Another strong season from the Isles get Lou league-wide recognition.
On Thursday morning the NHL announced that Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders is one of the three finalists for the 2020-21 Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.
The Islanders are battling the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL semifinals for the second straight year; there are no Eastern and Western Conference Finals this season because of realignment.
Montreal’s Marc Bergevin and Florida’s Bill Zito are the other two finalists. The Habs are still playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; Florida was eliminated in the first round by Tampa Bay.
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From the NHL’s release:
“Under Lamoriello’s management the Islanders have advanced to the Stanley Cup Semifinals round for the second consecutive year, achieving a feat last done by the franchise for six straight seasons from 1978-79 through 1983-84. The Islanders have recorded 26 playoff wins since Lamoriello was hired ahead of the 2018-19 season; the only franchise with more in that span is their current Stanley Cup Semifinals opponent, the Lightning (27). A year after obtaining forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau and defenseman Andy Greene prior to the trade deadline, Lamoriello added forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac on April 7 to aid this year’s postseason push. A three-time Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee in the Builders Category in 2009, Lamoriello is in his 33rd season as an NHL general manager. He became the first Islanders GM to capture Jim Gregory honors in 2019-20, is the first GM to earn back-to-back nominations since Anaheim’s Bob Murray (2012-13 through 2014-15) and is vying to become the first two-time winner since the award’s inception in 2009-10.“
