NY Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello excited by additions to Islanders coaching staff

Heading into this season's training camp, the NY Islanders coaching staff will look much different than it did a year ago.

Patrick Roy is set to take charge of his first camp as captain of the ship, joined by Tommy Albelin as his new assistant coach, and Sergei Naumovs helping out between the pipes before heading to Bridgeport for his first season as the B-Isles goalie coach.

Lou Lamoriello, entering his seventh season as Islanders GM, has a history with Albelin, the former Devils player and coach, making him a worthy candidate for the 81-year-old executive.

“You look back to his playing days as a defenseman — who could be more educated and experienced than someone who played under Jacques Lemaire, Larry Robinson, Jacques Laperrière, and Pat Burns? Lamoriello told Arthur Staple of The Athletic. He brings so much knowledge and experience to our group. Patrick has spent some time with him, getting to know him as well.”

Albelin will replace Doug Houda behind the bench, with news breaking after the NHL Draft that the Isles parted with their assistant coach. Houda, who is now part of the San Jose Sharks staff, controlled the Islanders penalty which ranked last in the league in 2023-24 and 10th worst of all time (71.5%).

After goalie guru Mitch Korn left the Islanders to reunite with Barry Trotz in Nashville, the Islanders elevated Chris Terreri to the NHL and hired Sergei Naumovs as the Bridgeport Islanders goalie coach.

Naumovs has a history with Ilya Sorokin, coaching him a CSKA Moscow in the KHL. Naumovs was also Islanders fourth-round pick, Dmitry Gamzin’s goalie coach with the same organization.

Though he’ll be in Bridgeport for the season, Naumovs will join the Islanders at training camp, helping Sorokin return to his 2022-23 Vezina runner-up form.

"I think he’s just a tremendous addition to our staff, what he can do for our young goaltenders, communicating with Piero [Greco],” Lamoriello told Staple. “Him being around is an asset, but I think he was always around and always a sounding block if Ilya needed it.”

Though Albelin and Naumovs are new faces within the organization, they certainly aren’t strangers to some of the Islanders' most important employees.