Team-First Focus Led Lamoriello to 1300 Wins

The guiding light for Lou Lamoriello's management style has always been a belief that individual identity and accolades must be sacrificed for team success. In short, individuals, even talented ones, win games, but teams win championships.
That philosophy has won Lamoriello three Stanley Cups and a staggering 1,300 regular season games. After hitting the 1,300-mark in the Islanders' 4-2 win over Boston on Saturday, Lamoriello rightfully earned a curtain call to celebrate the achievement, even if it meant stepping into the individual spotlight.

"It means that I was very fortunate to have great coaches and great players to work with," Lamoriello said. "When you have that, there's no limit to what you can do and the winning is a result of it."
The Islanders' President and General Manager is only the third GM in NHL history to reach 1,300 wins, behind David Poile (1,421) and Glen Sather (1,319). Eighty-nine of those wins have come with the Islanders, 118 have come with the Toronto Maple Leafs and 1,093, the overwhelming majority, with the New Jersey Devils.

Islanders Head Coach Barry Trotz, who is third all-time on the NHL wins list, called it a tremendous milestone. Trotz spent 15 years working under Poile in Nashville, so he has worked for two of the three winningest managers in NHL history.
"It's a tremendous milestone and that's a huge number," Trotz said. "It says a lot about what Lou has accomplished as a general manager. He's about winning it's not a surprise that he has that many wins under his belt. It's pretty exceptional for a Hall of Fame general manager. I've been fortunate in my career to work for some really good general managers, but two of the top three, they're exceptional gentlemen and there's a reason why they win."
Even at 78-years-old, Lamoriello said his competitive fires burn hot, which is one of the reasons he's continued to stay in the game, especially in a demanding role like general manager. He said it's still fun coming to work every day with Trotz and his current staff.
"Age is a number, my health is good and the love of the game and competitiveness has never left," Lamoriello said. "If you're not in it to win and don't have the drive and competitiveness, you shouldn't be in this because it's not fair to the people that are around you, or working with you, or the players. Whenever you lose that drive and that passion, it's time to find a cigar and the closest beach."

Lamoriello has seen many changes in the game since joining New Jersey in 1987. The shootout arrived and the red line effectively left, and the game has gotten faster and younger in recent years. Lamoriello's maintained success by sticking to his principles and fundamentals, like letting young players develop in the minors, treating people with respect, being honest about a player's role on the team and above all, putting the team ahead of the individual.
"Let's speak about the person first, and then the player. I don't think that's ever changed or ever will change on how you treat people," Lamoriello said. "You have to treat people with respect and they'll give it back to you. Respect the organization. The philosophy I believe in is that you have to be willing to give up your own identity and maybe some individual success if you want to win championships. Individual talented players can help you win games, but only teams will win championships. If you're not in it to win, and to compete for that, maybe it's not the right organization."