Two Top Members Leaving Tampa Bay Lightning After Early Playoff Exit, per Elliotte Friedman

Mathieu Darche was officially named general manager and executive vice president of the New York Islanders last Friday. He will hold his first media availability on Thursday, coming to Long Island with a strong resume and an exhaustive work ethic.

Darche comes aboard after five successful years with the Tampa Bay Lightning front office, initially hired in 2019 by GM Julien BriseBois as director of hockey operations and ultimately advancing to assistant GM.

During his tenure, the Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, where Darche played a key role in monitoring player development and salary cap management.

A 2000 graduate in commerce from McGill University, Darche's path in life has walked the line between hockey and business.

He played nine NHL years (2001-12) with Columbus, Nashville, San Jose, Tampa Bay, and Montreal, registering 72 points over 250 contests. He also appeared in well over 500 AHL games, winning the Calder Cup as a member of Milwaukee in 2004.

After retirement, he helped the NHLPA with collective bargaining negotiations and served as VP of sales and marketing for a Montreal logistics company.

On a recent installment of '32 Thoughts', Elliotte Friedman let viewers know that Darche's departure is not the only major front-office upheaval in Tampa. Stacy Roest, another key member of Tampa's front office, is also leaving.

Both Darche's and Roest's departures are big changes for the Lightning behind the scenes.

Now, it is Darche's turn to have the opportunity to oversee an NHL squad. The Islanders are betting that his combination of ice time acumen and front-office intelligence can lead them into the future.