Veterans Day

If you saw last night's Canadiens-Bruins game, odds are good that you're still in awe. I know I am. Imagine being in the crowd during the pre-game ceremonies and watching the greats in Canadiens history taking warm-ups. Imagine seeing three generations of hockey legends taking the ice together. Canadiens fans must have felt such pride seeing the likes of Guy Lafleur taking shots on Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden. It's a far cry from the contrived practice of current players wearing the jersey of a retired player during warm-ups, no?

It's no surprise that the Canadiens were the ones to bring this memorable moment to us; they have never been anything less than spectacular when it comes to honoring their storied tradition. The Islanders? Well... not so much. It's been a pretty all-or-nothing deal with the Islanders over the years, and for a team that probably would have folded or moved many years ago if not for their tradition, that's not acceptable.

Since Bryan Trottier's #19 was retired in 2001, the Islanders have not raised a number to the rafters. Yes, they had Al Arbour Night in 2007 to commemorate the coach's 1500th game with the team, but they never bothered to update his banner to reflect his 740 wins. Instead, we see 1500 under Arbour's name - a sad reminder that the Islanders organization had very little faith that Arbour would actually win his 1500th game.

Perhaps the most obvious example of the Islanders' mismanagement of their alumni can be found in the Islanders Hall of Fame, which was established in 2006. The Islanders made a big deal out of their Hall of Fame, drawing a large crowd to that night's game, and named Bob Bourne as the Hall of Fame's first member. Since then? Nothing. At the time, I saw the Islanders Hall of Fame as a blatant way to play on Islanders fans' affection for the glory years, and apparently I was right. Not that Bourne doesn't deserve the honor - he clearly does - but it seemed like a very convenient way to draw a sellout crowd. The prior year, the Islanders held a 25th anniversary celebration for their first Stanley Cup win; the year after, they had the Core of the Four ceremony. And history shows that the only significance the Islanders Hall of Fame has is that it fulfilled the Islanders' unwritten requirement to bring the alumni back for one night to appease the fans.

When the Rangers announced plans to retire Adam Graves' number, I criticized the team for acting like Rangers history began in 1994. The Islanders, quite frankly, have behaved in much the same way. The way it looks to me, if you weren't part of the Cup winning teams, you're pretty much irrelevant to the organization. There's no legitimate reason why Pat LaFontaine's #16 isn't hanging from the rafters right now. There's no reason why guys like John Tonelli, Ed Westfall, Pierre Turgeon and Ziggy Palffy aren't in the Islanders Hall of Fame. (Note: Turgeon was on the ice last night with the other Canadiens legends, despite not even playing in half as many games for the Habs as he did with the Islanders.) It's insulting to these players, as well as the teammates who helped make them great, that their contributions aren't recognized by the Islanders organization. Especially guys like Palffy and LaFontaine, who essentially sold tickets by themselves while they were part of some horrible Islanders teams.

I understand that some of the alumni feels like the Islanders have exploited them over the years. They absolutely have every right to feel that way, because they were. But the Islanders have a tremendous opportunity to honor some players who haven't had their asses constantly kissed by the Islanders. This is especially important to younger fans who were reared on the 1993 Islanders. While it might sound blasphemous, to us, Turgeon and his teammates were just as important as the legends who now reside in the Hall of Fame. It never hurts to throw a bone to your younger generation of fans, as these are the fans who are deciding now how much they want to incorporate the Islanders in their now-grownup lives - as in, whether or not they're willing to invest serious money in season tickets.

Lastly, and most obviously - the Islanders would do well to honor their former players now. Because with all the uncertainty about where the team's future resides, if the Islanders don't honor these guys today, there might not be a tomorrow.