The New York Islanders fired goaltending coach Piero Greco, making the change at an unorthodox time just six games into his seventh season with the team and after winning three in a row.
General manager Mathieu Darche announced the abrupt decision Wednesday to part ways with Greco and promote Sergei Naumovs from
Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.
Naumovs, who is Latvian, has been in Bridgeport since May 2024 but has an extensive history coaching franchise goalie Ilya Sorokin going back to their time together with CSKA Moscow in the KHL from 2018-20.
Sorokin’s 3.90 goals-against average is second worst and .873 save percentage ranks fourth-worst in the NHL among netminders who have appeared in at least four games.
“Piero has done a great job for the organization for the last seven years,” Darche said. “We just felt at this time it was the right timing to have a reset with our goalies.”
Darche said he did not seek input from Sorokin, who is in the second year of a $66 million US contract that runs through 2032.
“It’s my decision, it’s not on the player,” Darche said. “I know he’s had success with Sergei, and that’s where we went. It’s 100 per cent my decision, and the goalie had nothing to do with it.”
Darche added backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov continues to progress toward a return from knee surgery.
