Islanders Coach Milbury Quits

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 21, 1999 / 4:31 PM EST / CBS Sportsline

Mike Milbury stepped down as coach of the New York Islanders Thursday, turning the struggling NHL team over to assistant Bill Stewart.

Milbury said he would remain as general manager of the team, which is mired in an 11-game winless streak.

It isn't the first time Milbury has left the Islanders coaching job.

He coached the team in 1995-96, then turned it over to Rick Bowness midway through the next season. Milbury then fired Bowness last March 11, returning to the bench for the balance of that season and the start of 1998-99.

The Islanders, who have won only three games since Nov. 26, are 0-10-1 in their last 11 games. After they lost to Florida 5-2 at home Wednesday night, Milbury accused the team of quitting.

"This will be quick," Milbury said after the game. "It's unacceptable. It looked like they quit. We had no jump, no spunk and we were disorganized. That was a stinker without much sign of effort. We've got to do something about it."

Fans booed the Islanders, chanting, "Mike Must Go."

Milbury has come under heavy criticism, especially for the recent trade of 21-year-old defenseman Bryan Berard to Toronto for holdout goaltender Felix Potvin.

Milbury, 46, who spent 20 years in the Boston Bruins organization as player, coach and front office executive, came to the Islanders as coach on July 5, 1995. He assumed the general manager's job from Don Maloney on Dec. 12, 1995.

Bruins from 1989-91, Milbury's teams went 90-49-21 and reached the Stanley Cup finals once.

Last May, after new owners took over the team, Milbury signed a five-year extension to coach the Islanders.

The new owners restructured the coaching duties, adding four assistants, including an offensive and defensive coordinator.

"In the end, this is a model to make my role infinitely easier," Milbury said at the time. "I enjoyed that there were a lot of aspects to the (general manager's) job, but there's nothing like being in the pit. There's a new energy to it."

Stewart led the St. John's Flames of the AHL to a 43-24-13 record and a berth in the Calder Cup final during the 1997-98 season.