New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello built a team that made it from the fourth-seed in their division to the Stanley Cup Semifinals, their second consecutive season in the third round.
On Tuesday night, he was named the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award recipient by his peers, also for the second consecutive season.
Of the 41 ballots, 30 named Lamoriello and 12 voted him for first place. The league’s general managers and a panel of NHL executives, print and broadcast media receive votes. The voting occurred following the Second Round of the postseason, where the Islanders defeated the higher-seeded Bruins.
The Islanders finished this year’s condensed regular season at 32-17-7, fourth place in the adjusted East Division. They currently trail the Lightning 3-2 with Game 6 slated for Wednesday night.
Congratulations to Lou Lamoriello - the 2021 winner of the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. 🏆
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 23, 2021
He is the first repeat winner of the award. #Isles pic.twitter.com/rhzV7lPhNL
Montreal’s Marc Bergevin placed second, despite 13 first-place award ballots. He finished with 74 combined points compared to the 104 for Lamoriello. Bill Zito of the Panthers placed third with 45 points, with Joe Sakic from the Avalanche (41), and Kelly McCrimmon from the Golden Knights (40) close behind.
The 78-year-old Hockey Hall of Famer has seen his Islanders squads to a record of 115-67-24 in his three seasons. He led teams to Stanley Cup titles in 1995, 2003, and 2005, all as a part of his 18-year career as the Devils general manager.
In his 33rd season as a general manager, Lamoriello added forwards Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri at the trade deadline from the Devils, a year after he obtained forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau and defenseman Andy Greene en route to last year’s run.
Lamoriello is the first two-time winner of the award since it began in 2009-10.
---
Marisa Ingemi is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop her a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Ingemi.