The Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons engaged in a lengthy conversation with Lou Lamoriello giving that the Devils' general manager is stepping aside to become the team's president:

The longest serving general manager in professional sport stepped aside the other day: The Era of Lou is officially over after 28 years of directing, nurturing, bossing, controlling, shaping the part-hockey team, part-hockey cult that has been the New Jersey Devils.

It has been all Lou Lamoriello, all the time in New Jersey. His team. His way. His brilliance. His penchant for victory.

Three times the Devils won the Stanley Cup. Twice they lost in the Stanley Cup final. Only the Detroit Red Wings have had more Stanley Cup success in Lamoriello’s time on the job.

“I’ve been a lucky man to have been associated with the many great people and professionals we’ve had here over the years,” said Lamoriello in a rare, wide-ranging interview. “They all knew what they were getting into here, where we value loyalty, confidentiality, commitment, having success, but paying the price to have success. Look at the people who have been through here — the Jacques Lemaires, Larry Robinsons, Pat Burns, Scott Stevens, Martin Brodeurs, Scott Niedermayers — a lot of them are gone, but still part of the fabric of who we are. The (Brendan) Shanahans, the (Slava) Fetisovs, they’re still part of the Devils family. I don’t apologize for what we’ve built here. But it was time, time to move on.”

Continued