The New York Islanders, never afraid to make a splash, are hiring former Rangers GM Neil Smith as their new GM, and Ted Nolan as their head coach.

Well, this is good news. Almost a decade overdue, but hey… here’s another chance for Ted Nolan. He was fired in ’97 after winning the Coach of the Year award in Buffalo, and has since been blackballed. He had a beef with his GM in Buffalo, John Muckler, and got labeled as a GM-killer. And hockey’s old boy network has had it in for him since. It’s been so long, in fact, that I have vague recollections of being a hockey fan at around the time it happened.

So, good for him. I’m happy he’s finally back in the league, and I’ll be rooting for him… as much as anyone can actually root for a coach without actually watching his games.