Subscribe
Follow Us
After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the New York Islanders decided not to renew the contract of 82-year-old Lou Lamoriello after seven seasons. Has he already begun zeroing in on his next job?
Lamoreillo was seen strolling through Buffalo Niagara International Airport earlier this week, sparking speculation that he could potentially be in line to land a top role with the Buffalo Sabres, who are looking for a new Senior Advisor in the front office.
SPOTTED: Sources close to the situation tell me former Isles GM and longtime NHL exec Lou Lamoriello was seen walking through Buffalo Niagara International Airport this morning.
This amid reports the #Sabres are searching for a Senior Advisor in the front office. #BuffaLOU? pic.twitter.com/sSAD8zMPKL
— Conor Hurley (@CHurls13) May 13, 2025
This speculation caught the eye of TSN insider Darren Dreger. He noted that the Sabres could be interested in adding Lamiorello to their front office. At this time, though, there does not appear to be a deal done between the two sides.
“I’m sure the Sabres would be interested in adding Lou Lamoriello to their braintrust, but nothing imminent. Lou was spotted at the airport in Buffalo. Apparently there to renew his Nexus. 😂” Dreger joked on social media on Wednesday.
The Sabres are a franchise in disarray and lacking a clear direction, especially with three general managers in the last 11 years. They're also the current holders of the NHL's longest playoff drought, having last qualified in 2011, which resulted in a seven-game loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Not long after the hiring of Lamoriello, the Maple Leafs began a playoff streak that has lasted to this day. Following his departure and subsequent hire by the New York Islanders in 2018, they've made the playoffs five times.
In dire need of stability, Lamoreillo could offer valuable oversight and experience to a Sabres franchise that badly needs it.
Lou Lamoreillo is a Hall of Fame executive
One of the longest-serving executives in the NHL, Lamoreillo first became president and general manager of the New Jersey Devils in 1987 after serving as the first commissioner of Hockey East. He oversaw a Devils team that won the Stanley Cup three times (1995, 2000, 2003), along with advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2001 and 2012. They also made the postseason 21 times (including 13 years straight) under his leadership while winning nine division titles.
The Islanders decided to part ways with Lamoreillo after the 2024-25 season that resulted in their missing out on the postseason. In a statement, the team thanked Lamoreillo for his dedication to the franchise, via NHL.com.
“The Islanders extend a heartfelt thank you to Lou Lamoriello for his extraordinary commitment over the past seven years,” the team said in a statement. “His dedication to the team is in line with his Hall of Fame career.”
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 as a team builder and was subsequently inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
