NYI Top Post-Lockout Moments #10-6

Back with moments 10 through 6 of the Isles' post-lockout countdown. Isn't it funny how Zach's Rangers list is full of games, whereas the Islanders list is all stuff that happened off the ice? This is what happens when your team has won one playoff game in the past six years.

10) Snow Job

July 18, 2006

That the hiring of Garth Snow even qualifies for this list is a testament to the job Snow has done as Islanders' GM. For a very long time, July 18, 2006 was a very dark day in Islanders history.

I can still remember the day like it was yesterday. I remember seeing the headline on TSN... my head hitting my desk shortly after... thinking it was an April Fool's joke in the middle of July... none of my friends believing me when I told them... Mike and the Mad Dog tearing Charles Wang apart during an interview... being teased incessantly by pretty much everyone. It wasn't fun. I even wrote this blog on my MySpace page from back in the day.

Thankfully, things have improved since then. The way the Islanders handled the move still doesn't make sense four years later, but time has proved that Snow was the right hire. At a time when general managers were still trying to figure out the "new NHL", the Islanders brought in someone who actually played under the revised rules. They hired someone who was completely reared on the new CBA and therefore had no preconceived notions about what he was "supposed" to do.

The results have been pretty spectacular. Snow managed to get into the playoffs in his first year, but saw that he couldn't rely on giving veterans one-year contracts forever. His ability to blow up the Islanders and rebuild them in his likeness shows that he has the support of Charles Wang and will be here for the foreseeable future. Of all the moves Snow has made, the only move that would be classified as bad is the Rick DiPietro contract, and that was Wang's call. So, while the move initially drew ire from the Islanders faithful, it's hard to argue that the move didn't pay dividends.

9) Islanders Sign Mark Streit

July 1, 2008

As the Islanders entered the start of free agency in 2008, nobody was quite sure what they'd do. They had made mention of their desire to rebuild and go with young players, but they didn't actually have any young assets outside of Kyle Okposo to build around. They had plenty of cap room to make any number of signings, but we all knew better than that. Most Islanders fans assumed that Snow wouldn't do anything on July 1; I joked on this site that Snow didn't even bother to show up for work that day.

Turns out he did.

As is customary, the big names flew off the board in exchange for big-money contracts. One of the biggest names, Brian Campbell, took seven years and $56 million to sign with Chicago. Wade Redden, as we all know, received $39 million over six years from the Rangers. At the time of these two deals, Mark Streit was still available. He was the one guy I thought the Islanders should throw big money at and, much to my surprise, they did.

Five years and $20 million later, Streit was a New York Islander. Zach, our Rangers writer, was furious that the Rangers had dumped so much money into an aging Redden while the Islanders got Streit - who had only played three NHL seasons - for far less. When asked why he signed with the Islanders, Streit replied that he wanted to be a true #1 defenseman, something that was never going to happen in Montreal. Streit did not disappoint in his first season on the Island, netting 56 points and earning some legitimate Norris Trophy consideration. His numbers have dipped a bit this year, but Streit remains one of the team's leaders and a potential future captain of the Islanders.

8) Islanders Hire Scott Gordon

August 12, 2008

After the shock firing/resignation of Ted Nolan, the future of the Islanders in terms of their next coach was unclear. It was a very important hire - the Islanders would be rebuilding and needed someone who would stay over the long haul. The big-name veterans like Joel Quenneville and John Tortorella weren't interested and passed on the Islanders' overtures, which came as no surprise to any real Islanders fan. As is the Islanders' custom, they went the road less traveled and brought in an unknown coach.

Scott Gordon, much like Peter Laviolette seven years earlier, came to the Islanders from the AHL's Providence Bruins. Like Laviolette, Gordon had turned the fortunes of the Bruins completely, taking a losing team and turning them into one of the league's best. Gordon had youth on his side, not to mention a reputation for mentoring young players, and his "overspeed" philosophy won over fans right away.

More than anything else, though, the Gordon hire was further proof that the Islanders were serious about rebuilding. Garth Snow easily could have brought in a big-name retread coach, but that would have been the safe maneuver. By bringing in Gordon, the Islanders effectively told their fanbase that the team wouldn't be good for a while, but they could get used to this core group because it'd be there for years to come. Fans have criticized Gordon's system, particularly when it has helped contribute to blown third-period leads, but when they're firing at all cylinders, the Islanders are one of the NHL's most exciting teams. This is one call Garth Snow knocked out of the park.

7) Al Arbour Night

Nassau Coliseum - November 3, 2007

I'll be the first to admit that I was a bit skeptical when Al Arbour Night was first announced. Did Ted Nolan really want to round off Al Arbour's career total, or did Islanders brass coerce Nolan into stepping aside for one night? Was this just another gimmick to bring Islanders alumni back and get a cheap sellout? Given the history of the Islanders, I was right to have my doubts. But on this night, they didn't really matter.

Prior to November 3, 2007, Al Arbour hadn't coached a NHL game since 1994. However, whatever he had lost in terms of X's and O's was more than compensated for by the desire of the Islanders to win the game for Arbour, the only coach of the Islanders that has won a playoff series. In many ways, the game itself was typical of the Islanders at that point in time insofar as the Islanders came from behind to win, Miroslav Satan scored the tying and game-winning goals, and Wade Dubielewicz came up huge in relief of the injured Rick DiPietro.

As good as the game was, it was almost secondary to the postgame celebration, which saw many Islanders legends paying their respects to their former coach. And it wasn't just the usual guys, either. The Islanders brought back some real fan favorites, including Benoit Hogue, Pat LaFontaine, and Steve Webb. I have to say, I was bawling while watching a replay of the ceremony. (Full disclosure - I was pretty hammered.) It was a great night and a great sendoff for Arbour, who doesn't get nearly enough credit for his work with the Islanders.

There's only one thing that bothered me about Al Arbour Night. The original Arbour banner read "739", referring to his number of career wins. When they replaced it with a new banner that night, it wasn't a "740" banner. Instead, it simply read "1500". As in, the Islanders had such little faith in Arbour's ability to produce a victory that they only had a banner made to commemorate his number of games, not his number of wins. The Islanders said they'd get a new banner made; nearly two and a half years later, "1500", not "740", hangs from the Coliseum rafters.

6) Islanders Win 2009 Draft Lottery

April 14, 2009

As the Islanders sucked their way through the 2008-09 season, we all hoped it'd be for a reason. In fact, the only way the 2008-09 season would have been successful would have been if they landed the first overall draft pick. After all, while there was a chance Tampa Bay or Colorado would have passed on John Tavares, there were no guarantees.

The Islanders clinched the league's worst record in late March, a distinction that brought with it a 48 percent chance that the Islanders would win the draft lottery. As the date of the draft lottery neared, Islanders fans feared the worst. Everyone figured that they'd get screwed out of the chance to draft a generational talent like John Tavares or Victor Hedman. Why should the Islanders get the chance to be successful, right? Besides, since the lockout, the team with the worst record had lost the draft lottery more often than not.

Thankfully, this was not one of those times. The Islanders won the draft lottery, and Islander Country breathed the world's largest sigh of relief. For the Islanders faithful, as sad as it is to admit, it was almost like winning the Stanley Cup. Finally, the focus was going to be on our team, even if only for the week between the Stanley Cup Final and the NHL Draft, and we were going to make the most of this extra attention.

Unfortunately, Garth Snow felt the same way. When asked who he was leaning towards on the draft lottery show, he admitted nothing, something that would become a trend over the next two months. While we were ecstatic about winning the draft lottery, little did we know that these two months would become some of the most stressful times Islanders fans have had in recent memory.

Remembering Former Greats

As you may have heard, Shea Stadium closed its vaunted doors for good today. Never again will professional baseball be played in the Mets' now-former home. Fittingly, the Mets summed up 45 years of mediocre baseball by getting four hits in a game that, had they won, would have forced a one-game playoff for the Wild Card. Collapsing in September? Surely, you jest.

Anyway, watching the Mets pay tribute to their former legends - and isn't it interesting how important people in Shea Stadium history like the Jets and the Beatles were barely mentioned - I couldn't help but think about my Islanders. As we all know, no local team honors tradition like the Islanders. The Yankees do a good job as well but it's different with the Islanders. So often the Islanders have had to rely on their past to sell the present. Obviously, the Yankees don't have that problem. Neither do the Mets. So theoretically, today should have been a nice day to remember the good times at a ballpark that, quite frankly, didn't have very many.

As a devoted Islander fan who has seen more than his fair share of celebrations, I have to say the Mets nailed this one, even down to the questionable decision to do the ceremony after the game ended. This ended up being a good thing; by the time it was all over, I'd almost forgotten that the Mets performed an egregious chokejob for the second straight year. And even though it only amounted to Howie Rose reading out a bunch of names and then those players walking out onto the field, it was nice to see.

It's always interesting to see who gets the biggest reactions. It tends to be some combination of the biggest stars and those people who don't come around very often. I barely remember Al Arbour Night - it was my birthday and I was extremely hammered - but the biggest pops came for the guys we don't see very often, like Pat LaFontaine and Benoit Hogue. The Dynasty guys are here all the time; hell, half of them work for the team. It doesn't diminish anything they've done or their value to the team today, but it's worth noting that when fans get one shot to show their appreciation, they make the most of it.

That's what happened today at Shea Stadium. If I had to venture a guess, the loudest cheers were for Dwight Gooden and Mike Piazza. Not coincidentally, neither of them had been back at Shea since they retired. Piazza was so beloved by Mets fans that he received a curtain call when he hit a home run at Shea in 2006... while playing for the Padres. And while the surprising retiring of #31 never happened, it was nice seeing him as part of one of these things. The same can be said for when LaFontaine showed up at Arbour Night. As great as it is to see our heroes, sometimes it's even better when they keep themselves a bit more scarce.

What's my point?

Maybe it'd be wise to keep these ceremonies to a minimum. I love seeing the Islanders honor their past, but sometimes they go a bit overboard with it. They said after Core Of The Four that they weren't going to be doing any more elaborate ceremonies, but only time will tell. Meanwhile, the Mets never do this sort of thing, and I think that's why today was so important. At the same time, though, you don't want to end up like the Rangers and have a forty-year gap of time where nobody has any idea who even played for the team or how they did. I'd rather try too hard like the Islanders do, and that's not because I'm an Islander fan.

Maybe The Islanders Aren't So Bad

Note: What follows is a true story, with Islander and NHL figures replacing the guilty/innocent. Disregard time discrepancies, as this would be impossible to piece together without bending things a bit. Enjoy... if you dare.

Imagine Charles Wang buys the New York Islanders in early 2007. In his first act, he fires Brad Shaw and replaces him with Ted Nolan. Wang's big bucks and dedication to restoring the club's reputation with fans gave him high marks in the Islanders community, and everyone is assured he'll spend big bucks to restore the team to its former glory.

Imagine Ted Nolan doesn't work out and that the Islanders are in 12th place in the East at the All-Star Break of the 2007-08 season. Wang, not wanting to entirely waste a season, fires Nolan. Sensing that he needs to do something drastic to keep his fans interested, he brings back the biggest name in franchise history - Al Arbour. Arbour dramatically improves just about everything he touches. Not only are the fans invigorated, but the team itself goes on a tear to close out the season. They miss the playoffs, but there is plenty of optimism to go around.

Imagine July 1 rolls around and the Islanders are expected to be the biggest of spenders. Arbour, in his role as coach and general manager, promises the Islanders faithful that the club is going to be a major player in free agency. Wang even gets in on the act, proclaiming there's a "WOW Signing" in the works. The fans whip themselves into a frenzy, constantly speculating which elite players they'll be bringing in.

Imagine the free agency period is drawing to a close, and the only players the Islanders sign are Jason Blake and Jason Smith. Furthermore, the Islanders have traded Mike Comrie away for draft picks. Arbour proclaims he has some aces up his sleeve and that the Islanders are going to break camp with some new blood; also, the money the Isles won't be paying Comrie will be re-invested in the free agent market. Speculation is rampant as to who these new players will be.

Imagine training camp rolls around with no new signings. The fans are furious and Arbour starts dropping hints to the media that his hands are tied. The day before camp, Arbour swings a deal for Antoine Vermette, then announces the Islanders' roster is set heading into the pre-season.

Imagine Charles Wang and his board brings Al Arbour in for a series of meetings. The media immediately assumes the worst and reports that Arbour has resigned. They later change their tune a bit, stating that Arbour was fired. The next day, the Islanders issue a statement on their website, stating that Arbour is still their coach and the two parties are still in meetings. The day after that, the two parties are still talking, this time about something called "mutual consent". Before the day is done, Arbour announces his resignation - this time for real.

Imagine the fallout from this falling out. Islander fans immediately take Arbour's side and swarm the Nassau Coliseum to protest the decision. The fans take to the Internet and post death threats directed at Wang and his cronies. There's even talk of a player revolt led by Pavel Bure, the oft-injured sniper who's rediscovered his scoring touch under Arbour. Bure, an unrestricted free agent at season's end, is sure to leave for nothing, assuring the team will return to the doldrums which they've inhabited for the better part of the past decade.

Imagine this happened to your Islanders.

Imagine this could happen to any professional sports club.

Well, guess what. The above story is an entirely accurate depiction of the past eighteen months at the Newcastle United Football Club, currently ranked fourth in the Barclay's Premier League in England. Substitute Mike Ashley for Charles Wang, Kevin Keegan for Al Arbour, Michael Owen for Pavel Bure, and you've pretty much got the whole story. Crazy, right?

Figures that as soon as I fall for this team, they fall into a state of disarray. Maybe I'm just a giant jinx to all my teams. Then again, Newcastle hasn't won a major trophy since 1955 and last won the league title since 1927, a drought Ranger fans could certainly relate to.

The moral of the story? No matter how much people love to dump on the Islanders, no matter how many times the Islanders make themselves look like the laughingstock of the league, no matter how many times the Islanders place backup goalies into prominent roles in the organization... it could always be worse. And in the case of Newcastle United, much worse. That said, if the Islanders ever go through a three-day period where nobody can tell if their coach is still coaching them, shoot me.

EDIT: I forgot the best part! Imagine Charles Wang really emulated Mike Ashley. As in, instead of sitting in the press box like a stuffed shirt, he sat with the fans, wore a replica jersey to every game, and was caught on camera chugging a pint of beer. Wouldn't we all love our team just a little bit more?

They Didn't Screw It Up!

I'm almost shocked.

The Islanders actually did the right thing. And quite frankly, we fans deserve the right to say that.

Is Scott Gordon an upgrade over Ted Nolan? That remains to be seen. But at this point, it would certainly seem that Gordon is a better fit for this group of players. I guess that's all you can ask for in a coach. The Islanders got that, and perhaps much more.

We can gather that the Islanders will end up paying Gordon less than they would have paid Paul Maurice or Bob Hartley. We can also assume that Gordon has more to prove than any other coach they could have hired. In other words, we don't have to hear about how so-and-so won at some other city. Instead, we get to watch a coach show us he's earned the right to be the head coach of the New York Islanders. A hungry team combined with a hungry coach.

What does that mean? There's a great chance he'll do a better job than any of the other candidates would have.

I can now say that I'm officially excited about this upcoming season for the Islanders. I know it's going to be pretty brutal - we'll be adding the phrase "growing pains" to our Islanders drinking game this season. But there's an optimism now that hasn't been here in some time. We're not staring at a perpetual chase for the eighth seed. We can now look toward the future as a tangible entity, not just the catalyst for more bad trades and rebuilding projects. That does a lot for the fanbase. It'll still take some work to get the casual fans back into the building, but as time progresses, the job will become easier.

It was so important that the Islanders did this right, which is why so many of us have tried to joke about it. Notice how Sparky The Dragon is the leading vote-getter in our poll for who would become the next Islanders' coach. As I've said to anyone who would listen, I'd sooner they went into December with an interim coach and gotten this right than have them hire a retread coach that they'd fire two years from now. This would qualify as getting it right.

Now, the work begins for Mr. Scott Gordon. The Islanders don't like to talk about this one too much, but it's true - with the exception of Al Arbour, no Islander coach has ever made it more than two consecutive seasons without being canned. Is Gordon the guy to change that trend? Let's hope so.