Regier Out as Isles' Assistant GM
Newsday, Friday, December 27, 1996
By Jim Smith. STAFF WRITER
General manager/coach Mike Milbury continued restructuring the Islanders' front office yesterday, firing assistant general
manager Darcy Regier, who had been with the organization since 1978.
"Truth be told," Milbury said, "I made this decision a while ago and I thought it was appropriate to wait through the holidays
and make it known to him."
Regier, 40, joined the Islanders as a player Jan. 10, 1978, when he was traded from the Cleveland Barons with Wayne Merrick for
J.P. Parise and Jean Potvin. Regier retired in 1984 and was with the team in various capacities since then, except for a 1991-92
stint as a Whalers assistant coach.
Regier was a candidate for the general manager position that Milbury, who already was the coach, assumed Dec. 12, 1995, after
Don Maloney was fired. There were rumors then that Milbury planned to fire Regier.
"I thought we could give it a try," Milbury said before leaving on a scouting trip. "It was difficult from the outset. Being in
competition for the same position, we both tried to get through that, but along the way we discovered we had some different
approaches to how things operated . . . We never got by it. Or at least I didn't."
Milbury said he decided not to wait until Regier's contract expires June 30 to allow him to look for work. Asked if he plans to
bring in another crony from his Bruins days, Milbury said, "I will seek somebody to replace him. It doesn't have to be a crony . . .I don't see a crunch for an immediate hire."
Around the NHL, Regier is considered a knowledgeable hockey man. He should not be out of work long. "There's no question
there were some philosophical differences," Regier said.
Club sources said Milbury overruled Regier in at least two instances: the drafting of first-rounder J.P. Dumont instead of
Alexandre Volchkov and the trading of Darius Kasparaitis.
Regier refused to comment on what he and Milbury differed on, saying, "In fairness to Mike, he didn't select me and I didn't
select him . . . There were some differences. That happens."
Regier said he once quit a job making bricks and regretted it. "I could have gone in any time and quit this job, too," he said. "I
was not going to quit. I thought there was something to be learned . . . I'm thankful for having had the opportunity to work in
this organization. I'm not going to look back." |
