Shocking head coach firings a regretful part of NY Islanders history

The New York Knicks shocked some and mildly surprised others on Tuesday when they fired Tom Thibodeau after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. Ironically, Tuesday was also the anniversary of one of the most surprising head coach firings in New York Islanders history: GM Mike Milbury fired Peter Laviolette after two seasons.

Laviolette’s firing in 2003 still stings for Islanders fans. In just two short seasons, Laviolette turned the Isles from a struggling, non-playoff team into one with playoff aspirations again. After a seven-year postseason drought, he brought the team back to relevance in 2002, getting them to the playoffs and even pushing the Toronto Maple Leafs to seven games. The following year, despite a tough first-round matchup against the President’s Trophy-winning Ottawa Senators, the Isles were still competitive. They might’ve lost, but the future seemed bright.

Milbury replaced Laviolette with Steve Stirling, who reached the playoffs in his first season, but achieved little after. Meanwhile, Laviolette led the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006, bringing the Philadelphia Flyers and the Nashville Predators to the Final. Even though he was fired after this season, he did capture the President's Trophy with the New York Rangers in 2023-24. He's won a lot wherever he's gone and is among the great American coaches in NHL history.

The other shocking head coach shakeup came on May 9, 2022, when general manager Lou Lamoriello dismissed Barry Trotz after four seasons. Trotz had transformed the Islanders into perennial playoff contenders, leading them to two consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances and earning the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year in 2019.

His defensive-minded approach revitalized a franchise that had struggled for years. Despite a 37–35–10 record in the 2021–22 season, the decision to part ways with Trotz was unexpected, especially given his success and the team's consistent playoff presence. Lamoriello cited the need for a "new voice," but the timing and reasoning always felt strange. Since Trotz didn't return to coaching and moved to the front office in Nashville, it has led to speculation that Lamoriello accommodated Trotz, who needed a year away to tend to family matters and plan the next phase in his career. It's the only thing that makes any sense all these years later.

Hopefully, the Knicks replacement for Thibs fairs better than the head coaches that were that hired following the surprise firings of Laviolette and Trotz.