New York Local News

By JEFF CAPELLINI, WCBSTV.com Sr. Sports Producer
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CBS) ― Despite his success, Ted Nolan is out of a job -- again.

Nolan's brief run as coach of the New York Islanders ended Monday. He and general manager Garth Snow decided he should not return for a third season behind the bench.

The Islanders scheduled an afternoon news conference Monday. Snow will begin an immediate search for Nolan's replacement.

"Ted has helped us achieve some success over the last two seasons, however it has become clear that we have philosophical differences and have decided together to part ways," said Snow. "Since last season and continuing into the summer, I have realized we do not share the same philosophies. I would like to thank Ted for his two years with the team and wish him the best.

"I have a list of several qualified candidates. After a thorough process, we will hire the very best coach to lead the Islanders on the ice."

Added Nolan: "While I am disappointed I will not be coaching the Islanders next season, there have been philosophical differences and we've agreed it's a good time for me to move on. I want to thank the Islanders organization for giving me a chance to coach in the NHL again. I have tremendous respect for what the team is trying to do and I wish them well."

The move had been rumored for some time, mostly because of a huge rift that had grown between the two starting last season. On several occasions, Snow openly questioned Nolan's on-ice decisions, while Nolan sounded off on his being shut out of personnel decisions.

The problems apparently came to a head during last month's NHL draft and the opening days of free agency when Nolan was reportedly not consulted by management over draft picks and signings.

The Islanders, who missed the playoffs last season, traded out of a prime spot in the top 5 in the draft to amass more picks. They pulled off several trades and ended up with 13 picks in the first few rounds, an obvious sign that Snow and owner Charles Wang were determined to go forward with a massive rebuilding project.

For his part, Nolan was vocal about wanting to have more of a say in what went on with the daily operations. He had hinted he wanted more free agents so that the team could stay afloat in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference.

It is believed Nolan had little say in the signings of free agent defenseman Mark Streit and veteran Doug Weight.

After the Islanders fell apart late last season, Snow said he felt the team was underachieving while Nolan countered that he lacked adequate personnel. Nolan was often quoted as saying he had no say in the makeup of the team and was also upset that he was allowed to enter the last year of his contract without talk of an extension, despite the fact that he went 75-68-21 in two full seasons.

"The process for me was something that took a lot of time to come to terms with," Snow told The Associated Press. "We all know we probably weren't all on the same page in certain areas.

"It wasn't going to work if two people aren't on the same page. That's why the meeting was healthy because we both realized that there were differences in philosophy."

Wang hired Nolan prior to the 2006-07 season after the coach had been out of the NHL for 10 seasons, a move that was trumpeted throughout Long Island. Fans seemed generally pleased with Nolan during his brief tenure, despite the fact that the team still sat firmly in the shadow of the rival Rangers and New Jersey Devils in the NHL's biggest market.

Long believed to be a master motivator and a coach who got the most out of his players, Nolan was let go by the Buffalo Sabres following the 1996-97 season despite winning the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year. Rumors swirled that Nolan was subsequently blackballed from the league due to the off-ice problems he had in Buffalo.

Nolan has a .514 career winning percentage in four full seasons in the NHL.

As for who the Islanders' next coach will be, it's anyone's guess. Suggested names include former NHL coach Paul Maurice, who led the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup finals in 2001-02. However, Maurice-led teams have missed the playoffs in seven of his 10 years behind an NHL bench. He was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs after last season after they finished in fifth place in the Northeast Division.

Many NHL insiders believe Snow and Wang will go the route of a coach who will be accepting of a long rebuilding process, which could eliminate any big names from consideration.

"Let me get through today," Snow said. "There are several candidates out there and I know we're going to find a great coach for this team. If it takes two days or it takes two weeks, we're going to find him."

Other candidates who figure to be on a wish list include John Tortorella and Bob Hartley. Tortorella was fired by Tampa Bay and Hartley was let go by Atlanta after the 2007-08 season. 

Please stay with CBS 2 HD and wcbstv.com for more on this developing story.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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