Darche took his 2000 McGill University commerce degree, majoring in marketing and international business, into the NHL as a player and most recently as assistant GM and director of hockey operations with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Under GM Julien BriseBois, he helped the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021.

The New York Islanders hired Mathieu Darche as their general manager Friday, giving the two-time Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning assistant his long-awaited first chance to run an NHL team. Darche was named executive vice president and GM and put in charge of the organization's hockey operations department.

The Islanders have their man. After a search that dragged on over a month, the Islanders finally found their new general manager Friday, hiring Mathieu Darche as general manager and executive vice president, entrusting him with all aspects of the club’s hockey operations.