Then as always there is the latest and greatest fad for those who follow other teams not named the New York Islanders, mock and bash them for every step they make (or even don’t lately).

Cue the chorus, we have Jersey Gate.

If you’ve been following lately, you’ve seen some leaks posted out on the interwebz claiming what could be the Islanders third jersey for the upcoming season. It’s hard to explain, well no – it’s not. It’s a jersey sans the awesome crest on the chest that we have all come to know and love, it features colors that were a fixture way back when Starter was the NHL’s uniform designer – yeah, we’re talking black folks.

It’s easier to just show you a picture, courtesy of my friend Greg over at Puck Daddy that ran last week – this was round one of Jersey Gate:

Jersey Leak #1

I don’t really have an opinion on the jersey, well strike-that – I likely wouldn’t buy one, I absolutely love the old-school retro nod to the glory days the team is currently wearing. I’ll certainly be purchasing one of those this year, you know – with the 40th Anniversary Patch.

The team did issue a statement last week however, in reference to this leaked design, via their Twitter Feed:

@wyshynski That is one of the 3rd jersey designs we are considering. At the appropriate time we'll announce the #Isles official 3rd jersey.

August 4, 2011 3:16 pm via HootSuiteReplyRetweetFavorite

@NYIslanders

NYIslanders

Fast forward to the second alleged leak of a similar jersey design over on Icethetics and we have this image:

Leak #2 via Icethetics

We already knew how I stood on the first design, the second is pretty much the same.

The only thing I can remind everyone about, NOTHING is set in stone until the Islanders themselves release word and/or photos of their third jersey. I’ll also remind everyone that their last third jersey was a variant of what they wear currently.

The Islanders have asked their fans what they wanted in a third jersey – I doubt they’d ignore that given how active they are in the Social Media department.

Have a little faith fans, until then – I point back to their short statement via Twitter earlier in this post.

For the last three years, I’ve had the absolute pleasure of covering the draft LIVE from the event. Unfortunately, due to reasons beyond my control – I could not attend this years draft in Minnesota.

My lead up to the draft, coverage of prospects as well as draft rumors – missing in action, and I apologize. This is the busiest summer I have had work wise, and my blog has suffered (as it has been) as a result.

Fret not Islanders Country, for I will be live blogging and tweeting from tomorrow nights Draft Party at Nassau Coliseum.

Don’t forget that there is an Isles Draft Party Meetup before the event at Doolins, and I’ve been asked to help out at the Islanders Social Media table. Stop by and say hello to your fellow Fans and Tweeps alike.

Will Garth Snow trade his fifth overall selection? Will he package his later round picks to move up in the the later part of the first round? Will we see other transactions?

One never knows, that’s the beauty of Draft Day and what makes it so exciting!

Later on this evening I’ll be taking a look at who should be available to the Isles at the fifth pick, and continue my tradition of “Islesbloggers Draft Wish” that I have done the last several years.

Stay tuned!

It’s been a slow few weeks in Islanders country, although – not in terms of talks with Nassau County on that whole new Arena business. The Islanders however, have announced today that they have agreed to terms with Kyle Okposo on a five-year contract.

Per the Islanders press release:

The New York Islanders announced today that forward Kyle Okposo has agreed to terms on a five-year contract.

“I’m very excited to commit to the Islanders for the next five years, especially with the news of the new Coliseum,” Okposo said. “This team really showed its potential in the second half of the season last year and I’m excited to be a part of getting the franchise back to the playoffs.”

Okposo, 23, scored five goals with 15 assists in 38 games for the Islanders last season. The St. Paul, MN, native missed the first 44 games of 2010-11 due to a shoulder injury, which he suffered during training camp.
“Kyle has been a critical part of our young core over the past few seasons,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow. “He is a high character guy that brings size and a scoring touch to our lineup.”

The Islanders selected Okposo in the first round, seventh overall, of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He has served as an assistant captain since 2009-10. In 192 career NHL games, all with the Islanders, Okposo has scored 116 points (44 goals, 72 assists).

The 6’0”, 210-pound forward has also played in 35 American Hockey League games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and he’s represented the United States at two World Championships and two World Junior Championships.

Before beginning his professional career, Okposo spent one season in the United States Hockey League with the Des Moines Buccaneers, followed by two collegiate years at the University of Minnesota.

Now that Okposo is in the fold for the next while, Garth can look to some of the other players who are also restricted free agents and deserve some longevity as well.

Kyle didn’t really show us what he could do to the fullest potential this past season – due to his shoulder injury in camp and I was personally disappointed. He is one of those players who may not always wind up on the score sheet, but is ALWAYS in position defensively and makes those important offensive plays as well. He’s not afraid to hit and has shown he has that razzle dazzle with the puck on his stick.

The Islanders certainly solidified themselves for the long term with this contract, as they did with Michael Grabner’s contract a few weeks back.

It was 1983, the Islanders were on their way to their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup and the then young official Kerry Fraser called what he even admits was a bad game. He recalls the feeling like a young school boy being scolded by Arbour, and gives a fantastic insiders look into what goes on within the officiating community – especially during Playoff time. Fraser’s remarks came from a TSN column on make up calls.

Here are a few tidbits:

In 1983, I worked a game in Chicago Stadium between the New York Islanders dynasty team coached by the legendary, Al Arbour. Discipline was the trademark of those Arbour-coached teams. Al seldom raised his voice. When he did, I knew I screwed up. Ten minutes into this game, I had given the normally disciplined Islanders four penalties. It wasn’t that they were playing poorly; it was just that I was that awful.

The fourth penalty put the Islanders two men short and Al stood in the open door of his players’ bench with his hand on his hips while I waited in the end zone for him to place three players on the ice. His icy glare drew a bead on me as he waived his arm at me and yelled, “Kerry, get over here!”

I had such respect for Al, I skated over upon his command and stood before him like a school kid in front of the principal. Al said, “Kerry, what the hell are you doing out here tonight?” With my eyes focused on my skates beneath me I replied, “I don’t know Al. I’m really struggling and don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Finally, I raised my eyes to see this coaching icon scratching his head and staring back at me. He pressed his lips together and said, “Well get the hell out there and try harder.” Like a little kid that was scolded by his father I responded, “Okay, Al, I’ll do my best.”

There is certainly a lot more to read and it’s a great to see that Fraser continues to contribute to hockey even in his retirement. As much as he has taken his digs from fans with all those now famous chants, he was always one of the referees I would hope to catch a glimpse of – there was always something about the way he skated and officiated.

Then there was the fact that he was one of the last officials to forgo wearing a helmet, oh and how could I forget – the hair.

In an off season that has seen some crazy stuff during the playoffs – at least there was some talk of the Islanders, and it wasn’t even draft related!

Terms and dollars, as per team policy were not announced.

I’ll have some more in a bit after the conference call!

Good for Jack on this, I’m very happy with this move and I’m anticipating some good stuff down the line!

It also appears that assistants Dean Chynoweth and Scott Allen will remain in their positions as well.

It wasn’t quite what the Orange vs Blue scrimmage was earlier this summer – I think the Islanders learned what worked and what didn’t since then, like having the players wear their full jerseys, WITH numbers (a godsend for us media types located high above the ice….).

In all seriousness though, I felt they did a great job putting the scrimmage together. This time around, it wasn’t just prospects and camp invitees dazzling the crowd of 1500 with nifty passes and toe drags, instead it featured many of the players we will see on a daily basis during the upcoming season, which was a nice taste for a September afternoon. Those missing were those a bit banged up, Captain Doug Weight (shoulder), Kyle Okposo (shoulder), Rob Figren (foot), and Franz Nielsen was also absent and seen walking around the halls during the post game scrums.

The energy was high this afternoon and it was evident from the opening faceoff that the players missed catering to their fans and playing the sport they love.

From the puck drop on, I noted to those around me how strange it was heading Rick DiPietro quaterbacking the players from the goal mouth – I couldn’t honestly remember the last time he was in as good of a mood or as vocal. Not even when I went up to Bridgeport to see DP in his return to action was he as comfortable or vocal (and we know why now…).

Bruno Gervais was up on the scoreboard doing a pre-taped interview, when asked who his favorite athlete was – he quipped “Josh Bailey”. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see Bailey’s reaction – but those around us were laughing for a few minutes.

Mark Streit and James Wisniewski had plenty of time together on the power play – they had a number of chances each and moved the puck well. You could tell they could become a dangerous pair during the season. Unfortunately for Streit however, Matt Moulson would catch him with a cross check sending him awkwardly into the boards and he left the ice clutching his shoulder. He did not return.

Blake Comeau and Trent Hunter would each score two goals for their respective teams (White and Blue) – if any players could stand to contribute more this upcoming season – it’s those two.

Tavares looks like he will have a great sophomore season – he looked strong, poised with the puck and was even used in penalty killing situations this afternoon. He notched an assist when he hooked up with Comeau in the first period and would score on a nice wrap around on Dwayne Roloson later in the second period. Look for him to build upon his numbers from last season.

P.A. Parenteau and Rob Hisey each showed they have the tools to make the Islanders a better club, Parenteau had two assists.

Zenon Konopka proved he was more than just a fourth line agitator, scoring on a nice feed from Nino Niederreiter. Speaking of Nino, he looked like he belonged and wanted to earn his spot on the roster. While he may not have lit up the scoresheet – he was in the right place and the right time and had numerous chances. One of the most memorable was a wraparound attempt on Mikko Koskinen that he was able to stop (in spectacular fashion I may add).

Speaking on antagonists, Jon Sim would get under DiPietro’s skin and absorbed some contact behind the net. In return, DiPietro pretty much body slammed Sim and received a holding penalty on the play. Interesting that even a teammate could lose patience with Sim.

Andy Hilbert refreshed Islanders fans all over again why we refer to him as stone hands, although he earned the reputation of stone legs today too with his slow foot speed (sorry Andy).

The newbies!

Milan Jurcina, Mark Eaton, and Jeremy Yablonski – they all looked like they fit in. I don’t recall seeing anything (aside from a penalty here or there) that was generally concerning, so that’s a positive.

Goaltending was solid on both sides – Dwayne Roloson looked as sharp and agile as he did last season. Rick DiPietro looked solid and healthy – he tracked the puck well through traffic and made some spectacular and athletic saves throughout. Mikko Koskinen replaced Roloson after the second period and looked great as well – he’s such a big guy that he makes the net look very, very small.

The scrimmage ended in a 4-4 tie (which almost seemed scripted) and would come down to the skill competition to determine the winner.

Skills Competition

First up was the hardest shot, for the white team Travis Hamonic lead off shooting 65 and 94 mph. Up first for blue, Milan Jurcina who shot 99 and 101 mph. James Wisniewski was up next for white, shooting 97 and 99 mph, followed by Andy MacDonald for blue dialing in at 90 and 96 mph. Up last for white was Blake Comeau shooting 93 and 90 mph and last for blue Radek Martinek with 92 and 100 mph. Jurcina would earn the point for team blue.

The next event was some short of shooting relay, there were four rounds consisting of two players from each team each round shooting on Mikko Koskinen. It went as follows:

Heat 1
White – Comeau and Eaton (2/4)

Heat 2
Blue – Sim and Martin (0/4)

Heat 3
White – Gervais and Bailey (3/4)

Heat 4
Blue – Moulson and Hunter (0/4)

Team white earned the point this round and it was tied 1-1

The last and final even was the breakaway contest. Mikko Koskinen remained in net once again and it played out as follows:

White – Nino Niederreiter – Goal
Blue – Jesse Joensuu – No Goal
White – P.A. Parenteau – Goal
Blue – Rhett Rahkshani – No Goal
White – John Tavares – Goal
Blue – Rob Schremp – Did not shoot

Team White earned the point and the win due to this event.

Post Game

I did not interview anyone in particular today because it was an absolute madhouse down in the locker room. A big group was around Moulson, as they were Gillies and DiPietro – I honestly didn’t want to rehash what everyone else was talking about tonight so I skipped the locker room and just wanted to hear what Scott Gordon had to say.

Gordon would defend Moulson’s hit on Streit because it wasn’t anything you wouldn’t normally see during practice, and Streit’s injury was more a “flukish injury” and resulted because of his awkward fall. The head coach then went on to tell us that he would like to work with the team more during the week on a few areas, but overall he felt they have progressed well.

Overall I thought the team is coming together nicely, but another week of training camp cant hurt to bring them all together even more, get into game shape and of course learn Scott Gordon’s system.

I cannot wait for the season to start!

Per the Calgary Sun:

Right-winger David Toews has decided to leave the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux after two seasons to join the Wheaties for his 20-year-old season. The Wheat Kings drafted Toews in the sixth round of the 2005 bantam draft.

Toews, who had nine goals and 26 points in 51 games at UND, was a third-round pick of the New York Islanders in the 2008 NHL draft.

In Other News

In other off season player news, several former Islanders have signed on with other clubs as free agents.

Defenseman Freddy Meyer has signed with the Atlanta Thrashers next season in a two-way deal for $500,000.

Meyer spent the last three seasons with the Islanders. He had four goals and 11 assists in a career-high 64 games in 2009-10 and 19 goals, 52 assists and 147 penalty minutes in 266 career NHL games.

Meyer has been a solid player for the Islanders over the last three seasons, although he was lost on waivers for a brief period to the Phoenix Coyotes – he was reclaimed shortly thereafter due to his solid play. He often logged important minutes and earned special teams play, his departure is a due to a vastly improved defensive unit this season with the addition of Eaton, Jurcina and Wisniewski.

Also, Sean Bergenheim was signed to a one year deal by the Tampa Bay Lightning this week. Originally selected 22nd overall by the Islanders, the fan favorite Begenheim had 40 goals and 40 assists over 246 career games with the Islanders.

Bergy, as fans and teammates affectionately called him, just couldn’t put it together at a consistent level. He’s a great skater with offensive ability who plays an exciting energetic
style, he was also great at being a pest – so the Lightning certainly added a nice piece.

But wait, there’s more!

The Islanders also added two players this week – one a former Islander who spent the previous season in the Minnesota Wild’s system.

Andy Hilbert has signed with the Islanders on a one year two-way contract as has forward Rob Hisey.

Per the Islanders release:

Hilbert returns to the Islanders after playing within the Minnesota Wild organization last season. The Howell, MI native skated in four games for the Wild. He spent the majority of the season with Minnesota’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Houston Aeros, totaling 25 points (nine goals and 16 assists) in 33 games. Prior to his stint with the Wild, Hilbert was a member of the Islanders for three seasons, accumulating 27 goals and 44 assists for 71 points in 218 games. Hilbert was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins in the second round (37th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Over the course of the four seasons that Hilbert spent in the Bruins organization, he split each season between Boston and their AHL affiliate the Providence Bruins.

Hisey played his first season of professional hockey in North America last year in both the AHL with the Springfield Falcons and the Central Hockey League with the Tulsa Oilers. A native of Oakville, ON, Hisey skated in 37 games for the Falcons last season, scoring 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points. With Tulsa, Hisey tallied 41 points (19 goals and 22 assists) in 24 games. Hisey played the previous four seasons in Finland, Germany, Austria and Sweden.

I like the Hilbert signing in that he was always solid defensively and shorthanded – he will replace Richard Park in all likelihood if and when he gets regular playing time with the the Islanders.

Rob Hisey I don’t know much about at this point, but from what I have heard he has some offensive potential and possesses Rob Schremp like hands around the net. Garth Snow likely sees this as another player worthy of a look and will likely play with the Sound Tigers this season.

I’d just like to take a second to wish Meyer and Bergenheim luck this up coming season and thank them for the job they did during their time here on Long Island. Best of luck gents.

Yesterday, the New York Islanders placed forward Joel Rechlicz, a player those of us in the Blog Box have grown to know (and in some cases love) the last year, on waivers. Unfortunately, he has found himself the odd man out of the enforcer situation, a position the Islanders appeared they felt they didn’t need the way Rechlicz and Trevor Gillies bounced back and forth between Bridgeport and Long Island.

Gillies, who was signed to a one year extension back in April and Zenon Konopka who signed as a free agent on July 2nd make getting a call for enforcer duty next to impossible for Rechlicz. Great young player, but a victim of circumstance none-the-less. It was announced today that he has cleared waivers, so he will most likely remain in Bridgeport next season and help out the new crop of talent debuting there this season.

The Islanders have announced today, 07/16/10 that Rechlicz’s contract has been terminated and he is now a unrestricted free agent.

Now, what about these cupcakes?

Ok, so earlier you may or may not remember reading something about cupcakes. Maybe that’s the only reason why you’re still reading – I don’t know. However, there is now an official Islanders cupcake vendor. Yes, cupcake enthusiasts rejoice!

Per the Islanders Press Release:

The New York Islanders announced today the addition of a new corporate partner in the unique sponsorship category of cupcakes. The Islanders have signed an agreement to designate Cupcake Gourmet, Inc. as the official cupcake supplier of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the New York Islanders Hockey Club.

“To be the official cupcake supplier of the Islanders and Nassau Coliseum is huge to me,” Amy Brady, Owner of Cupcake Gourmet, Inc. said. “I fell in love with the team when I moved to Long Island 15 years ago and to be a part of their world feels great.”

Justin Johnson, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships & Marketing for the Islanders said: “We are thrilled to launch this partnership with Amy and Cupcake Gourmet as we continually enhance the everyday menu board for our fans.”

The Huntington, N.Y.-based Cupcake Gourmet company will sell cupcakes designed with the Islanders’ logo and traditional orange, white and blue colors during all 2010-11 home games. The cupcakes will become available at all entertainment events at the Coliseum, beginning August 18 with The Wiggles: Wiggly Circus.

You can read some more over on the Islanders website, however I must disappoint as you won’t be eating a cupcake with Joel Rechlicz’s image on it anytime soon….

Boy has it been a while since I have seen some live hockey, well – not really all too long but I never would’ve imagined I would be getting ready to head to the Coliseum on a steamy July evening.

Tonight the Islanders prospects are taking part in a scrimmage amongst themselves – followed by a skills competition. It’s a showcase of talents of sorts and a way to present the future Islanders to their beloved and hockey crazed fans.

I am not entirely sure of the setup, we may be in an area of the arena or we may even be up in the pressbox. The physical location of the Blog Box no longer exists, the format will be a bit different this upcoming season then in years past – so keep tabs tonight both here on my blog and on my Twitter feed for updates one way or another.

I am extremely excited to see Niederreiter, Kabanov and Petrov skate with some of the other Islanders prospects. It should be a great night – so stay tuned.

If you are noticing some players missing off of that list, you’re not mistaken – as several players remain, unsigned. If you have not figured it out just yet, they are: Sean Bergenheim and Jeff Tambellini.

It’s no secret that those two players who have not been tendered qualifying offers, have how do you say – struggled, under head coach Scott Gordon, so they may have played their respective last games in Islanders orange and blue.

What is a qualifying offer you ask?

Per the Islanders website:

Qualifying offers are tendered to players who are no longer on their entry-level deals but do not qualify as un-restricted free agents, making them restricted free agents. Teams must extend qualifying offers to restricted free agents to retain their negotiating rights and have the right of first refusal.

As of Thursday, July 1, those players who have received qualifying offers will have until Thursday, July 15 to accept. The deadline for players to elect to go to salary arbitration is Monday, July 5. If a player rejects the qualifying offer, but does not elect to go to salary arbitration, the Islanders will still retain their rights until and agreement is made or they become eligible for unrestricted free-agency.

The NHL club can also elect to take a player to salary arbitration and the deadline for club arbitration is Tuesday, July 6.

Salary arbitration hearing take place starting on Tuesday, July 20 with the final date set for Wednesday, August 4.

While we are talkin’ contract – there are several Islanders who will reach unrestricted free agency July 1st: Martin Biron, Freddy Meyer, Jon Sim, Richard Park, and Tim Jackman. Many of which, may also find themselves in a different uniform come next week.

Stay Tuned folks, this is where the off season gets really fun!

No, unfortunately it’s not – but we are closer to September which also means we are that much closer to the start of pre-season hockey!!

The Islanders are set to play in five games in the 2010 preseason:

• Wednesday, September 29th – Split squad game at Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, SASK against the Calgary Flames. The second game is to be played at the Wachovia Center against the Philadelphia Flyers. Each game starts at 7pm local times.
• Friday, October 1st – the Islanders take on the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. Game starts at 7pm.
• Saturday October 2nd – another set of split squad games, one half of the team will play the New Jersey Devils at the Coliseum and the other half will take on the Montreal Canadiens at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City. Each of those games also starts at 7pm

Not the greatest schedule in the world with the split squad games, especially a split squad game in their only home appearance – but what can you do?

The full schedule for the 2010-2011 Islanders season is set to be released tomorrow.

For more information, visit the Islanders Website

I’ve been meaning to put up an announcement for quite some time now (as well as content) – but for the third year in a row I am headed to the NHL Entry Draft!

As you may already know, this years draft is located in Los Angeles, California – so it’s quite the haul compared to Ottawa and Montreal years prior.

Another difference, I am the lone Blog Boxer headed out, so it should be interesting.

In the coming days I have some exciting lead up content planned for both my site and over at Bleacher Report, where I am the Featured Islanders columnist.

I cannot wait to see who the Islanders pick up in the five slot in this years draft!

Stay tuned to my site, my Twitter feed, Bleacher Report and of course the Islanders website and Twitter feeds for constant NHL Draft updates throughout the draft!!

In his first year pro last season, Jack Hillen showed a great amount of poise and patience in his position. He has an effortless skating stride and had come a long way from his brief stint with the team the end of the season prior to last. He is one of those players that Snow obviously saw something in and took a chance on, I am excited he has been locked up and cannot wait to see him continue to grow with the team. With Hillen locked up, the team can focus on Blake Comeau, another player whom opted to not sign their qualifying deal.

Here is the official release:

The New York Islanders today announced that they have signed defenseman, Jack Hillen to a two-year contract.

Hillen was originally signed by the Islanders on April 1, 2008, at the completion of his senior year at Colorado College. He played in two games at the end of the Islanders’ 2007-08 season and recorded an assist, his first National Hockey League point. Last season, Hillen played in 40 games for the Islanders, registering a goal and five assists for six points. The tally was his first in the NHL and it came on March 5 against Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers.

“We are happy to have Jack signed,” said Garth Snow, General Manager, New York Islanders. “He proved to be a reliable defenseman and should continue to be a productive player for our team.”

The Minnetonka, MN native had an illustrious career at Colorado College, winning the Defenseman of the Year Award and being named First Team All WCHA. In 151 games played for the Colorado College Tigers, Hillen totaled 19 goals and 57 assists for 76 points.

This is a big day for both JT and the Islanders organization as a whole. Tavares is a KEY PIECE to Garth Snow’s grand master plan – now that his contract is behind him Tavares can concentrate on doing whatever he needs to make sure his transition into the NHL goes smooth.

Congratulations John, you are bow OFFICIALLY part of Long Island and the New York Islanders – we cannot express OUR excitement enough.

UNIONDALE, NY, July 15, 2009 – The New York Islanders announced today the signing of John Tavares to a three-year entry level contract. Tavares was selected by the Islanders first overall in the 2009 National Hockey League Draft.

Tavares, a native of Oakville, ON, played in 247 career Ontario Hockey League games over four seasons, compiling 215 goals and 218 assists for 433 points. His 215 tallies surpassed Peter Lee’s former OHL record of 214 goals, which Lee held for 33 years. In 2007, Tavares was named the Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year, after breaking the OHL record for goals in a season with 72, a milestone previously held by Wayne Gretzky. Tavares played in 38 career OHL playoff games, recording 20 goals and 36 assists for a total of 56 points.

“It’s an exciting time for the Islanders organization as we develop our young talent into a contender,” said Garth Snow, General Manager, New York Islanders. “John provides another important piece to help us achieve our ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup.”

Last season, the 19-year-old center, led the OHL in goals (58) and points (104). Tavares recorded 50 points (32 goals and 18 assists) in 24 games after he was traded to the London Knights about halfway through the 2008-09 season and tied for the league lead in power-play goals with 14. Tavares also finished ninth in OHL playoff scoring with 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points.

“I’m excited to officially become a part of the New York Islanders organization and begin my professional career this upcoming season,” said Tavares. “I look forward to joining the Islanders and be part of a team that’s ultimate goal is to bring the Stanley Cup back to Long Island.”

Tavares won back-to-back gold medals with Team Canada at the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships. He was named the 2009 tournament MVP and World Junior Top Forward. Tavares tallied eight goals and seven assists for 15 points at the 2009 Tournament to complete his all-time tournament scoring marks at 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points. His career World Junior goal total of 12, ties him with fellow Canadians Eric Lindros and Jeff Carter for most goals in a career at the World Junior Championships.

Tavares is the fourth number one overall pick selected by the Islanders. In 2000, the Islanders selected goaltender Rick DiPietro first overall. Denis Potvin was picked first overall at the 1973 NHL Entry Draft and in 1972 the Islanders selected forward Billy Harris.

Just got a confusing press release from the Isles that says WE got the conditional pick:

The New York Islanders have acquired Tony Romano and a conditional pick in the 2012 National Hockey League Entry Draft from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for center Ben Walter. 

Romano played the last two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League.  The Smithtown, NY native was the leading scorer for the Peterborough Petes last season, scoring 36 goals and 33 assists for 69 points in 65 games.  The year prior, Romano skated in 66 games for the London Knights and registered 22 points (12 goals and 10 assists).  Romano was drafted in the sixth round (178th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and played that same year for Cornell University where he totaled nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points in 29 games. 

Walter spent the last two seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers where he accumulated 116 points.  He played in a total of 12 games for the Islanders during his two seasons with the organization scoring one goal. 

Per NHL.com:

The New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders swung a small trade Tuesday. The Devils sent Tony Romano to the Islanders in exchange for Ben Walter and a conditional draft pick in 2012.

Walter, a former fifth-round pick of the Boston Bruins, has 22 games of NHL experience spread over four seasons, including two with the Bruins and the last two with the Islanders.

He played in four games last season while also wracking up 50 points in 65 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League. Walter has averaged 20 goals and nearly 56 points per season in the AHL since turning pro in 2005 after spending three seasons at UMass-Lowell.

Romano, 21, the Devils’ sixth round pick in 2006, has spent the last two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, first with the London Knights and then with the Peterborough Petes. He had 69 points in 65 games last season with Peterborough.

Ok so Romano is a 21 year old prospect (and Smithtown, NY native) who has not played at all in the NHL just yet, not really any different then Walter and his cup-o-coffee. Romano is listed at 5’7″ and 170lbs but his offensive numbers seem to indicate he uses his lack of size well enough to get to scoring areas. I am unsure if he played with Tavares at all, but it just seems they seem to be targeting players from the same systems and organizations – for whatever that is worth. You can read more about Romano on Hockey’s Future.

Like I said, this isn’t exactly the same as the Rangers shipping Scott Gomez off to Montreal for Chris Higgins, but it’s a start. Only two more days till the free agent frenzy begins.

Well, we all know how my draft wish ended up last time around, hopefully this year now that we have the number one overall selection, things will end a bit differently.

In the hopes I get this right, let’s just reuse most of the first paragraph of that post last season:

Not since the likes of one Zigmund Palffy have I been more excited or intrigued by a player like John Tavares. It’s not because he is the next Canadian sensation – (although it helps), but it’s because of the way he makes skating and other hockey skills (save for that pesky alleged defensive zone ineptitude) appear natural and free-flowing. Everything I have heard of Tavares, I have liked. He knows what pressure is like and feels that the New York Islanders would be a great team for him. He is excited about the prospect of returning glory to our storied franchise, digs the history behind the team, LOVES Long Island (although Hedman loves the women…) and wants to jump headfirst into the NHL.

Tavares is a sniper, plain and simple. He is the guy that just has a nose for the net and finds himself time and space to get open and put the puck in the net. His faults can be augmented by strong play by his linemates. So what, he may be less then stellar in his own end – the kid can score. He has broken tons and tons of records and has excelled as he progressed from level to level. He has been in the spotlight since he was 14 and been touted as a potential first rounder since then.

I know Chris Botta already used information from McKenzie’s article on TSN, but I have had the tab open in my browser since it came out. Several quotes like

“I don’t envision us moving the (No. 1) pick,

“That’s the plan right now,” Snow said. “Don’t you think (the suspense) is a good thing? Don’t you think that’s the way it should be?”

He said suspense, think about a PACKED Nassau Coliseum with thousands of screaming fans not knowing who the selection will be, but praying for John Tavares. Do you think they are excited for Victor Hedman or Matt Duchene? Each of those players will be great in their own right, but do you honestly feel all the hoopla is for either of them? As of yesterday, the Islanders have given away over 18,000 free tickets to their Draft Party. That is a staggering number. With all the fallout from trading down from number five, to seven and then to nine for Josh Bailey at the very small draft party last year, I am going to be estatic that I am in a different country if things do not happen this way this time around. Charles Wang won’t even have to pay for demolition of the Coliseum to pave way for his Lighthouse Project, the place will be torn apart one section at a time for free Friday June 26th at around 7:15pm.

When prodded about how long he has known who he would pick, Snow replied:

“Well, when we won the draft lottery (on April 14) I was asked if I knew who we were going to take,” Snow said. “I said at the time that I had a pretty good idea but that I wasn’t firmly committed to it until we went through the process of doing our due diligence on all the top guys. Let’s just say the process re-affirmed what I thought back then. We want the same guy now that we wanted back then.”

If the consensus pick was John Tavares, their pick is Tavares.

Yes, the Islanders did due diligence in interviewing all of the top three. They had each player visit Long Island and spend time with Garth Snow, current players and even alumni. In the end, the player who spent the most time here, made a large impact on management and Doug Weight? John Tavares.

However, McKenzie gets the following warning out of Snow near the end of the page:

“Honestly, and this isn’t an indication of who we’re taking or not taking, but we can’t be concerned with public perception of what people think we should do,”

Public perception is funny, should we take any hints from what he says then at that point? Misdirection for the purpose of confusing your opponents is one heck of a way for a GM to make a name for himself. If you aren’t going to listen to fans and then have 18,000 of them show up – why should we even listen to your rhetoric? It’s a two-way street Garth.

I have been saying Tavares or Bust for months – I still feel that way right now. It may even make people forget that they passed up on Nikita Filatov last season, a player that most likely the same fans were just as excited about.

Chris Botta had stated he felt this was going to happen earlier today, but he was just trumped by Greg Logan whom received solid confirmation through a “knowledgeable NHL source” (Does anyone else think Botta told Logan….?).

This now leaves only one of two open positions for the assistants from the previous season to return. Scott Gordon is well on his way to changing the dynamic of this team. I am going to go out on a limb here and say Chynoweth will be in charge of the defensive aspect of the game – being he was a defenseman, so hopefully our penalty kill will get a boost.

Not really sure what goes into the thought behind these types of lists, playoff record, championship record or a combination of arenas, location and the aforementioned records combined.

Here is a quick rundown of the top 10 most miserable:

1. Seattle, Washington
2. Atlanta, Georgia
3. Buffalo, New York
4. Phoenix, Arizona
5. Houston, Texas
6. San Diego, California
7. Denver, Colorado
8. Cleveland, Ohio
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
10. Kansas City, Missouri

What makes me chuckle deep down inside after reading the list, was coming to the Kansas City listing at number ten. For all the talk of the potential relocation of the Islanders to KC – they sure do rank low in terms of a valuable sports location.

Check out the whole article-slideshow on the Forbes website.

I have never been up to Bridgeport before, but I have seen the Sound Tigers a bunch – either way it will be a fun experience seeing them from the press box.

My seatmate in 309 – Anthony from Brooklyn – claims the food there is outstanding. Good thing I brought my appetite!

I am going to do my best at blogging during the game – but check out Tom’s live blog as he does it best.

More from the road – a route MANY of the players in the Islanders system have seen a bunch this season.

Update: 6:11pm

Ok, so road updates were pretty much pointless, unless you wanted to know about accidents and traffic on 95. However, Tom and I are now nestled comfortably in the press box here at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

My first impression of the arena was “Wow”. Although smallish, the place is brand spanking new and looks really nice (you know for an AHL arena I guess). I don’t really have anything to compare it to – just to be honest.

Upon arriving, I went and got my media pass and a USB thumb drive containing the game notes and media kit. At the Coliseum, you know – an NHL arena, the game notes are handed out in a very, very thick booklet. They should totally do what they do here for the BST.

As you can see from the picture above, the press box isn’t nearly as high as it would be normally in other arenas – the arena only has one lower bowl and then a level of skyboxes. We are located at the top of the seating area – which would be just a tad higher then where the blog box is located at the Coliseum. The view is really good from here – you still feel as if you are part of the action, although I am having a problem seeing the names on the back of the jerseys. Oh well, that’s what the numbers are for.

Gametime

About to see the Tigers skate out of a gigantic inflatable here – if anyone wants to know where the Islanders introduction video featuring players on a pirate ship went – it’s alive and well in Bridgeport.

Puck has been dropped here, Ryan Duncan is out on the ice for the Sound Tigers – apparently this kid is very talented, despite his listed size of 5’6″.

Sound Tigers get on the board first – Haley from Hennigar. The arena does something nice here, after a home team goal the house lights dim and they have a spotlight on the goalscorer. It was a really nice touch. The goal song – I have to add, is MUCH better than that of the Islanders. There is also something special about a tiger’s growl that does something for the soul.

Watching these future Islanders skate around here – something just occurred to me; this team is GOOD, no – GREAT! It makes you realize that the systems put into place on the Island and here in Bridgeport are really coming into their own. What’s important, at least in my eyes – is how you can plug players into the NHL lineup with relative ease (as we have seen, what – 1000 times?). I think all of the injures the Sound Tigers parent club suffered this year certainly jump started the rebuild process in a way.

7:28pm Tigers were shorthanded, but then Springfield took an offensive zone penalty to even it up, however, Lawson took a retaliatory and the Tigers still find themselves down a man.

7:35pm Lawson just did his best DiPietro impression and got caught out of position due to chasing down a loose puck – the game is all tied up at one a piece.

7:39pm Tigers power play coming up.

End of the first period and the score is still all knotted up at one. It’s been a while since I have seen an AHL game and it’s quite different. The pace is a lot slower than I am used to and it makes it seem like the players have an extra second to make a decision with the puck. It’s evident why players like Tambellini would really flourish here and have a problem adjusting to the NHL.

More after the break. Going to watch Tom do a radio spot.

Second Period

Second period underway here as the teams switch sides – the Tigers have been dominant at times, let’s see if they can keep sustained pressure on the Falcons this period and get the go-ahead goal.

8:04pm Sound Tigers headed back to the power play.

That was quick, Jon Sim pots a rebound in for a power play goal. Sim (16th of the season) from Lee and Iggulden.

8:06pm As I was typing, the Tigers scored again – 3-1 is the score. Lassard from Joensuu and Walter.

8:11pm Tigers shorthanded here – hooking.

And just like that, Springfield fires back and scores on the power play. 3-2 Bridgeport

8:13pm Even though I said I wasn’t going to “live blog” – Bridgeport is headed back on the power play.

8:18pm Abbreviated Bridgeport two man advantage here, which ends right now. Still a man up.

8:20pm Even though the Sound Tigers did not score on either of those power plays, there were TWO golden opportunities lost. The first was a redirection that hit the far side post after it trickled through the crease. The second, a chance on the doorstep that was misfired. Still have good pressure on Springfield at even strength.

8:27pm Callahan with speed breaks through – everyone and from behind the net throw it through traffic to Joensuu who promptly puts it in. Joensuu (20th) from Calahan

4-2 Sound Tigers

8:32pm Clearly the Falcons are playing on their heels as they have taken yet another penalty. Holding.

Well, there was a goal – but this time Springfield has converted on a shorthanded goal after Macdonald lost control of the puck at the Falcons blue line. It was a two on one going back and the perfect pass left Lawson pretty much helpless. 4-3

8:35pm One minute warning – final minute of the period.

Springfield almost stormed back to tie the game – they came close to scoring another shorthanded goal on the same Bridgeport power play. Springfield must have had some talking to by their bench boss, as they certainly responded after taking their latest penalty.

More after the break, going to try to get something to eat quick.

Third Period

Tom and I scoffed down two foot long hotdogs in record time – just to get back to the live action. I will touch on the concourse here in a second.

We are back underway. We were just handed an official attendance report for the evening – 3322 people are present on this rainy Friday – I believe this to be around 1200 less than the typical average for a game if my memory of the game notes is correct.

Back to the concourse – it’s a big difference from what we are used to at the Coliseum. Yes, there are less people – but it’s 50% wider than the old barn. Ingress and egress as well as general movement is a lot easier.

9:03pm Bridgeport is headed back to the power play, maybe this time they wont give up a shorthanded goal?

9:11pm Sound Tigers have taken another penalty, Springfield had pretty good pressure for a good part of the first half of this period too – going to be interesting.

9:19pm As the clock is under the five minute mark in the third period, both teams are playing a bit differently then they were before. Not much real pressure at each end, although there have been a few decent shots – not many scoring chances.

Final minute, empty net Springfield.

Time out Springfield – :37.6 remaining in the third period.

And that’s the game! Final score Bridgeport Soundtigers 4 Springfield Falcons 3

3rd Star: Nathan Lawson BST
2nd Star: Ryan Potulny SF
1st: Jesse Joensuu BST

At least two of the players I voted for were chosen! First time I ever picked the three stars of the game.

Gonna head downstairs tonight for the post game.

During his worst struggles, the Islanders sent him packing to Philly where he still couldn’t find his game. He then spent a year in Phoenix, signed a deal with Russia in July of this summer after no NHL interest and finally balked on that contract to sign with Columbus.

Word from Eric Smith on Hockeybuzz has Columbus placing York on waivers. Hopefully, this does not mark the beginning of the end for York – as he only 30 years old.

For more on Mike York’s career, check out the page on Wikipedia.