressers. Some don’t even talk to the media. Not Matheiu Darche.
Darche won the press conference by offering well-thought-out answers to excellent questions. He’s transparent and knows the media is a conduit to the fans who want answers. Fans pay a significant amount of money to attend games. Given their deep investment in the team, they deserve answers.
Perhaps it’s not a significant issue for fans here, as they want results, not just words. Still, it should be part of a general manager’s job description to answer questions from the media. It’s called responsibility, something Darche is more than willing to accept.
For example, it could have been easy for Darche to dance around Newsday’s Andrew Gross’s question about Patrick Roy’s job status. Instead, he answered it by saying the Islanders’ head coach will be the coach for this coming season. He also announced that assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin would not be retained after working for Lou Lamoriello. Darche also emphasized the importance of player development and his desire for the Islanders to adopt a more offensive approach.
Quick, decisive, and transparent, Darche won the press conference. He’ll be a unifier, too. He is going to tell it like it is rather than say something that sounds good. He was honest when he said it’s going to take a lot of work for the Islanders to be a very good team again. He will bring leadership, presence, and passion to make it happen.
Darche’s honesty can also serve as a bridge between players and management. The players need to know his thought process, not whether it sounds good or not. Yes, there will be traction and conflict that comes with it, but at least Darche will be upfront.
Photo courtesy NHL
Darche had us at the hello stage when he took the job. He was the right choice because he is coming from a championship organization that focuses on offense, the Tampa Bay Lightning. He impressed me even more by putting on a clinic on how to answer questions. His transparency will make it easier for the Islanders’ hockey boss when the team hits rough spots, which any team always will.
Darche strikes me as someone I could have a beer with. He’s charming, accessible, and personable, and as I wrote earlier at TCS, he brings identity and hope for this long-struggling franchise.
What a contrast it was to compare how Adam Gase struggled during his introductory press conference as Jets’ head coach and how Darche handled himself on Thursday.
Darche put on a clinic; Gase left us wondering.
