It’s been several years since Mathieu Darche first emerged as a candidate to become an NHL general manager. As the Lightning’s assistant GM and director of hockey operations, he has been Julien BriseBois’ right-hand man in leading the team’s hockey operations department.

The New York Islanders have hired Mathieu Darche as their general manager. Darche joins the Islanders after spending the past six seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Islanders officially are Mathieu Darche’s to run. The team on Friday named the 48-year-old Darche — the Lightning’s assistant general manager/director of hockey operations — as GM/executive vice president, ending a search to find a successor to Lou Lamoriello that lasted nearly a month.