New York Islanders Fire Goalie Coach Greco After Six Games, Promote Naumov

The New York Islanders have fired goaltending coach Piero Greco six games into the 2025-26 NHL season, a surprising decision given his seven years with the team and contributions to the goaltending unit. General Manager Mathieu Darche cited a need for a "reset" with the goalies despite Greco's past success developing elite talent like Robin Lehner and Semyon Varlamov. Sergei Naumov, promoted from the Islanders' AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, replaces Greco and reunites with star goalie Ilya Sorokin, whom Naumov coached previously in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. Sorokin has struggled this season, with a 3.90 goals-against average and an .873 save percentage, prompting head coach Patrick Roy to offer more mental coaching support. The move hopes to return Sorokin to his Vezina Trophy-caliber form, leveraging his historical success under Naumov's tutelage. Injured forward Pierre Engvall is expected to miss the entire season, while goaltender Semyon Varlamov continues his recovery from knee surgery.