Islanders Game Operations Survey

I'd apologize for the lack of updates lately if there was anything going on that was actually worth reporting. Sadly, that isn't the case. We're doing what we can, but we won't resort to filler. Thankfully, the Islanders sent me (and everyone else on their mailing list) a survey about their game operations. It's not news, but it's something.

Now, I could just fill this out and send it in. But that's no fun. Besides, these things are actually fairly serious issues to me. If I'm going to pay for tickets to ten Islanders games and watch them lose each time, the least they could do is provide a solid environment to watch a hockey game. They're pretty hit-or-miss in that area. With that in mind, below are my results to this survey. I'm sure it will accomplish very little, but it's worth a try.

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All questions are of the "1-to-5, 1 being very dissatisfied, 5 being very satisfied" variety.

1. The music played at Islanders games, such as warm-up music, songs on whistles, audio prompts, and pump-up songs:

- Dissatisfied. Holy crap. Have the Islanders introduced even one new song over the last five years? I'm not counting emo, either. Listen to the PA during a Penguins home game. You hear Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. Old, sure, but it's got an edge to it and it's appropriate for an edgy game. Meanwhile, the selections at the Coliseum are as generic as they come. If you want fans to be excited about the upcoming play, you need to help them keep their energy level intact.

2. The quality and frequency of the live organ:

- Neutral. It's a nice touch. I kind of like the National Anthem with the organ and no singer. But if I never hear the Family Guy theme on the Coliseum organ again, it'll be too soon.

8. The usage and frequency of noise meters, noise prompts, and the general atmosphere at Islanders games:

- Very Dissatisfied. The noise meter is annoying enough. Hearing it five times a game is unbearable.

9. The exposure of the NHL out-of-town scores and the NHL highlights shown pre-game and during both intermissions on the video board:

- Dissatisfied. This is one very untapped area at Islanders games. How about some highlights from other games during intermissions?

10. The intermission on-ice games, such as the Human Puck Shoot, Nathan's Hot Dog Race, and the American Airlines' Fly Away game:

- Very Satisfied. I can't wait to do the Human Puck Shoot with my daughter one day.

12. The in-game texting features, such as text-2-screen, pix-2-screen, and the second intermission song poll:

- Satisfied. Mindless fun is always good. Though it'd be nice if they showed texts with more substance than "what up. hollaaaaa".

14. The overall Islanders game entertainment experience:

- Satisfied. Everyone's going to nitpick when the team is losing. But the Islanders do provide something for everybody and that should be commended. As the team rebuilds and forms a new identity, I would like to see the Islanders game entertainment experience change to fit the team's identity. From the music played between whistles to the videos played on the scoreboard, the presentation should fit the Islanders.

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At the bottom of the survey, there was an area for miscellaneous comments. Of course, I used that space to gush about the Coliseum pretzel twists and suggest the Islanders hold an "All You Can Eat" night.

Surveys like these might not accomplish very much, but they probably do more than give us the impression that the Islanders care what we think. We're an important part of this rebuild; the least the Islanders could do is cater to our suggestions while shelling out considerable cash to watch a mediocre (at best) team. It's not just about hearing Slayer between faceoffs, it's about helping our team become better in every way. A better game experience gives the Islanders more of a home ice advantage, which results in more wins.

We'll see how these surveys end up influencing the Islanders game operations in 2009-10. But I have a feeling I shouldn't wait up on "All You Can Eat" night.

Prospal...

If Vinny Prospal actually does become 1st-line center and has a pretty decent year, it will be a huge bargain.

A "pretty decent year" for a 1st-line center in the Rangers' eyes is probably somewhere over 60 points, seeing as Scott Gomez had 58 last year (in 77 games). As in, "Oh, well, it was an improvement over Gomez."

A "pretty decent year" for someone making only $1.1M/year is somewhere around 30 points. As in, "Prospal played 3rd-line winger and scored 30 points. Not bad for 1.1 mill."

So imagine if he does score 65-70 points at only $1.1M? It will make a failure to trade for Brad Richards - a highly rumored, if possibly majorly incorrect school-of-thought - seem like the best thing that never happened.

No, before you attack and ask how many points Gomez would've had with Gaborik on his wing instead of the Ukranian Harry Houdini and an older, slower version of Markus Naslund, the answer is "a lot."

Gomez probably would've hit 80 points with Gaborik knocking the low-angle shots from the perimeter that he always took. But, with Gomez's money on the books, there is no way Gaborik in Manhattan ever would've happen. Thanks to the Great Fleece of '09, Gomez is wearing #91 next year in Quebec and Gaborik resumes the storied career of #10 on Broadway (as long as he triples Nigel Dawes' career-high of 29 points, I'll be happy).

Okay, I've said enough. All I meant today was that I do like the thought of Prospal playing for the Rangers, and if he happens to bounce back from a poor year last year (to be fair, everyone in Tampa Bay had a poor year - St. Louis, 80 points, Lecavalier, 67 points) than that would be fantastic.

And, yes, a great deal.

My Letter To The Town Of Hempstead

Dear Sir or Madam,

Before I start, I would first like to thank you for offering this forum to make my voice heard. I would also like to thank everyone who has helped get the Lighthouse Project to this point. As a 27-year-old who has spent plenty of time questioning his future on Long Island, these efforts are greatly appreciated.

When my parents introduced me to the world in 1981 and christened me with the name Bryan (after Islanders legend Bryan Trottier), it was more than just a way to honor their favorite hockey player. It was their way of expressing what Long Island meant to them. Both of my parents were born and raised on Long Island. They married on Long Island and raised their family on Long Island. By naming me after one of Long Island's most cherished figures, they were passing the tradition of Long Island down to me. As such, my ties to both Long Island and the New York Islanders run deep.

That said, after 27 years on Long Island, I've come to a crossroads. I have a wife and daughter of my own, and their needs come before any connection I may have to my parents, my namesake, or anything else. Like most of my friends, I'm stuck at a crummy job, in debt up to my eyeballs, and paying way too much in rent for way too little space. The dream of owning a home on Long Island is a dream that died a long time ago. If the right opportunity came along to improve my family's quality of life elsewhere, I regret to say I'd leave in a heartbeat.

The Lighthouse represents a glimmer of hope to us jaded 20-somethings who feel that Long Island has done very little for them - and deservedly so. By catering to the wealthy, Long Island has essentially held the door open for people in my predicament, encouraging us to leave the only place we've called home. The Lighthouse is a sign that Long Island cares about us, that it wants us to stay. It's the kind of reciprocation many of us have been waiting for. It might not be enough to keep some of us on Long Island, but it will help ensure future generations that there is a place for them on Long Island.

While young people are an important part of the future of Long Island, this future must also include the New York Islanders. Everybody knows that the Islanders are the only major professional team on Long Island, but that's only one portion of their relevance. In many ways, everybody who lives on Long Island can claim ownership of this team. Every time a person wears an Islanders jersey or Islanders hat, they are representing Long Island, and they should be proud to wear the colors of this team. The community work done by the Islanders changes lives on a daily basis, and the Islanders deserve to know that they will be able to continue to make a difference on Long Island. The Lighthouse would only enhance the Islanders' contributions to Long Island; it would also significantly increase loyalty of Long Islanders to the team and, by extension, Long Island as a whole.

In closing, I would like to reiterate the importance of reaching out to Long Island's next generation. The young people of Long Island are capable of doing some amazing things. Like the Islanders, they can make Long Island proud, just as they should be proud to represent Long Island. Approval of the Lighthouse would be a clear message to these young people that they can look forward to a bright future on Long Island. As for my family, we remain at a crossroads. But the knowledge that Long Island is committed to my generation's future just might convince me to stick around.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Bryan Berg

Hicksville, N.Y.

www.nyhockeyrivalry.com

Rangers Fill Their Quota of Players Named "Vaclav"...

No, his real name isn't Vincent. He isn't Italian; he's Czech.

With the signing of Vaclav "Vinny" Prospal, the Rangers have added one more 3rd/4th line player, to join Artem Anisimov, Tyler Arnason, Donald Brashear, Enver Lisin, Aaron Voros, Brian Boyle, and anyone who might join the team from Hartford, namely Dane Byers, Pat Rissmiller, and P.A. Parenteau.

That's a lot of people for 6 or 7 roster spots. The Rangers also have 7 players for the top 2 lines: Drury, Higgins, Gaborik, Callahan, Dubinsky, Avery, Kotalik.

What am I saying? I'm saying something's got to be up, unless Sather forgot what happened last year.

Last year, he traded away Ryan Hollweg for a draft pick. Excellent move, especially when Hollweg got suspended during the preseason for checking from behind. To replace him, he signed Voros and Rissmiller with Colton Orr, Lauri Korpikoski, and Freddy Sjostrom already on the team. Bad move. That resulted in a salary cap ordeal, with Rissmiller being sent to the AHL and Voros riding pine until he was needed as an injury replacement for Drury and Blair Betts.

This year, there are a lot of forwards again. As the players keep signing and there is only 1 real scoring threat - Gaborik, obviously - the mind gets going.

Trade?

Probably something is in the works.

I'm not going to say that Dany Heatley will be a Ranger in the next 48 hours. I don't even know if I want that or if it's going to happen. But there is a glut of forwards for 13 or 14 roster spots, and that doesn't include a surprise that might happen, like Dale Weise or Brodie Dupont.

I am saying that this situation does lend itself nicely to a trade. It would appear Sather is stocking up forwards to package a few to get a superstar. Maybe not even a superstar, but a first-line center to feed Gaborik the puck, or a second-line sniper to take the defensive pressure off the first-line to free up ice for Gaborik. Of course, we can never underestimate the fact that this is Glen Sather we're talking about, and he might have no actual clue of what he's doing.

Of course, Dubinsky is the name that will be floated around, but don't be surprised if a Voros, Boyle, or Anisimov is included in the mix.

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On Prospal: Prospal himself isn't a bad player, despite being bought out by Tampa Bay. He would've been great as a Ranger in 2005-06 as one of the Czech Mates, when he scored 80 points in 81 games. But since that is not an option, you have to assume that John Tortorella knows enough about him from their time in Tampa that he thinks he can contribute in New York.

He didn't score much last year - 19 goals, 45 points - but he does come at a discount. He had a 4 year, $14M deal with Tampa Bay ($3.5M/year) and since he was bought out, he is still getting $1.67M for the next 6 years, so him being a Ranger at $1.1M for one-year really isn't bad at all for either party.

Wait, The NHL Is On iTunes?!?

I was on iTunes earlier today, looking for some kids TV shows to put on my iPod so my daughter doesn't flip out during a long car trip this weekend. I found what I was looking for - Yo Gabba Gabba and the Wonder Pets, in case you were wondering - but I also found something else.

That "something else" would be an entire section of iTunes dedicated to NHL games.

I had no idea this even existed. You mean to tell me I can go into iTunes and download classic games for $1.99 each? You also mean to tell me I've had an iPod for five years, accessed the iTunes store at least once per month over that period of time, and didn't know these games were available for download? That's insane.

And that, of course, is the Gary Bettman era in a nutshell. In this information age where technology is at our fingertips, it might be nice to inform NHL fans that they can download and watch full games, at their convenience, for a very reasonable $1.99 fee. Let's not forget, NHL fans are probably the most tech-savvy of all sports fans. Since newspapers are dropping NHL beats like flies as the papers themselves struggle to stay afloat, hockey fans have embraced the blogosphere to a much greater degree than the fans of any other sport. We have HockeyFights.com and tons of clips on YouTube, and hockey fans love these resources. Do you really think these same fans wouldn't love to discover the NHL's treasure trove of downloadable games?

We all know the NHL isn't the strongest promotional arm out there. But iTunes is a great way to reach out to fans - and to then allow fans to return the favor. Throughout the season, each team's official website could run a poll to determine fans' favorite games and then put those games on iTunes. I know the NHL has done a pretty good job with the DVD sets they've released, but there's a way to have these DVD sets work with their iTunes offerings. Especially in these dog days of summer, where we're all craving any sort of hockey we can get.

Any Publishers Out There?...

As a 25-year old male (I am hesitant to ever refer to myself as a "man") with great taste in movies, it was only natural that I would see Julie & Julia on opening weekend.

Apparently in real life, this girl cooked like 500 Julia Child recipes in 365 days, made a blog about it, and it got turned into a movie and now a book. This girl, played by a short-haired, emo-dressing Amy Adams, wasn't very interesting, and her writing didn't seem to be particularly good.

That said, this website does not call itself a blog, though we might seem like that to the naked eye. See, we have an actual URL. You don't have to go to http://www.nyhockeyrivalry.blogspot.com to get to this site (although you can, and your destination will be here). Me and Bryan - uh, Bryan and I - are both talented writers. He loves writing about video games and floundering hockey teams, while anyone who knew me and high school and college can tell you I like writing about bank robberies, people who kill themselves at the end of a journey, and hockey teams on the playoff bubble. In real life, we're both smart and quirky. Okay, I don't know what quirky means, but I'm compassionate, and I often seek out blind men just to walk them across busy intersections. (True story: actually once helped an old man cross the street. A saint? No, but it was lovely.)

So, if any publishers are out there reading this, feel free to email me. Okay, so some of our material is time-sensitive, but we can work out a deal.

And if no one is interested in turning this website into a book then a movie (starring Jonah Hill as both Bryan and me in an career-making role), then I do write sports stories. I have a great one about a former Rookie of the Year who made nearly a million dollars last year. He gets arrested for beating up a cab driver over 20 cents. Far-fetched, I know.

1988 NHL Entry Draft...

With Jeremy Roenick retiring today, let's look back at the 1988 NHL Entry Draft and just marvel at how amazing it has turned out.

As per usual, the New York teams did nothing exciting. The Rangers didn't have a 1st round pick (trying to track down what happened to it with no avail) but chose Troy Mallette and Murray Duval (no NHL games) with picks 22 and 26 in the 2nd round. Keep in mind, only 21 teams in the league at the time meant only 21 picks in the 1st round. The Islanders took Kevin Cheveldayoff 16th overall. He was one of only 2 players in the 1st round to not ever play a game in the NHL (Joey's cousin, Kory Kocur, went 17th to Detroit).

So, how great was the first round? Look at this top 10...

1) Mike Modano
2) Trevor Linden
3) Curtis Leschyshyn
7) Martin Gelinas
8) Jeremy Roenick
9) Rod Brind'Amour
10) Teemu Selanne

So, who would you rather have? The greatest American-born player of all-time? A born-leader who played with heart and soul? A solid defenseman? A winger who played until he was 38 and made the finals with 4 different teams (Gelinas won 1 Cup and lost 3 times in the Finals, including 2 times in Game 7)? A 500-plus goal scorer who drew fans to every building he was in, including remote locations like Phoenix and Los Angeles? The best faceoff man in league history who also is great on the power play and is still playing 21 years later? Or a guy who scored 76 goals in his rookie year, scored 48 three seasons ago, and is going to suit up one more time at age 39?

Also that year...

2nd Round
Tie Domi, 27th, Toronto
Tim Taylor, 36th, Washington

4th Round
Mark Recchi, 67th, Pittsburgh
Tony Amonte, 68th, Rangers
Rob Blake, 70th, Los Angeles
(Can you imagine how different the history of the NHL - and the Rangers - would be had they drafted Blake or had Recchi fallen to them? Maybe no '91 & '92 Cups for the Penguins. And definitely no "Matteau, Matteau, Matteau!" as he came over with Brian Noonan in '94 in a trade for Amonte.)
Keith Carney, 76th, Buffalo
Joe Juneau, 81st, Boston

5th Round
Alex Mogilny, 89th, Buffalo

6th Round
Dmitri Khristich, 120th, Washington

7th Round
Val Kamensky, 129th, Quebec

8th Round
Sean Hill, 167th, Montreal

9th Round
Tony Twist, 177th, St. Louis

10th Round
Bret Hedican, 198th, St. Louis

12th Round
Claude Lapointe, 234th, Quebec

Not a bad group of Stanley Cup winners and Olympic Gold medalists in that draft class, eh? That's got to rank up there with the best drafts of all-time, along with 1990 (Nolan, Nedved, Primeau, Ricci, Jagr, Sydor, D. Hatcher, Brodeur, Tkachuk, Smolinski all in the 1st round) and possibly, when all is said and done, 2003 (1st rounders include M.A. Fleury, Eric Staal, Horton, Zherdev, Vanek, Michalek, Suter, Coburn, Phaneuf, Jeff Carter, A. Kostitsyn, D. Brown, Seabrook, Bernier, Parise, Getzlaf, Perry, Mike Richards, and Hugh Jessiman).

And a great career by Roenick, as well. He broke 100 points 3 straight years, and was dominant until the year before the lockout, when he dropped heavily down from his status as a point-per-game player. His year in L.A. was laughable, and his return to Phoenix was horrendous as well. But he was re-energized as a Shark the last 2 years, and in the playoffs last year against Anaheim, he was one of the 3 best Sharks out there.

Should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but his lack of a Cup might be the one hinderance. It shouldn't be a real issue though; he has the numbers and the international experience to merit being in there.

(Plus, he was incredible in NHL '93 for Sega Genesis. Him, Chris Chelios, and Ed Belfour made the Chicago Blackhawks nearly unstoppable in the game!)

Zherdev Gone...

After Nik Zherdev was awarded a $3.9M, one-year contract by an arbitrator, Glen Sather had this to say.

"[He] will score as many goals in 2009-10 in a Rangers uniform as he did in April of 2009 in a Rangers uniform. None."

Okay, that is a fake quote. I admit it. But, true, no?

Imagine Zherdev's last goal as a Ranger wasn't in a late-March shootout loss to an atrocious Atlanta team. Imagine he scored in the stretch-drive to the playoffs. Imagine he at least registered an assist in 7 playoff games. What if he scored when Game 7 was tied 1-1? What if he popped one in with 6 minutes left in the 3rd period in that game, changing the outcome, and the Rangers went on the play the Bruins in Round 2?

I assume if any of those happened, Sather would've atleast given his award a 2nd thought. We can assume that once the award went above, say, $3.5M, Zherdev was history.

All those sites saying "sign & trade" since even before the arbitration hearing? Maybe it was a thought, but it was never feasible. Why would a team, any team, do that, when they can have him for just money a day or two later? Maybe so a different team won't sign him. But I can only see that if this is a Joe Sakic, a Jay Bouwmeester, even a Ryan Callahan. But is any team really that desperate for a sometimes-there-sometimes-not winger who scored 58 points last season?

In all honesty, all Zherdev is is a highly-touted winger from Russia who plays great 20 games out of the year. He has never scored more than 61 points in a season, and 58 represents his second best season ever.

For the record, I completely loved the deal when he came from Columbus. Fedor Tyutin was serviceable but never would live up to his potential. Christian Backman was a bum who I would've been happy if he was given away to a team. So you were saying we got rid of those 2 and got Dan Fritsche and Zherdev? Great.

However, he lost me down the stretch. No points in 7 playoff games, and he wants a raise? Get real. Maybe in non-Salary Cap world, but when better talent is available for cheaper or equal value, Zherdev is entirely expendable. Why waste almost $4M on him when you need someone to pass the puck to Marian Gaborik?

Sather is completely correct in walking away from this contract. Any other GM might be nuts to sign him for so much when he has shown so little. I mean, if Sather thought it was too high... after all, this is the man who thought a 31-year old Wade Redden was worthy of not only $6.5M/year, but a 6-year contract.

Update: 4:52 P.M.: Just my two cents on where I think Zherdev will land, if he does play in the NHL. I'd expect him to go to one of the 4 crappy Southern teams on a one-year deal: Atlanta, Phoenix, Tampa Bay, or Florida.

Tomorrow's Lighthouse Hearing

We've made a conscious effort to stay away from the Lighthouse stuff on this blog. We're not a political blog. We like to talk hockey in these parts, not economic impact statements or zoning guidelines. Nobody wants to hear us get on our high horses and spout political rhetoric when this blog is supposed to be two friends discussing the game we love. So you'll forgive us if we've ignored all the happenings with the Lighthouse lately.

That said...

Tomorrow's a big day for the Lighthouse, the future of the Islanders and, potentially, the future of Long Island. As an Islanders fan, I have a vested interest in what happens with the Lighthouse, but I have an even greater interest as a 20-something resident of Long Island - the very kind of resident that is fleeing Long Island at a rapid clip. Will anything that happens tomorrow make me think that I'll be able to raise my daughter here? Probably not. But it's nice to know these sort of things are up for consideration.

Look, if I'm cynical about the Lighthouse, it's nothing personal. Obviously, there's a lot at stake for someone like me. But just about every other stadium built or proposed over the past decade has come with strings attached. Think about it.

- The Jets' proposed West Side stadium was tied to the 2012 Olympics and became a huge political issue, eventually killing the project.

- The new Yankee Stadium was built essentially because the Mets announced plans to build a new ballpark and God forbid the Yankees look second-class in anything.

- That Mets ballpark, of course, is sponsored by a bank that received government aid just to stay afloat.

- The upcoming stadium for the Jets and Giants seems to be nothing more than a way to introduce the idea of personal seat licenses to the New York area.

The Lighthouse is the one arena development that makes sense; as in, it's not a total money grab. You take a bunch of land that currently serves no purpose and cultivate it into something that not only stands for something, but helps the economy and citizens of Nassau County. What could be better than that?

And yet, we have Kate Murray, who fought this thing tooth and nail until she realized it was election season. Now, she's suddenly Charles Wang's biggest supporter? Please. Something doesn't add up.

Kate Murray notwithstanding, there's plenty of optimism as tomorrow's hearing nears. That's great. As for me, I'll be unable to attend due to parental responsibilities. I'll be watching from a distance, hoping this thing gets worked out. While I'm cautious out of fear of getting burned yet again, I realize that this really is the last chance for the New York Islanders, not to mention many people my age who are considering where their future lies. It literally is now or never. And if there's any justice in this world, it'll be now instead of never.