Just Call Them The Odd Couple

By show of hands, who had the Islanders making a stunning dual announcement by introducing both new GM Neil Smith and Coach Ted Nolan during a huge press conference?

I seriously doubt many would've expected such a surprise move which remarkably came true Thursday afternoon in Uniondale.

It took Islander owner Charles Wang six months to find a replacement for former GM Mike Milbury. But what nobody could've predicted was that he'd also be responsible for Nolan's long overdue return to an NHL bench.

An unlikely duo, just call Smith and Nolan the hockey management version of The Odd Couple. It was Smith who turned the bitter rival Rangers into a Stanley Cup champion in 1994. Back to his original roots, the former 1974 Islanders draft pick and one-time scout was pleased to be back where his career began.

"I'm thrilled to be back home again where I started," Smith told the AP. "It was because of the Islanders that I was able to make a championship team (with the Rangers). The Islanders showed me what it takes to win, what to expect out of yourself and what to expect out of your players."

Smith was the Ranger GM from 1989 to 2000 before being fired during a tumultuous run of playoff futility which stretched for eight years including Smith's fatal last three.

After a six-year hiatus away, he'll return to the limelight and try to bring back respectability to the Islanders franchise. He most recently worked as an OLN analyst.

Smith will be teamed with Nolan. The former Jack Adams winner who guided the Sabres to the postseason in 1997 hasn't coached since that fateful time which saw his contract not be renewed due to a dispute.

Astonishingly, he never was hired by another NHL team during that span. All sorts of rumors flew as to why the former Buffalo coach couldn't land another job.

Ironically, the closest the 47-year-old Nolan came to coaching in the NHL again was with the Islanders in 2001. He was a final candidate for the job before Milbury selected current Carolina coach Peter Laviolette. Laviolette, who guided the Islanders back to the postseason in '02 was fired after his team failed to get out of the first round against Ottawa the following year.

In another twist, Laviolette has the Hurricanes two wins away from their first Stanley Cup.

Think it's a coincidence that this big announcement took place now?

There's little doubt that Wang was looking to make a splash here and bring instant credibility back to his franchise after a lackluster season which saw the Islanders miss the playoffs for the first time in five years. It's a smart move which should bring fans back this fall.

After eight years away from coaching, Nolan returned behind the bench last season with Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

"I would have run down here for the opportunity," Nolan expressed. "I'm really excited about coaching again in the NHL and being part of this organization. Sometimes if you miss something you pretend you don't. I just tried to close it off and pretend it wasn't there any more. But down deep I missed it."

The big question is can the new Islander duo team up to make this work. It's kind of fitting that both were last employed by other New York teams and then had so much time off. Now they'll try to coexist to turn the other New York team back into a serious contender.

Have they learned their lessons well? Smith knows it will be a tough job.

"It's very challenging for GMs," Smith pointed out. "You saw four teams in the final four that didn't make the playoffs in 2004. The entry draft and acquisition of young players is more important than ever. The teams that do the best job with the evaluation of talent and drafting are going to be the ones who do well."

Hopefully, he remembers how his Ranger tenure ended.

There is no way of knowing how well Nolan will do for the first time in almost a decade behind an NHL bench. But it should be intriguing to see how well he deals with players and handles his new relationship with Smith based on previous history.

This is a second chance he waited a long time for. Now he has a golden opportunity to prove he still can motivate players and bring instant credibility. That's something that's been missing from the Islanders. Even the recent playoff editions didn't give any sense they were a serious contender.

Now they'll start fresh with two old familiar faces who both have much to prove. Hopefully, The Odd Couple will deliver.