Darche explains his bold coaching decision with four games left, while DeBoer reveals the personal connections and vision that swayed him to take the reins.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- With four games to go, why did New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche feel like now was the right time to move on from Patrick Roy and bring in Pete DeBoer?
"The timing—having three days to practice helps," Darche said with the Islanders not back in action until Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. "Usually, a coach comes in and has a morning skate and then plays."
But the move isn't about just this season.
"This wasn’t about being desperate for this year," Darche said. "If it were, I would have made the change a month ago. I wasn’t there a month ago with how the team was playing. There will be tweaks—not a full system change. That’s impossible in two days. But small adjustments and a different message can make a difference."
For DeBoer, he could have waited until the summer to have his pick of the litter when it came to opportunities. He hadn't even had a conversation with Darche until after the Islanders' 4-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
So why did he say yes with just four games left in their season?
“A whole bunch of reasons," DeBoer said. "One, I loved my time in this division, in this area of the country. There’s nothing like the rivalries—Rangers, Devils, Islanders, Philly. It’s fantastic. The travel is nice compared to Dallas, San Jose, Vegas—but that’s not the decision. The decision was the people. I can’t believe how many people are still here from my time in New Jersey—trainers, management."
Ultimately, Darche convinced him not to wait.
"Mathieu Darche really sold me," DeBoer said. "My initial reaction was probably what you guys are thinking—we’re two weeks away from the offseason, what’s the rush? But he sold me on the organization, the vision, the direction, the ownership. There’s a lot of familiarity here.”