Lou Lamoriello moved quickly to shake up the New York Islanders by firing coach Doug Weight and general manager Garth Snow and naming himself the team’s new GM just two weeks after taking over as president of hockey operations.

Lamoriello made the moves Tuesday that begin to reshape the organization in his image Michael Gallup Jersey Elite , two weeks to the day ownership said he’d have ”full authority over all hockey matters.” Lamoriello left the Toronto Maple Leafs to run the Islanders and will begin the search for a new coach immediately.

”It’s my opinion that at this point there’s a culture change that’s needed and there’s new voices needed in different areas and because of that, the changes (were) made,” Lamoriello said on a conference call with reporters. ”There’s been a lot of changes for different reasons, and right now is just trying to stabilize anything, start off with a fresh face, start off with a fresh mind, a fresh coach and just go forward.”

The end of Snow’s tenure seemed inevitable after owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin brought in Lamoriello to oversee the hockey operations department. Snow was previous owner Charles Wang’s hire.

The Islanders missed the playoffs eight times in Snow’s 12 years as general manager, including the past two seasons. He has four years left on the contract he signed when Wang still owned the team.

”Both Garth, who is a personal friend and one who I’ve known for a long time and also Dougie who played for me in `96 and `98, I have tremendous respect for,” Lamoriello said.

This latest front-office development comes with the Islanders at a crossroads this summer. The face of the franchise, John Tavares, can become a free agent July 1. The team took one step toward making Tavares feel comfortable about re-signing by planning a permanent home at Belmont Park after spending the last three seasons playing at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but the direction of the organization still threatens to push the superstar center to leave.

Lamoriello said Tavares’ situation ”certainly has not and did not enter into any of the decisions that are made.”

Tavares Denzel Ward Jersey , who would be the top free agent on the market, had a good relationship with Weight, who was his teammate for two seasons and assistant coach and GM from 2011 until he replaced Jack Capuano as head coach in January 2017. Weight just finished his first full season as Islanders coach.

The Islanders now have the only coaching vacancy in the NHL. Asked what kind of coach he’d like to hire, Lamoriello essentially only alluded to the fact that Weight was not the guy he wants behind the bench.

”Not every coach is for every team and not every team is for every coach,” Lamoriello said. ”If we had that coach, he would be in place.”

In a statement, Lamoriello thanked Snow and Weight and the team said they would remain with the organization. Specific roles and responsibilities for them have yet to be determined, though Lamoriello said, ”I feel they can be valuable in me picking their brain, asking their opinion in certain areas.”

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Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno at Denzel Ward gets things done quickly.

One of the rookie cornerback's first goals was to earn a starting job. Check. Next was paying off the mortgage on his mom's house. Check. Then it was signing his NFL contract and reporting to training camp on time. Done.

Now he wants to help the Browns win. OK, that may take a minute.

But to this point, nothing has slowed the speedy Ward, who has impressed his teammates and Cleveland's coaches. After an eye-popping spring camp, the former Ohio State All-American has joined the first-team defense Youth Jason McCourty Jersey , and the Browns believe the 21-year-old is ready for the weekly challenge of covering elite wide receivers.

Ward's up for it.

"I'm very comfortable in who I am as a player," he said Friday without the slightest trace of arrogance. "I'm a fast player."

While Baker Mayfield, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback selected first overall by the Browns, waits his turn behind Tyrod Taylor, Ward's already on the field.

And there's no reason to think he won't stay there.

Ward stood out during the Browns' first training camp practice on Thursday with several solid plays. He made a leaping interception down the sideline in front of three-time Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry during 11-on-11 drills, and Ward looked comfortable whether in goal-line situations or third-and-longs.

He did get beat on a go route by fellow rookie Antonio Callaway, who made a late adjustment to haul in a deep pass from Mayfield.

The catch drew applause from Browns fans, but Ward said the reception probably wouldn't have counted in a game.

"I think he stepped out of bounds," Ward said, smiling. "They caught it with the camera from over here, so they didn't really see it, but that was a great catch. He can definitely run."

So can Ward, whose quickness and ability to play man-to-man "press" coverage is what made him so appealing to the Browns, who surprised many draft experts by taking him so high after he was projected to be picked later in the first round.

His high profile notwithstanding Adidas Derick Brassard Jersey , Ward has shown a willingness to work and improve since the day he arrived.

"He's pretty quiet off the field," said linebacker Christian Kirksey. "He's not a person that is going to sit there and just talk all day. He's going to do his job. He's going to do it to the best of his ability. He's very coachable. I believe that once he really gets comfortable with his role of being a lockdown corner, I think that the sky's the limit for him."

Ward has immersed himself in Cleveland's playbook, and beyond watching daily practice film, he's been taking a peek at tape of some future opponents.

The Browns open the season on Sept. 9 against Pittsburgh, which means Ward will make his regular-season debut against Steelers star Antonio Brown, widely considered the league's best all-around receiver.

"The game's not too big for him," coach Hue Jackson said. "Those moments are not too big for him. He's going to face some of the best receivers in the league. Think of the first game of the year, playing Antonio Brown, the best guy on the planet. So you better have real thick skin, and he has that."

It's helped Ward to prepare for Brown that he's been going head-to-head with Landry and Josh Gordon, who is currently away from the team to address health problems.

Ward said he's not intimidated by any matchup.

"Those guys are elite players, great guys and players," Ward said. "But we all put our shoes and pants on the same way Dale Murphy Jersey , and just come out here and work."

Ward was the final member of Cleveland's rookie class to sign, finalizing his four-year, $29 million contract on Wednesday a day before players reported.

The deal includes a $19 million signing bonus, and the financial security prompted Ward, who grew up just outside Cleveland, to pay off the mortgage for his mother, Nicole. Ward's father, Paul, died two years ago.

"My mom has done a lot for me," he said. "So whatever I can do to make things easier for my mom, I'm down to do it."

He has everything covered.

NOTES: Greg Robinson, competing with Shon Coleman to replace Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas, was carted off with a head injury and will be evaluated. ... LB Mychal Kendricks participated in team drills for the first time since undergoing offseason ankle surgery. He was signed as a free agent in June after winning a Super Bowl with Philadelphia. ... The team signed DL Zaycoven Henderson and WR Blake Jackson.

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