New York Islanders Players Make Clear Statement After Lou Lamoriello's Departure

Lou Lamoriello's tenure with the New York Islanders came to an end this off-season, with the team in a much worse situation at this time of his departure than when he initially arrived.

Unsurprisingly, the team went young with his replacement, and in just one off-season, GM Mathieu Darche has injected this organization with life, all on the back of the No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, who was electric in his NHL debut.

During Lamoriello's tenure, one of the biggest rules was reminiscent of the New York Yankees, with players not permitted to have beards or long hair on the ice, an old-school rule that has no place in modern sports.

Unsurprisingly, in their first game of the year, the players took a stand on that outdated rule, with many of them rocking beards and/or longer hair, a direct message to Lamoriello following his departure from the organization.

While it was never a major issue for some players, it was for others, and now veteran Kyle Palmeri has addressed the change, stating that it's simply one less thing for players to worry about.

This coincides with the NHL getting rid of their dress code of suits before games, and while some don't like either change, it will allow players to show off their style and personality, so this is certainly a great move from the Islanders organization.