The Islanders announced they have hired Evan Gold as Assistant General Manager of their NHL club and General Manager of the Hamilton Hammers, the AHL affiliate, first reported by NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner.
The 46-year-old will join the Hockey Operations staff under Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche. He’ll be involved in all operations, including contract negotiations, roster strategy, professional and amateur scouting, salary cap management, and other areas as well. Gold was a sought-after managerial free agent who has been considered a candidate for multiple GM roles.
Instead of pursuing the big chair, he’ll shift focus to a third Eastern Conference program, two days after his contract in Boston expired on Aug. 1.
“Evan brings a rare combination of experience, intelligence, and results to our Hockey Operations department,” Darche said per the press release. “Over the past several years, he has excelled in nearly every facet of building a successful franchise at the NHL and AHL levels… His background, combined with his legal and business acumen, makes him an outstanding fit for our department as we continue building a team that competes on the island and in Hamilton.”
Gold has built a strong reputation in the NHL since joining the league as a summer sales intern with the Washington Capitals – and later returning to the team for an internship with the hockey operations department. He graduated with a law degree from McGill University and joined the Bruins as Director of Legal Affairs for Hockey Operations in 2015. Specifically, his role was to advise general manager Don Sweeney on all things related to the salary cap.
Gold did just that, supporting a Bruins club that went on to negotiate team-friendly deals with Zdeno Chara, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Charlie McAvoy.
More than just his background in law and passion for hockey, Gold’s approach to the cap was rooted in a deep respect for analytics. He was an early adopter of a numbers-based approach as it pertained to negotiations, roster construction, and player analysis. Those interests came in handy when Gold was promoted to assistant general manager in 2019, with a focus on getting more involved in contract negotiations and both pro and amateur scouting.
Through the years, Gold has been credited for his shrewd understanding of day-to-day cap accrual and detailed approach to negotiations. His name is often associated with the 2020, retention-heavy trade that sent David Backes to the Anaheim Ducks. Gold is also tied to the signing of goaltender Jaroslav Halak in the same year, on a deal that featured multiple bonuses rather than an outright salary raise.
He has since helped the Bruins pull off instrumental trades, like the acquisitions of centers Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, and Marat Khusnutdinov.
Gold has also served as general manager of the AHL’s Providence Bruins since 2023. The minor-league Bruins have posted a 137-60-13 record during his tenure, though they’ve also lost in the second round of the playoffs in every season. More importantly, Gold has overseen the development of Boston’s top prospects in their AHL tenures.
He supported the platooning of successful goaltenders Michael DiPietro and Brandon Bussi, while also handling the deployment of Fraser Minten, Dans Locmelis, and Fabian Lysell.
While the story of Boston’s recent success with young prospects is a shaky one, Gold has still had influence over players who have grown into NHL mainstays. That will be an invaluable trait as he joins an Islanders club with many top prospects headed for the AHL. New York will add Victor Eklund, Quinn Finley, Cole Eiserman, and Kashawn Aitcheson to their pro ranks next season.
Their emergence will come as New York continues to be led by teenage phenom Matthew Schaefer.
The club seems to have the right balance, with one foot climbing up the standings while the other waits for an eventual boost from young prospects. Gold’s presence could only further the Islanders’ chances at turning potential into success. He will also be an invaluable mind in New York’s pending negotiations with Schaefer, and overall navigation of the rising salary cap.
His addition will be a big one for the Islanders – at least, until Gold is swept away by a GM chair elsewhere.
PHR’s Marcus Antonelli contributed to this article.