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Lou Lamoriello has learned the most important qualities of being an
important sports figure from Vince Lombardi -- the most important
quality being how to respect the players. Lamoriello is quoted as
saying of Lombardi: "It's all about feelings and how he cared
for them and how he got other players to also care for them."
It worked for Lombardi, and it certainly has worked for Lamoriello.
Lamoriello has directed the New Jersey Devils hockey team for nearly
twenty years while also serving as CEO of the NBA's New Jersey Nets
since 2001. During his tenure as the Devils' president and general
manager, the team has won three Stanley cups, five Atlantic Division
titles, and made the playoffs in twelve seasons. During his college
career, Lamoriello captained both the hockey and baseball teams
at Providence College, eventually becoming the hockey team's coach
for fifteen seasons.
Lamoriello has made great achievements and has received many well-deserved
awards during his career. He served as General Manager for Team
USA during the 1998 Winter Olympics and earned Unico National's
Vincent T. Lombardi Award for Professional Sports Achievement in
2000. He was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey
in 2002 and was the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor
in 2003.
In April 2004, he received the National Italian American Foundation's
(NIAF) Achievement Award in Sports and Business. During that same
time, the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) named him the
winner of its newest annual award honor, the Lou Lamoriello Award.
The award honors a former college hockey player or coach who has
thrived in a post-college career in or out of athletics.
The Devils used to be the butt of many jokes. In fact, Wayne Gretzky
went as far as calling it a "Mickey Mouse Organization."
But that all stopped once Lamoriello stepped up to the plate in
1987. Since then, the team has become one of the most stable organizations
in the NHL. Some say the team's victories are a result of Lamoriello's
intelligence and the long hours he puts into his work, and because
Lamoriello has little tolerance for inadequacy and errors. He once
said, "I don't want to ever apologize for asking a person to
give everything he has. I believe that you shouldn't cheat yourself.
If I'm condemned or criticized for asking any-body to get the most
out of themselves, I'll accept that."
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