Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager, Mathieu Darche has been hired as the next general manager of the New York Islanders.

"Mathieu is the perfect choice to lead our hockey operations. He will be given every resource available to put the Islanders first-in-class on the ice, with our business initiatives, and in the community," said Islanders Operating Partner John Collins.

"Mathieu has served as a key member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and has a diverse background in top-level business models. He is a proven winner and is committed, as is our ownership group, to building a group that will be highly competitive next season and beyond."

Darche had a unique path to get to this point. After wrapping up his playing career, he transitioned into the business world, working as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing in Canada for Delmar International Inc.

In 2019, he was hired by Lightning GM Julien BriseBois when Steve Yzerman took over as the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. Darche was BriseBois' right hand man. They went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021.

Part of building a successful organization is knowing that success breeds opportunity, sometimes elsewhere. On Thursday, it was announced that Lightning assistant Jeff Blashill was hired as the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks.

For the first time in a while, the Lightning will have two key vacancies to fill in the offseason.