While it may sound like plotline from a deleted episode in a poorly written Twilight Zone reboot, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that they have hired Lou Lamoriello as the team’s 16th General Manager.
Lamoriello worked with the Devils for 28 years as the President and GM, joining the team in 1987. On May 4 he resigned as the team’s GM, making way for Ray Shero to take over the team there, but he stayed on as the team’s President, a position he resigned from today. The Devils announced his resignation just moments before the Maple Leafs announced his acceptance of the new position in Toronto.
The #Leafs have named Lou Lamoriello the 16th General Manager in Club history #TMLtalk
READ → http://t.co/gabNyzLRwI pic.twitter.com/huVOhgEYJl
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 23, 2015
Brendan Shanahan was drafted by the Devils in 1987, the same year Lamoriello took over as GM and president. Long, long history between them.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) July 23, 2015
He made the playoffs 21 times with the Devils, won nine division championships, made the finals five times and brought three Stanley Cup Championships to New Jersey. Lamoriello also served as an interim head coach for the Devils on three occasions.
Highlights on his resume include being the GM of Team USA in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, where the team won. He was also inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012, as well as being inducted in the Builder Category in 2009.
The signing of Lamoriello continues a complete remaking of the Toronto front office over the last two years, with Brendan Shanahan taking over as the team’s President last summer and the team hiring Mike Babcock as a coach this summer.
https://twitter.com/NHLDevils/status/624220155036483584
If you’re surprised at the news, you’re not alone.
https://twitter.com/jtbourne/status/624222291417767936
I was on the radio when the Lou Lam story broke and I thought it was an elaborate hoax designed solely to break my train of thought.
— Travis Yost (@travisyost) July 23, 2015
Leafs name Lou Lamoriello GM. Stunning, stunning news.
— Ken Campbell (@Ken_Campbell27) July 23, 2015
WHAT. WHAT. WHAT!????? https://t.co/lNPwKOLyV5
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) July 23, 2015
And Lamoriello has been named the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. WOW.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) July 23, 2015
Lou Lamoriello is the #leafs new GM. Wow.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 23, 2015
GOOD GAWD, that's….no…NO….THAT'S LOU LAMORIELLO'S MUSIC!
— Matt Larkin (@MLarkinHockey) July 23, 2015
UPDATE:
Sportnet’s John Shannon reports that the Maple Leafs will have to compensate the Devils with a draft pick for hiring Lamoriello.
The Maple Leafs will have to compensate the Devils with a draft pick for signing Lou Lamoriello as GM.
— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) July 23, 2015
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