The New York Islanders have relieved goaltending coach Piero Greco of his duties, marking a surprising move just six games into his seventh season with the team despite a recent three-game winning streak. General manager Mathieu Darche announced the decision to part ways with Greco and elevate Sergei Naumovs from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.
Naumovs, a Latvian coach, has been with Bridgeport since May 2024 and has a strong coaching history with Islanders’ goalie Ilya Sorokin dating back to their time together at CSKA Moscow in the KHL from 2018-20. Sorokin currently ranks with a 3.90 goals-against average, the second-worst in the NHL, and a .873 save percentage, the fourth-worst among goalies with at least four games played.
Darche acknowledged Greco’s contributions over the past seven years but emphasized the need for a fresh start with the team’s goaltenders. The decision was made independently without consulting Sorokin, who is midway through a lucrative contract running until 2032.
Darche clarified that Sorokin’s performance with Naumovs played a significant role in the coaching change, emphasizing that the decision was solely his and not influenced by the player. Additionally, Darche provided an update on backup goalie Semyon Varlamov’s recovery progress from knee surgery.