Here's the whole story, pretty crazy.  I'm sure there's a link out there
somewhere, but for now we'll just deal with this. 

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- Neil Smith was abruptly fired after less than a
month as general manager of the Islanders and replaced Tuesday by New York
goalie Garth Snow, who retired to take over the position.
Islanders owner Charles Wang said Smith told him he had difficulty working
within the team's revamped front office.
"In light of our differences, I felt that I had no choice but to make this
decision," Wang said in a statement.
Smith was something of a surprise choice when he returned to the NHL
following a six-year absence and replaced Mike Milbury on June 8. Smith's
replacement was even more of a shock.
"I spoke with Garth at length throughout the spring about the general
manager's position and he really impressed me with his passion and his
knowledge," Wang said. "When the job opened up, the choice was an easy
one."
The Islanders missed the playoffs last season, finishing next-to-last in
the Atlantic Division.
Snow, who led the NCAA in wins at the University of Maine and who went
4-13-1 last season as the backup to top Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro,
will be in charge of making trades and will oversee the pro scouting
department.
Snow joins an overhauled organization that includes new coach Ted Nolan,
senior adviser Pat LaFontaine, player development director Bryan Trottier,
chief amateur scout Tony Feltrin and pro scouting director Ken Morrow.
"This is a proud moment for me, a dream come true," said Snow, who played
12 NHL seasons, the final four with the Islanders. "It's an opportunity I
wanted more than anything.
"Islander fans can be assured that this franchise is going to do
everything in its power to bring another Stanley Cup to Long Island."
Smith, Nolan and LaFontaine were all hired on the same day. The GM and
coach came in as a package deal and Smith didn't have any say in Nolan's
hiring.
"I picked Teddy before I picked Neil. I picked them all myself. And one of
them, I picked wrong," Wang said.
Said Wang: "Despite Neil's commitment to me that he could work in this
environment, he later expressed to me on a number of occasions his
philosophical opposition to our business model."
A message left on Smith's cell phone wasn't immediately returned.
Snow, about a week shy of his 37th birthday, is the fifth GM in team
history. He was 135-147-44 with a 2.80 GAA and .901 save percentage in 368
NHL games. His career also included stints with Quebec, Philadelphia,
Vancouver and Pittsburgh.
Smith's greatest NHL success came when he was in charge of the rival New
York Rangers. As their GM, he built the team that ended 54 years of
frustration and finally won a Stanley Cup title in 1994.
Smith was fired by the Broadway Blueshirts late in the 1999-2000 season --
10 years after he took the job -- as the Rangers headed toward their third
straight non-playoff finish.
His roots were with the Islanders, who drafted him as a player 32 years
ago, but he was let go again before he had a chance to rebuild the
once-proud franchise. The Islanders missed the playoffs last season after
three consecutive first-round eliminations and hasn't won a postseason
series since 1993.
Smith's dismissal came as the free-agent shopping season wound down and
teams prepared for salary arbitration hearings that begin at the end of
the week.
Forwards Arron Asham and Mike York were the only Islanders to file for
arbitration.
Although Smith held the job for less than six weeks, he was active. New
York has only seven players without contracts for next season, including
Asham and York, and has added several veteran free agents.
The Islanders signed Mike Sillinger to a three-year deal after he came off
a 31-goal season; hard-hitting defenseman Brendan Witt, who also agreed to
a three-year contract; offensive-minded defenseman Tom Poti; and forwards
Chris Simon and Andy Hilbert.
None of them will play for the man who brought them to Long Island.
Instead they will try to impress Snow, who suddenly went from teammate to
boss.
Smith was chosen by the Islanders in the 13th round of the 1974 draft, but
never made it to the NHL. He later served as a scout and was part of the
organization during its run to four straight Stanley Cup titles in the
early 1980s.
The Islanders' regime change started in January, when Milbury announced he
would step down from the position he held since 1995 once a replacement
was found. He is now in charge of Wang's sports properties.