Mere moments after it was announced that Lou Lamoriello was parting ways with the New Jersey Devils, the only NHL franchise he's known for the past 28 years, Lamoriello had a new job. The Toronto Maple Leafs and president Brendan Shanahan announced Thursday that they had hired the 72-year-old Lamoriello to be the next general manager of the NHL's Toronto-based franchise.
Lamoriello originally joined the Devils as president and GM in 1987, but over the next two and a half decades held various positions throughout the organization, including as interim head coach.
"I have been fortunate to have worked for Josh Harris and David Blitzer for the past two years," Lamoriello said in a statement announcing his departure from New Jersey. "In addition, the organization afforded me the opportunity to work for two other individuals that greatly impacted my life, Dr. John J. McMullen and George Steinbrenner. I have worked with Hall-of-Fame coaches, and players and a great staff, all of whom contributed to our success. In the end, it's about the people which makes this decision so difficult."
His poor recent personnel decisions, especially in free agency, seemed both to have left the Devils, who have now missed the playoffs the last three seasons, in something of an uncertain position moving forward and to indicate that perhaps Lamoriello is no longer suited to the new-look, speed-driven NHL world.
Still, while Lamoriello may be advancing in age, he should be well-buffered in Toronto by the presence of both Shanahan and new Leafs head coach Mike Babcock.
Despite his less-than-stellar recent run, Lamoriello did oversee an extremely successful era of Devils hockey. Under his watchful eye New Jersey won three Stanley Cup Championships, five Eastern Conference titles and nine Atlantic Division Championships. He also helmed the team to 13-straight postseason berths from 1997-2010.
Lamoriello's addition continues what has been an unbelievable offseason for the Leafs. They added Babcock after a desperate final push and via a boatload of cash and were able to move mercurial scorer Phil Kessel to the Penguins. Shanahan has done well to put his stamp on the Maple Leafs and things are certainly looking up for a franchise that has made the postseason once in the last decade.
Now, about Tyler Bozak...
