rules on size. According to former teammate Michael Peca, Snow was one of the best trash-talkers around: "He's got such a wit and sense of humor like no other. Snow says things that will cut you without being rude or obnoxious." Snow was regarded as a respected leader both on and off the ice. Executive career On July 18, 2006, Snow officially confirmed his retirement and was named general manager of the New York Islanders following Neil Smith's dismissal after 41 days on the job. There was much criticism directed the Islanders' way for firing a Stanley Cup-winning general manager after such a short tenure in favor of Snow, who at the time of his hiring held no experience in management. Defenders of the organization pointed to Snow's master's degree in Administration and bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Maine. In Snow's first season as general manager, he earned praise for making moves to open up space under the salary cap and using the space to trade for Marc-André Bergeron, Richard Zedník and Ryan Smyth. Snow was named NHL Executive of the Year for 2006–07 by Sports Illustrated. On November 15, 2010, Snow fired head coach Scott Gordon and promoted Jack Capuano to interim head coach after the Islanders suffered a poor record of 4–10–3 in their first 17 games of the 2010–11 season. Capuano went on to guide the Islanders to their first playoff series win since 1993 during the 2016 playoffs. On January 17, 2017, Snow fired Capuano and promoted Doug Weight to interim head coach in response to the Islanders' record of 17–17–8 through 42 games of the 2016–17 season, which was ranked last in the Eastern Conference at that time. Through the 2017–18 season, his tenure with the Islanders saw the team accrue 11 playoff wins. On June 5, 2018, Snow's position as Islanders' general manager was terminated, although he remained with the organization through 2019. Career statistics Regular season and playoffs International Awards and honors References External links 1969 births Living people American men's ice hockey goaltenders Bridgeport Sound Tigers players Cornwall Aces players American expatriate ice hockey players in Russia Ice hockey people from Massachusetts Ice hockey players at the 1994 Winter Olympics Las Vegas Flash players Maine Black Bears men's ice hockey players National Hockey League executives National Hockey League general managers New York Islanders executives New York Islanders players