Islanders add goalie guru Mitch Korn to Barry Trotz's staff
Washington Capitals goaltending coach Mitch Korn, left, talks with Mark Dekanich, right, on Sept. 18, 2015. Credit: AP/Nick Wass
Goalie guru Mitch Korn is again rejoining coach Barry Trotz.
The Islanders on Thursday announced Korn, 60, has agreed to join the organization as director of goaltending.
The Bronx-born Korn, who spent last season as the Capitals director of goaltending when the franchise won its first Stanley Cup, has worked with Trotz since 1998 when he joined the expansion Predators as goalie coach.
Korn then moved to Washington in 2014 as the goalie coach after Nashville fired Trotz who then was named the Capitals coach.
Korn was not always on the ice for the Capitals last season and didn’t travel with them constantly. That would likely be the case with the Islanders this season. He also served as the Sabres goalie coach from 1991-98, working with Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek.
The Islanders goalie tandem of former Sabres starter Robin Lehner, who signed a one-year, $1.5-million deal, and Thomas Greiss, both struggled last season. Lehner, 26, was 14-26-9 with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage for Buffalo. Greiss, 32, who has two seasons remaining on a three-year, $10-million deal, was 13-8-2 with a 3.82 GAA and .892 save percentage for the Islanders, who allowed an NHL-worst 293 goals.
Former Capitals assistant Lane Lambert previously joined Trotz’s new staff with the Islanders as associate coach and former Hamilton (OHL) coach John Gruden was named as an assistant last week. Piero Greco, who spent the past four seasons with Toronto (AHL), replaced Fred Brathwaite as goalie coach on Wednesday.
Assistant coach Scott Gomez will be the lone holdover from former coach Doug Weight’s staff.
