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Citing irreconcilable differences, Snow and Nolan part

BY GREG LOGAN | greg.logan@newsday.com

10:34 PM EDT, July 14, 2008

In his first season back in the NHL after a nine-year exile, coach Ted Nolan turned the Islanders into The Little Team That Could as they ignored predictions of doom to qualify for the playoffs. But the fairy-tale beginning gave way to a controversial ending that eerily echoed Nolan's departure from Buffalo, where he feuded with general manager John Muckler and ultimately lost a power play with management.

This time the GM was Garth Snow, who called Nolan into his office Monday morning and put an end to months of internal clashes by reaching what was described as a "mutual agreement" to part company.

Although his bid for a contract extension had been rejected by owner Charles Wang and Snow did not involve him in the draft or free-agent signings, Nolan said he didn't see the end coming.

"I knew we had some differences, but I was just preparing myself for the status quo and getting ready for the season," said Nolan, who will be paid for the final year of his contract, which is believed to be worth about $600,000 per year. "Garth called me in the office this morning, and we discussed it and agreed we'd be better off to part ways.

"I'm just going to move on and take some time to soak this in and go home to be with my family for a few days. Hopefully, I'll have another chance to coach in this league again."

Nolan, who compiled a 75-68-21 record with the Islanders, rejected parallels with the bitter ending in Buffalo. He declined to discuss specifics about his differences with Snow, saying, "Every coach who gets let go, there's got to be some differences of opinions. I'm no different ... I wished him well and he wished me well, and we both left feeling good about what we did."

There were enough public disagreements to indicate a disconnect between the coach and Snow, who was upset by Nolan's resistance to developing younger players in the organization. But Nolan's relationships with some of his top players also eroded dramatically behind closed doors.

Some might assume the main problem was with goal.tender Rick DiPietro, who sat out a Rangers game in early March in favor of backup Wade Dubielewicz, but that wasn't the case.

As injuries mounted and the season unraveled, another prominent player challenged Nolan's strategic decisions. The coach told the player that Wang was "running the show." Refusing to accept that explanation, the player, who did not want to be identified, went to Snow and arranged a meeting with the GM, Nolan and Wang, who denied interfering.

" pretty much tried to say he didn't tell me that and [ portray] me as a liar," the player said. "I put my -- -- on the line, and it kind of made me see him in a different light."

Another key leader who did not want to be identified also had a falling-out with Nolan and began to question the coach's methods. "He did some -- -- things," the second player said. "He wasn't listening to his assistants and he was kind of going the opposite way. Everybody knew that."

When the season ended, Nolan's job status appeared uncertain. With several NHL head-coaching jobs open, a league source said, the Islanders gave Nolan written permission to interview with other teams. But he did not receive an offer.

Nolan declined comment on the report of the sitdown with Wang, Snow and the player who challenged his authority, and he also refused comment about postseason job interviews. Despite appearances, the coach insisted he wasn't unhappy with the Islanders.

"I never once said I was unhappy coaching here," Nolan said. "I was unhappy with our record and not making the playoffs, as any competitive coach would be. I loved Long Island. It's a beautiful place. I'm certainly going to miss it and miss the fans."

Snow said he will begin the search for a new coach immediately. He declined to name candidates, but it's likely that Bob Hartley, Paul Maurice and John Tortorella, all of whom lost NHL jobs last season, will be on his list. However, Snow did outline the job requirements.

"Communication is key, along with the ability to provide structure to the team, to be able to discipline players and to hold players accountable," Snow said. "I'll look for a coach who has integrity, an inspirational, motivational, knowledgeable coach. Those are the ingredients I feel a great coach has. I look forward to the process of finding our next head coach."

And to think, just a year earlier, Nolan seemed to fit the description.