The New York Islanders have decided to part ways with goaltending coach Piero Greco, a surprising move made after the team’s recent three-game winning streak just six games into his seventh season with the organization. General manager Mathieu Darche announced the decision to relieve Greco of his duties and elevate Sergei Naumovs from the Bridgeport team in 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 from their time together at CSKA Moscow in the KHL between 2018 and 2020. Sorokin’s performance this season has been less than stellar, with a 3.90 goals-against average ranking second-worst and a .873 save percentage ranking fourth-worst among NHL goaltenders who have played at least four games.
Darche acknowledged Greco’s contributions over the past seven years but stated that it was the right time for a change in the goaltending coaching staff. The decision was solely made by Darche without consulting Sorokin, who is currently under a lucrative contract until 2032.
Darche also mentioned that backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov is making progress in his recovery from knee surgery.
