Jason Berger has been named the assistant equipment manager for the New York Islanders by General Manager Mathieu Darche. Darche, familiar with Berger from their time together in Tampa Bay, praised Berger's high energy and organization skills. When the Islanders had an opening, Darche was inclined to hire Berger. Head coach Patrick Roy had a lengthy conversation with Berger and expressed his enthusiasm for the hire. This role marks Berger’s first lead position, transitioning from his previous role as No. 2 equipment manager in Tampa Bay.
"He's just full of energy," Darche said Friday on The Jeff Marek Show. "I've had some players on the Lightning text me like, 'Hey, you stole Burger from us.'"
"He's extremely organized and he brings... energy in the room," Darche said. "Sometimes we downplay the role of these guys."
"Patrick spent like an hour and a half, two hours on the phone," Darche said. "He called me right after. He's like, 'Oh my god, we need this guy. He's my type of guy. The energy and... just on the phone.'"
"Like me, I got my opportunity as a GM. He was the number two in Tampa and I think he gets the opportunity of being number one," Darche said. "I'm excited to have him on board and I think the guys will really enjoy him."
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