The New York Islanders have dismissed their goaltending coach, Piero Greco, after just six games into his seventh season with the team, despite the team’s recent three-game winning streak. General manager Mathieu Darche made the unexpected announcement on Wednesday that Greco would be parting ways with the team, with Sergei Naumovs being promoted from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League to fill the position.
Naumovs, a Latvian coach who has been with Bridgeport since May 2024, has a longstanding coaching relationship with the Islanders’ goaltender Ilya Sorokin, dating back to their time together at CSKA Moscow in the KHL from 2018-20. Sorokin currently ranks among the NHL’s bottom goaltenders with a 3.90 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage in games where he has appeared at least four times.
Darche acknowledged Greco’s contributions over the past seven years but emphasized the need for a fresh start with the team’s goaltenders at this time. Despite Sorokin’s lucrative contract through 2032, Darche stated that the decision to replace Greco was solely his, without consulting Sorokin. The general manager highlighted the positive working relationship between Sorokin and Naumovs, affirming that the change was made independently of the player.
Darche also provided an update on backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov, noting his ongoing recovery progress from knee surgery.
