The New York Islanders have announced that Ted Nolan will not be returning as head coach of the club in 2008-09. Nolan had one year remaining on his original three-year deal as head coach of the club. GM Ted Nolan sited "philosophical" differences" as the main reason for the change.

"Ted has helped us achieve some success over the last two seasons, however it has become clear that we have philosophical differences and have decided together to part ways," said Snow. "Since last season and continuing into the summer, I have realized we do not share the same philosophies. I would like to thank Ted for his two years with the team and wish him the best."

Added Nolan in a statement released by the team, "While I am disappointed I will not be coaching the Islanders next season, there have been philosophical differences and we’ve agreed it’s a good time for me to move on. I want to thank the Islanders organization for giving me a chance to coach in the NHL again. I have tremendous respect for what the team is trying to do and I wish them well."

Nolan was hired as coach during the summer of 2006 by team owner Charles Wang. Snow was brought on board as GM after Nolan was hired when Neil Smith was let go because Smith was not comfortable with Wang's decision making by committee style of running the team. While the Isles road a hot streak into the playoffs in Nolan's first season, the relationship between the GM and coach cooled off a bit as the Islanders fell out of playoff contention late last season.

Snow described Nolan as "a coach who did some good things here, especially in year one. Obviously, this year was a major disappointment for our team and our fans and it was a situation where it wasn’t a very fun year."

The differences between Nolan and Snow first became apparent in early March when Nolan decided to play backup goaltender Wade Dubielewicz in an important home game against the Rangers instead of a healthy and available Rick DiPietro. The Isles ended up losing the game and quickly fell out of playoff contention in a large part due to mounting injuries.

This summer, when Dubielewicz was not re-signed, Snow remarked that the coaching staff had lost confidence in the backup goalie when he reported to training camp out of shape. Nolan disputed that remark and said the staff always had faith in "Dubie."

This off-season, Snow favored a youth movement while Nolan still preferred to go with more experienced players. While Nolan was very involved in personnel decisions last season, at this year's draft, he was seated at the other side of the table from Snow and the team's scouts and reportedly had little or not input into free agent signings.

When asked about the timing of the firing, Snow explained, "It’s obviously something that I’ve been thinking of dating back to our conversations at the end of the season. It takes time and you go through a certain process to come to this point. The determining factor when I met with Ted face-to-face this morning was that it seemed to be in the best interests of everyone involved to just move on."

The search for a new head coach will being immediately. "I have a list of several qualified candidates," Snow said. "After a thorough process, we will hire the very best coach to lead the Islanders on the ice."

When asked what he was looking for in a new coach, Snow said, "Communication skills. A coach that can inspire, motivate and create some structure to our game, hold players accountable. There are several different ingredients that go into a successful coach. There are several great candidates out there right now and I am truly looking forward to the interview process."

Snow was not specific as to how long it would take to find the team's new head coach. "It could take two days, it could take two weeks. Whatever that time frame is, it’s going to be the right coach for this team at this time."

Nolan finished his two-year tenure with the Islanders with a 74-68-21 record. He is expected to be paid for the final year of his contract which is worth approximately $600,000 according to published reports. He also had a reputation as a player's coach. In a recent issue of Sports Illustrated, NHL players surveyed ranked Nolan second in a poll asking them which current coach they would like to play for.

Nolan's first NHL head coaching job came with the Buffalo Sabres in 1995-96 and 1996-97. He led a Sabres' resurgence his second year and won the Jack Adams Award as the league's Coach of the Year. Despite the turnaround, Nolan was fired after the season and was unable to find another head coaching job in the NHL for nine years. Nolan believes he was blacklisted and that the fact that he was a member of the First Nation of native Canadians, was also a factor in his inability to find work at the NHL level.

While Snow would not be specific about possible replacements, possible candidates include ex-Lightning coach John Tortorella and former Thrashers head man Bob Hartley, both of whom have won Stanley Cups. The Isles may also look within the organization at assistant coach Gerard Gallant who has NHL head coaching experience with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Islanders opened their prospect camp today at Iceworks in Syosset. The assistant coaches and Bridgeport coaching staff will be running the camp until a new head coach is hired.