UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) – Neil Smith was abruptly fired after less than a month as general manager of the Islanders and replaced Tuesday by New York goalie Garth Snow, who retired to take over the position.

Islanders owner Charles Wang said Smith told him he had difficulty working within the team’s revamped front office.

“In light of our differences, I felt that I had no choice but to make this decision,” Wang said in a statement.

Smith was something of a surprise choice when he returned to the NHL following a six-year absence and replaced Mike Milbury on June 8. Smith’s replacement was even more of a shock.

“I spoke with Garth at length throughout the spring about the general manager’s position and he really impressed me with his passion and his knowledge,” Wang said. “When the job opened up, the choice was an easy one.”

The Islanders missed the playoffs last season, finishing next-to-last in the Atlantic Division.

Snow, who went 4-13-1 last season as the backup to top Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro, will be in charge of making trades and will oversee the pro scouting department.

Snow joins an overhauled organization that includes new coach Ted Nolan, senior adviser Pat LaFontaine, player development director Bryan Trottier, chief amateur scout Tony Feltrin and pro scouting director Ken Morrow.

“This is a proud moment for me, a dream come true,” said Snow, who played 12 NHL seasons, the final four with the Islanders. “It’s an opportunity I wanted more than anything.

“Islander fans can be assured that this franchise is going to do everything in its power to bring another Stanley Cup to Long Island.”

Smith, Nolan and LaFontaine were all hired on the same day. The GM and coach came in as a package deal and Smith didn’t have any say in Nolan’s hiring.

Said Wang: “Despite Neil’s commitment to me that he could work in this environment, he later expressed to me on a number of occasions his philosophical opposition to our business model.”

Snow, about a week shy of his 37th birthday, is the fifth GM in team history. He was 135-147-44 with a 2.80 GAA and .901 save percentage in 368 NHL games.

His career also included stints with Quebec, Philadelphia, Vancouver and Pittsburgh.

Smith’s greatest NHL success came when he was in charge of the rival New York Rangers. As their GM, he built the team that ended 54 years of frustration and finally won a Stanley Cup title in 1994.

Smith was fired by the Broadway Blueshirts late in the 1999-2000 season – 10 years after he took the job – as the Rangers headed toward their third straight non-playoff finish.

His roots were with the Islanders, who drafted him as a player 32 years ago, but he was let go again before he had a chance to rebuild the once-proud franchise. The Islanders missed the playoffs last season after three consecutive first-round eliminations and hasn’t won a postseason series since 1993.

Smith’s dismissal came as the free-agent shopping season wound down and teams prepared for salary arbitration hearings that begin at the end of the week.

Forwards Arron Asham and Mike York were the only Islanders to file for arbitration.

Although Smith held the job for less than six weeks, he was active. New York has only seven players without contracts for next season, including Asham and York, and has added several veteran free agents.

The Islanders signed Mike Sillinger to a three-year deal after he came off a 31-goal season; hard-hitting defenseman Brendan Witt, who also agreed to a three-year contract; offensive-minded defenseman Tom Poti; and forwards Chris Simon and Andy Hilbert.

None of them will play for the man who brought them to Long Island. Instead they will try to impress Snow, who suddenly went from teammate to boss.

Smith was chosen by the Islanders in the 13th round of the 1974 draft, but never made it to the NHL. He later served as a scout and was part of the organization during its run to four straight Stanley Cup titles in the early 1980s.

The Islanders’ regime change started in January, when Milbury announced he would step down from the position he held since 1995 once a replacement was found. He is now in charge of Wang’s sports properties.