The Evan Gold hire is the latest win for New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche, who not only rebuilt the AHL team on the fly but also has the NHL team in a good position to contend for years to come.
When the New York Islanders hired Mathieu Darche in the 2025 offseason, he emphasized building up the American Hockey League team, turning it into a winning environment that could help the prospects develop. It was a contrast to the Lou Lamoriello-run Islanders, which neglected the AHL team and was part of Darche’s plan to retool the team on the fly.
Darche did that with both teams. The Islanders were a borderline playoff team last season, while the Bridgeport Islanders made the playoffs and were one of the league’s best teams down the stretch. In Hamilton, they are shaping up to be even better next season.
The Islanders are the case in point for how a team should retool. Anyone can revamp their AHL team. Few GMs do, and most cut corners on their development. It’s why so many teams are struggling to retool, while the Islanders are in a good position with the Hamilton Hammers in a great one.
Darche’s First Steps
The 2025-26 season was vital for Darche to get the Islanders off the ground. The Matthew Schaefer pick helped but for the AHL team, it was a tougher task. The Bridgeport team was historically bad in 2024-25 and needed to change the culture.
Darche brought in some veterans, including Ethan Bear, Perrick Dube, and Matt Luff. He hired Rocky Thompson, who changed their identity and had the team buy into a tough and high-pressure brand of hockey.
By the time Cole Eiserman and Victor Eklund joined the AHL team, they could jump right into a team in a playoff push that had a winning culture in place. Previously, it would have been the place prospects would avoid. Instead, Eklund and Eiserman joined the team and took more steps forward in their development.
Last season was the first step in the right direction. This offseason has catapulted the team forward as they became the Hamilton Hammers and revamped the team from the top down.
Evan Gold Is The Latest Big Hire
Evan Gold was the GM of the Providence Bruins and built them into one of the best teams in the AHL. He’s seen as an analytical mind but his big strength was taking all the information to put together winning teams. Gold brought in veterans who could get the most out of prospects and allow players to overachieve and take steps forward.
He’s another great hire for Darche, as he’ll be the assistant GM and oversee the Hammers. The Gold hiring comes after the Hammers brought in Jay McKee as their head coach. McKee comes from the Ontario Hockey League and led the Brantford Bulldogs, giving him a great reputation in the coaching world. While the OHL background will force him to adjust to the AHL, he’s the right hire for the Islanders, who will see their prospects improve under his watch.
It goes unnoticed by most people in the hockey world but Darhe also hired Kain Tisi as their goaltenders' coach. Tisi was the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins' goalie coach and helped develop Sergei Murashov and the Pittsburgh Penguins goaltenders, making him one of the big names on the market.
Darche is slowly building a winner at the NHL level. It’s only going to help with the prospects, some of whom are expected to start 2026-27 in the AHL. It’s also pivotal for the Islanders, who are starting to build their future around Schaefer and add young pieces around him.
The Pushback For The Islanders Retool
At the AHL level, the questions remain about the Hamilton relocation. Bridgeport was the ideal location for the Islanders, as it was close to the NHL team and three AHL teams. Hamilton requires a flight and a border crossing.
Darche comes from the Tampa Bay Lightning and was the Syracuse Crunch GM for some time as well. The AHL-NHL relationship is one of the best in hockey, as the prospects develop in a winning environment in a hockey crazy market while joining the Lightning ready to compete for Cups. However, this is a different test for Darche and the Islanders with no direct flights from Hamilton to New York and a distance that will prevent prospects from joining the team after a morning skate.
At the NHL level, Darche is trying to toe the line between retooling and contending. Yes, they have young building blocks on the way, yet they have a prime Ilya Sorokin, Bo Horvat, and Mathew Barzal, three players who make them a borderline playoff team. It’s why the Islanders are stuck in this murky middle, even with a generational talent on their defense.
While there are some issues, the AHL team isn’t one of them. The Hammers will be a good team and a place to develop prospects. The Gold hiring confirms it, as he’ll add more insight to the front office.
What Other NHL GMs Can Learn From Darche
A good retool is fueled by the AHL team. Turning it into a contender and building a winning culture at that level translates to the NHL. It’s something the Lightning have known for a while. It’s what the Washington Capitals understand with the Hershey Bears as their affiliate. It helps turn prospects into stars while also adding vital depth pieces to the NHL team.
The Islanders hiring Gold takes the team to another level. It’s another move that brings the right people to the AHL team. Many teams won’t have an AHL GM or won’t put the resources into development. It only costs them down the road.
