Moving right along today in an afternoon filled with jubilant Islanders news, RFA Defensive prospect Jack Hillen has been signed to a two year contract after refusing to sign his qualifying offer early last week. Chris Botta reports it is as a one-way contract.

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.

No Comments »

Just got word that 2009 First Overall draft pick John Tavares has been signed to his rookie deal – marking the start of what we hope is a long successful career in the NHL and with the New York Islanders. Monetary terms were not disclosed, but the deal is three years in length and said to be paying him in the mid $800k range with bonuses that could bring him into the mid $3 million range. It’s your typical max rookie deal – much like Steve Stamkos recieved from Tampa last year.

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.

1 Comment »

You know I barely paid any attention to my phone today and I missed out on the start of action, albeit a small one. The Islanders have traded forward Ben Walter and a contional pick in 2012 to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for the rights of 2006 6th round pick Tony Romano.

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.

3 Comments »

It’s that time of year again. I’ve been bad at pumping up the draft this time around – especially because I WILL BE THERE again.

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.

11 Comments »

Remember all the rumblings earlier this off season about the Islanders bringing in an assistant coach with Islanders ties (not literally ties that go with a suit…)? It turns out that the rumors were indeed true. Dean Chynoweth whom played defense for the Isles from 1988 to 1996 (per the Media Guide) and amassed our goals and had 18 assists in 241 games is expected to be named an assistant to Scott Gordon sometime tomorrow. This is all following his sudden departure as head coach of Swift Current in the Western Hockey League.

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.

No Comments »

Call it a ray of hope, if anything a slight glimmer of hope – but Nassau County, Long Island was NOT on the Forbes top 10 most miserable sports location list. Unfortunately for 10 other locations, they were – but for once the Islanders were spared any further embarrassment.

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.

2 Comments »

Here’s something new and exciting. Tom Liodice and I are enroute to The Arena at Harbor Yard to catch the Bridgeport Sound Tigers take on the Springfield Falcons.

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.

No Comments »

Forward Mike York has seen the ups and downs during his career, no arguing that point. His time with the Islanders was split between good and bad, his time with the Rangers – also less than memorable.

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.

1 Comment »

Just browsing the boards this morning, I caught this post over at Islander Mania from Chris Dey. Apparently, after all the years of speculation, voting and complaining by fans (some, not all) the Islanders have finally decided to act and change the Gary Glitter song – to something completely custom made, which should be interesting.

For those of you not able to see the post over there, here is it in it’s entirety:

I just wanted to give everyone the courtesy of dropping a note regarding the goal song. We will be changing the goal song this season. I know that some people might be upset about this decision and for that I’m sorry but it is the right thing for us to do at this time. The reasons for this decision have been discussed at length on the message board.

We had a custom song produced and it will be unveiled at the Home Opener. We believe that it will be something that our fans will be proud of, but also understand that change can be difficult….but just know that we’ve really worked hard to create something special for you.

For the pre season game we’ll probably go with a couple different songs including Joe Sat.

I just didn’t want people to be caught off guard tomorrow night and wonder what was going on.

Thanks.

CD/

Hopefully, it gets the crowd as pumped up as the previous song – it almost doesn’t seem natural in this fans eyes. I hope I am wrong and wind up thinking it is better than the old song.

5 Comments »

It appears that early injuries to the defense are already worse than speculated. Chris Campoli and Andy Sutton whom both underwent surgery last season are apparently set to miss significant time. The Islanders claimed Thomas Pock off waivers from the Rangers today, filling a hole and adding that another important body to the Islanders now fragile defensive corps.

Per the official team release:

The New York Islanders have claimed defenseman Thomas Pock off waivers from the New York Rangers. Pock has played in 59 career NHL games and has scored seven goals with seven assists for 14 points.

Last season, Pock played in one game with the Rangers and went scoreless. He also played in 74 games with the Hartford Wolfpack of the American Hockey League and scored seven goals with 37 assists for 44 points. Pock finished tied for 11th among AHL defensemen in assists last season.

Pock has played in a total of 195 AHL games during his career, all with Hartford. He has scored 23 goals and 89 assists for 112 points and a plus/minus rating of +40. In 2005-06, Pock was named to the AHL’s Second All-Star Team.

A native of Klagenfurt, Austria, Pock was originally signed by the Rangers as an undrafted free agent after playing four seasons at the University of Massachusetts. Over the course of four seasons with Massachusetts, Pock played in 130 games and scored 44 goals and 58 assists for 102 points. He was named to the 2002-03 Hockey East Second All-Star Team, the 2003-04 Hockey East First All-Star Team and the NCAA All-Tournament teams in 2003 and 2004.

No Comments »

With head coach Scott Gordon teaching his overspeed technique and the Islanders being successful against Boston two nights ago – you wonder if we will see increased production from the back end. You know there are defensemen on the team who can pot some goals, but will we see production from unlikely sources?

Looking over the Islanders lineup, who are our clear cut offensive d-men?

Mark Streit: Signed to a five year deal in the offseason, Streit was the power play points leader last season with Montreal, clearly he is the front runner for offensive d-men on the Islanders this year.

Chris Campoli: Streit’s potential linemate (although they are both left handed shots), it has been said that Campoli is the up and coming young offensive d-man the Islanders are hoping he would be. Campoli’s confidence and point totals have grown significantly in his time with the Islanders – a positive indeed. Unfortunately, his season last year was cut short due to a shoulder injury and he has gone down with an unspecified injury in the first pre-season game. The outcome of this is important, because if Campoli is lost for a significant period – Snow will likely look to acquire the New York born and ex-Islander Mathieu Schneider who is clearly available from Anaheim.

Jack Hillen: Up for a pair of Rangers games at the end of last season, Hillen surprised many who didn’t know the type of game he possessed. He notched his first NHL point during his stint with the Isles and even had a savvy breakaway on Lundqvist that showcased his speed and offensive awareness. According to Greg Logan (and this goes back to our discussion at the draft and my subsequent agreement) that Hillen is making the case for an NHL roster spot out of camp. Of course, this downplays any real “need” to acquire Schneider – but you get a finished product with the latter.

Honorable mention - Bruno Gervais: Bruno seems to be somewhat of an odd-man out this year, based only on the fact that there are so many defensemen on one-way contracts while he is on a two-way. However, Gervais is a smooth skating and puck moving d-man who can certainly show offensive upside – so he deserves to be included.

Update 10:27 PM! Coincidentally Greg Logan speaks about Bruno Gervais and his ability to be an offensive player in tomorrow’s Newsday!

In the opening paragraph I mentioned seeing offense from the unlikeliest of places. Who, is likely the first question that comes to mind. Allow me to explain.

Greg Logan had some interesting quotes out of Gordon yesterday in his blog, Gordon was speaking about a specific defensemen joining the rush, the player; Brendan Witt. Witt’s goal scoring is predictable and somewhat inspiring – he scores what I have come to call “Witt’s annual goal”. Brendan Witt is the antithesis of an offensive defenseman, he is the shut down man – the guy who gets in your face and knocks you off your game.

Per Greg Logan’s Blog:

Gordon also expressed pleasure with how well the Islanders executed his high-tempo system first time out of the box. They outshot the Bruins, 38-19, and the defense did a good job of joining the rush and generating quality shots. Even Brendan Witt, who has 23 goals in 12 NHL seasons, jumped into the play once and drilled a shot that handcuffed Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask and almost bounced in off his glove.

“Yeah, he joined at the right time,” Gordon said of Witt. “It wasn’t reckless; it was calculated. There was good coverage by the forward, and had Witt not joined, it’s a two-on-two, and we don’t get the shot.”

The above quoted text makes an interesting reference to Witt making a “Calculated” offensive decision – something our defense did not do enough under Ted Nolan. While one preseason game is not enough to really get an idea on how the team is working with Scott Gordon at the helm, it already appears to be on the rebound. Another game or two and we should really know where we stand, which I have to admit – this blogger likes what he is seeing.

If anything, I can make one bold prediction about this years season: the Islanders defense will likely DOUBLE their offensive output of the 2007/2008 campaign.

No Comments »

Building on the enforcer theme today, cruising along the internet earlier I came across an AskMen.com Top Ten Amazing NHL fights list.

Browsing through their ten selections, I found a fight between Bobby Nystrom and Mel Bridgman ranked at #8. As you can see from the video below, it was a pretty wild fight indeed.

Head on over to the AskMen site and check out their other selections, specifically McSorely getting his rear end handed to him on a platter – twice.

1 Comment »