NYI Top Post-Lockout Moments #5-1

The conclusion to the Islanders' portion of the best post-lockout moments. Here's what we've done so far, followed by the top five.

20) Sound Tigers games at Nassau Coliseum

19) Fan response to the Kansas City exhibition game

18) First Islanders-Rangers game after the lockout

17) Rick DiPietro starts All-Star Game

16) Ryan Smyth trade

15) Road wins in Chicago and Detroit

14) Preseason brawl between Islanders and rangers

13) Opening Night 2009

12) Veteran purge of 2009

11) Hiring of Neil Smith and Ted Nolan

10) Hiring of Garth Snow

9) Signing of Mark Streit

8) Hiring of Scott Gordon

7) Al Arbour Night

6) Islanders win draft lottery

5) Meet Me At The Lighthouse

September 28, 2004

While Nassau Coliseum has always had a certain charm in the eyes of Islanders fans, nobody can deny that the Islanders have been in dire need of a new arena for some time. The Coliseum was literally falling apart as the 1990s concluded; a leaky roof and a falling scoreboard signified the need to replace the building that was derisively known as the "Mausoleum".

When Charles Wang purchased the Islanders in 2000-01, he spent significant money to upgrade the Coliseum. The leaky roofs stopped, new scoreboards were unveiled, and the fan exerience was significantly upgraded from "horrible" to "decent". However, as Wang knows, there is only so much polish you can put on a decaying building.

Wang's introduction of the Lighthouse in 2004 blew Islanders fans away. The massive Coliseum parking lot would give way to a ton of urban development. No longer would Islanders fans be stuck leaving the Coliseum with nothing to do after a game. Best of all, the actual Coliseum, the building that has seen countless great moments and could still on occasion be one of the NHL's loudest, wasn't going to be replaced. Instead, heavy renovation over the course of a few summers would bring the Coliseum into the 21st century.

As we all know, it wasn't quite as easy as Wang predicted. Before long, the initial Lighthouse proposal - which included physically lowering Hempstead Turnpike - was scaled down somewhat, and then the entire Lighthouse Project became the subject of intense political debate on Long Island. Today, it's highly unlikely that the Lighthouse will ever be built.

So, then, why is the unveiling of the Lighthouse a significant moment in Islanders history? Simply put, it was the moment when the Islanders refused to stand pat in a second-rate building. Either the Town of Hempstead was going to embrace its team, or the Islanders would go someplace where they would be welcome. The conjecture that has accompanied the Lighthouse is truly unfortunate. But at least Charles Wang has attempted to move this team into the state-of-the-art facility they deserve; it certainly is not his fault that politics have destroyed his vision and, potentially, the future of the Islanders on Long Island.

4) Islanders Buy Out Alexei Yashin

June 6, 2007

The Alexei Yashin era on Long Island began with a great deal of promise. While some were skeptical of the ten-year, $90 million contract Yashin signed in September 2001, nobody said a word when Yashin recorded 32 goals and 75 points (outstanding totals in the Dead Puck Era) and led the Islanders to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Yashin won fans over through his stellar play and star power, and he went even further to endear himself to the Islanders faithful by breaking Tomas Kloucek's nose in a fight at MSG in 2002. Though the Islanders would lose to the Maple Leafs in the 2002 playoffs, Yashin's seven points in seven games silenced the critics who claimed that Yashin was not a playoff performer.

Sadly, the 2001-02 season was the pinnacle of Yashin's tenure with the Islanders. 2002-03 saw Yashin get off to an inexplicably horrible start that saw him booed at the Coliseum routinely. He recovered in time to have a decent second half and playoff, but the Islanders could only muster the eight seed and a loss to Ottawa. The next year, Yashin, who had only missed five non-holdout NHL games since 1997, suffered an arm laceration and missed half the season.

After the lockout, Yashin was named captain of the Islanders and finally received the scoring winger fans wished for in Miroslav Satan. However, Yashin had difficulty adjusting to the new NHL, as his 66 points and 68 penalty minutes would attest. The 2006 offseason saw much speculation about Yashin's future with the Islanders. Reports stated that Yashin would have to make a difference in 2006-07 or risk being bought out. Yashin began 2006-07 on fire, but would soon suffer a knee injury, one from which coach Ted Nolan was in absolutely no rush to bring Yashin back. The combination of the knee injury, rust, and Yashin being thrown into a playoff race just after coming back from the injury meant that Yashin was ineffective down the stretch. He went pointless in five playof games, and the writing was on the wall.

Even after the 24 percent rollback on salaries, Yashin was making far too much money for far too little production. The Islanders had very little difficulty buying him out in the summer of 2007, bringing in Bill Guerin to replace Yashin as captain. Sadly, the lesson about big contracts had not been learned by Charles Wang, as Rick DiPietro had signed at 15-year contract with the club just one year before Yashin's buyout. However, the fallout from Yashin's huge contract has prevented the Islanders from ever giving a free agent a big contract. Yashin's contract has become a textbook example of how putting all a team's eggs in one basket and not accounting for the future - namely, the revised CBA - can destroy a team's future. Eliminating Yashin was the only way the Islanders could ever truly rebuild, and his excision meant a new era was about to begin on Long Island.

3) Mike Milbury Resigns

January 12, 2006

Believe it or not, there was once a time when Islanders fans didn't hate Mike Milbury. Of course, that time was about fifteen years ago, but it still existed. At that point, Milbury had just been named the Islanders' general manager, and he was sitting on a goldmine of talent. Bryan McCabe, Zigmund Palffy and Todd Bertuzzi started 1995-96 with the Islanders, a season in which Milbury was able to turn Wendel Clark and Kirk Muller into Kenny Jonsson. Yeah, Eric Fichaud didn't exactly pan out, but that wasn't Milbury's fault.

You could even argue that Milbury wasn't to blame for the Islanders' late 90s purge. In fact, in the eyes of this writer, Milbury's reign doesn't even begin to compare to that of former Knicks GM Isiah Thomas in terms of incompetence. At least Milbury had a reason to sell off the young talent that came through the Islanders organization. Small consolation, of course. But Milbury had to do what he had to do in order to save his job.

However, the deal that ultimately killed Milbury was the Roberto Luongo trade. Luongo, as you may recall, was drafted by Milbury in 1997; in fact, Milbury made Luongo the highest-picked goalie ever at that point in time. Luongo was a certain star in the team's future; however, Milbury saw it appropriate to trade Luongo (and then-bust Olli Jokinen, who was acquired for Palffy) for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha. Milbury then took Rick DiPietro with the first pick, passing up the opportunity to select Marian Gaborik and Dany Heatley. History has not looked kindly on this trade, and with good reason. Luongo has become arguably the game's best goaltender, while DiPietro, for all of his charisma and natural likeability, has only made it through one full season as starter injury-free. For better or worse, Milbury's tenure will always be judged by DiPietro's career, particularly in relation to that of Luongo.

Milbury finally got the Islanders into the playoffs in 2001-02, thanks to his trades for Michael Peca and Alexei Yashin. (It's interesting to wonder what would have happened if Milbury landed his initial target, Jason Allison, instead of Yashin. For all of Yashin's faults, at least he wasn't made of glass like Allison proved to be.) However, once Milbury got his playoff team, he seemed to get trigger-shy, not doing a whole lot to improve his team. If anything, Milbury hurt the Islanders after the '02 playoffs through a series of blunders, such as waiving Jason Wiemer, trading Chris Osgood for uber-bust Justin Papineau and unceremoniously dumping fan favorites Steve Webb and Claude Lapointe. Let's not even discuss his decision to draft Robert Nilsson over Zach Parise.

Milbury attempted to bring the Islanders into the "new NHL" after the lockout by, among other things. trading Peca for Mike York. Milbury was correct in that Peca wouldn't cut it with the new rules, but unfortunately, neither would York. Signings like Brent Sopel and Alexei Zhitnik were hardly effective, and it was decided that the Islanders needed a new start. That start had to come without Mike Milbury.

There's still some debate over whether Milbury actually resigned on his own or if he was fired by Charles Wang. In any event, Milbury was the ultimate sign of the Islanders' failures in the late 1990s. In order for the Islanders to reinvent themselves in the new NHL, they would have to sever ties with the man many credit with making the team a laughingstock. Unfortunately, their handling of their next GM would only enhance that image, but the Islanders did get their fresh start by parting ways with Milbury.

2) Easter Epic, Part II

Continental Airlines Arena - April 8, 2007

As April 2007 began, the Islanders were on the outside looking in. The playoffs seemed a remote possibility at best. After all, they were behind both Montreal and Toronto and Rick DiPietro was hurt, leaving the Islanders with the craptastic Mike Dunham and little-known Wade Dubielewicz. Dunham, not surprisingly, wasn't up to carrying the team on his shoulders, leaving Dubielewicz with a seemingly impossible task.

On April 3, Dubielewicz stole the show in a 3-2 shootout win against the Rangers. Dubielewicz stopped Brendan Shanahan, Michael Nylander and Jaromir Jagr in the shootout; however, the win didn't do all that much for the Islanders in the standings. With three games left, they were four points behind Montreal and three points behind Toronto, who were the Islanders' next opponents two nights later. The Isles were able to prevail in that matchup, steamrolling the Leafs 5-2 in a game that saw Jason Blake score his 40th goal of the season. That set the stage for an unforgettable weekend.

That Saturday, April 7, the Islanders faced the Flyers at the same time as the Canadiens faced the Maple Leafs. If the Islanders lost, they'd be out. If Montreal beat Toronto, the Islanders would be out. If the Islanders and Leafs won, the Islanders would set themselves up for a win-and-in game the next day in New Jersey. Remarkably, that's exactly what happened. In the Isles' game against the then-hapless Flyers, Dubielewicz was once again the game's first star; meanwhile, Toronto beat Montreal in a wild 6-5 affair, knowing that they'd qualify for the playoffs if the Islanders lost to the Devils.

The Islanders played one Easter Epic in 1987. Twenty years later, they were about to play in another.

The Islanders caught a huge break when the Devils elected to start Scott Clemmensen over Martin Brodeur, a decision that would cause much consternation in Toronto. Since the game meant very little to the Devils and so much to the Islanders, many Islanders fans made the trip to New Jersey and made the Isles feel at home. It worked. In front of a pro-Islanders crowd, the Islanders led 2-0 in the third period thanks to a pair of Richard Park goals. However, as is customary for the Islanders, it wouldn't be this easy. John Madden scored with about four minutes left to set up the game's frantic finale.

The Devils pulled Clemmensen to get an extra skater and were unleashing heavy artillery on Dubielewicz. With seconds left, a scramble in front of the net resulted in Madden finding a loose puck. Madden fired the puck over a sprawled out Dubielewicz with just 0.7 seconds left in the game to send it into overtime. Billy Jaffe's screams of "No!!!" as the Devils celebrated perfectly summed up the feelings of Islanders fans. To be so close, only to literally lose it in the final second... this team of scrappers and grinders deserved better.

Ultimately, the game ended the way we all knew a season would eventually end - in a shootout. The segment of the game which was derisively called by some as a "skills competition" would determine whether the Islanders would be playing playoff hockey or golf that week. That the game reached a shootout would only serve to further infuriate Leafs fans, who already thought the Islanders had a huge advantage in not having to face Brodeur.

The first three shots in the shootout were all goals. Miroslav Satan and Viktor Kozlov for the Islanders, Zach Parise for the Devils. After Brian Gionta missed for the Devils, deadline acquisition Ryan Smyth had the opportunity to send his new team into the playoffs with a goal. Of course, Smyth couldn't convert. It was only fitting that it came down to Wade Dubielewicz, the breakout star of the Islanders' past week. If Dubielewicz could stop Sergei Brylin, the Islanders would be in the playoffs. And when Dubielewicz unleashed the poke check that stopped Brylin, it was total euphoria.

As the Islanders celebrated another Easter miracle, it was hard not to think about the events of the prior summer. The hiring of Neil Smith, the firing of Neil Smith, the hiring of Ted Nolan, the hiring of Garth Snow, the much-maligned Rick DiPietro contract, the widespread predictions of a 30th place finish for the Islanders... it all came to a head at that moment. The 2006-07 Islanders were comprised largely of veteran players on one-year contracts, virtually all of them with something to prove. They were a blood-and-guts group, one that would only win by outworking their opponents. For the final week of the season, that's exactly what they did, and it resulted in an unlikely - and unforgettable - playoff berth.

1) Islanders Draft John Tavares

Bell Center/Nassau Coliseum - June 26, 2009

It would be a gross understatement to say that the Islanders have had trouble attracting star talent over the past 20 years. Since Pat LaFontaine was traded in 1991, there hasn't been a true superstar on the Islanders. Pierre Turgeon, the player the Islanders received for LaFontaine, was a great player, but he didn't capture the heart of Long Island the way LaFontaine did. Furthermore, he was only here for a few years, and to be quite honest, he was never the same after the Dale Hunter hit. Zigmund Palffy was another great scorer, but playing on some horrifically awful Islanders teams in the late 1990s, he never reached true superstar status. Alexei Yashin was paid like a superstar, but didn't always produce like one. Add the built-in strikes against the Islanders - crummy, half-filled arena, no money, historically bad team - and it's easy to see why the Islanders have only had three players to even approach LaFontaine's status.

When the Islanders had the opportunity to select from John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, fans naturally gravitated to Tavares. First, and foremost, he was the biggest name of the 2009 class. He was the best scorer, he had the most hype, and he definitely had that "superstar" aura about him. In short, he was the type of player that the Islanders, even if they threw their entire salary cap at him, would never be able to sign. More than any of that, though, Tavares went out of his way to endear himself to Islanders fans. While the Toronto media was trying to convince the world that Tavares would refuse to play for the Islanders, Tavares took the initiative and told Chris Botta that he hoped the Islanders would pick him because he wanted to play for the Islanders. Tavares would repeat this message to anyone who would listen and would display not only a genuine desire to help turn the Islanders around, but also a true appreciation and knowledge of Islanders history. It didn't take long for Islanders fans to go from enamored by Tavares to being absolutely smitten by him.

As the draft approached, Garth Snow refused to give even the slightest inclination as to who he might select with the first overall pick. In doing so, Snow proved he belonged in the general manager role. He also managed to infuriate the Islanders' entire fanbase, virtually all of which was salivating over Tavares. Most fans wouldn't have been too upset if the pick was Hedman or Duchene; after all, both were considered franchise players in their own right. But the guy the fans really wanted was Tavares, as was evidenced by fans wearing his jersey before the Islanders even drafted him.

When June 26 finally rolled around, Islanders fans could be best described as basketcases. The reports in the media that the Islanders were taking Matt Duchene didn't exactly help things. Trivial items such as which nameplates were in stock at the Islanders draft party became headline news in Islander Country. Many were calling this the biggest draft pick in franchise history, and it would be hard to disagree. Nowhere was this sentiment more true than at the Coliseum itself on draft night.

On a Friday night in late June, the Coliseum was packed. There were more people at the Coliseum to watch a crappy feed of TSN on the Jumbotron than there were for most games in the 2008-09 season. The Coliseum floor was abuzz with rumors and anticipation for what was to come. And if there was any doubt as to who the people's choice was, TSN's open to the draft clarified the fans' position. Every mention and camera shot of either Duchene or Hedman was met with loud boos, while all things Tavares were cheered wildly.

As Garth Snow approached the podium in Montreal, all of Long Island held its collective breath. And when he said John Tavares' name, it's hard to tell what the prevalent emotion was at the Coliseum. It was a mixture of exhilaration, relief and excitement all at once. To think that Islanders fans could be so impacted by this decision about a player most fans had never even seen play showed how much people truly cared about the Islanders. For better or worse, they had labeled Tavares as their savior, the one player who could bring credibility to the Islanders... and finally, they had him.

On a night when the Coliseum rocked like it hadn't rocked since the Isles-Leafs series of 2002, there was so much to celebrate. Yes, it was nice to know that the Islanders didn't screw up a perfect situation. But with Tavares and the promise of the Lighthouse at some point in the future, it felt like the Islanders were reborn. As it turns out, the Lighthouse Project has taken a turn for the worse, but Tavares has been as good as advertised. And when you consider that the Islanders never would have signed Matt Moulson if not for Tavares, Snow's decision effectively added about 50 goals to the Islanders' 2009-10 total, with many more to come in the future from both players.

NYI Top Post-Lockout Moments #15-11

More of the top post-lockout moments in Islanders history. Monday, we'll have #10-#6 of the Rangers' moments.

15) Road Warriors

Chicago/Detroit - March 15/March 27, 2009

The 2008-09 season was largely forgettable for the Islanders. They had a decent start, but injuries - and the fact that they weren't very good - had the Islanders in their customary spot of last place by Christmas. The injury bug that ravaged the Islanders was absolutely insane, with the Islanders resorting to playing as many as a dozen Bridgeport Sound Tigers on the big club, then sending them down to play in Bridgeport.

It was under these conditions that the Islanders pulled off their two biggest wins of the season. The first came during a Sunday matinee in Chicago, a game in which goalie Peter Mannino earned his first NHL win. Two weeks later, the Isles played the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings on a Friday night, and to say Islanders fans weren't expecting much would be an understatement. However, these Islanders were up to the task, in particularly Joey MacDonald, who stole the show with 42 saves. In fact, it was MacDonald's save on Tomas Holmstrom that was named by NHL fans as the best save of the season.

These two games meant very little in the standings to either team, but they did a world of good for Islanders fans. Those who stayed loyal to the last-place Islanders were treated to two tremendous efforts against the eventual Western Conference finalists. They also got a glimpse of the team's future, as well as a reminder that the New York Islanders do not quit against any team.

14) Fight Night At Nassau Coliseum

Nassau Coliseum - September 24, 2007

Preseason games are often filled with fights. Islanders-Rangers games are often filled with fights. Put the two together, and there is serious potential for disarray.

There were a number of fights on this night, but there are two that stand out. The first involved Chris Simon and Ryan Hollweg. This game actually occurred during Simon's suspension for mauling Hollweg during a March 2007 game, but since it was a preseason game, Simon was able to play. Given the history these two players had with one another, it was no surprise that they went at it on this night.

The fight nobody expected to see, though, was between the goalies. As Rick DiPietro became involved in a scrum in front of the Islanders' net, Rangers goalie Al Montoya came down to defend his teammates. The tussle between DiPietro and Montoya wasn't all that special, but that they squared off at all was a pretty awesome moment. It was a great cap to yet another brutal moment in the Islanders-Rangers rivalry.

13) Opening Night

Nassau Coliseum - October 3, 2009

For months prior to the start of the 2009-10 season, Islanders fans saw October 3 as something more than Opening Night. Instead, it was Charles Wang's well-publicized date of "certainty". Wang stated numerous times that, if the Lighthouse Project had not been approved, the Islanders would listen to offers from potential suitors of the Islanders in other cities. As the date neared, the political games intensified, leaving fans worried about their team's future.

As it turned out, there was no deal by Wang's "certainty" deadline. However, that didn't stop the fans from filling the Coliseum, forgetting all the political nonsense, and simply enjoying the great game of hockey. They got to see a great game, highlighted by the NHL debut of John Tavares. Tavares didn't disappoint, recording an assist and a goal on the Islanders' first two goals. Tavares also made an appearance in the shootout later that night. While the Islanders couldn't knock off the defending Cup champs, they gave Islanders fans a tremendous memory - as well as a reminder that while it's easy to get swept up in the politics of the Lighthouse, hockey is what makes Islander Country a special place.

12) The Purge of 2009

February 20/March 4, 2009

As the Islanders made their bid for the first overall draft pick towards the end of the 2008-09 season, most people suspected that the Islanders would sell off at least some of their significant surplus of players at the end of their contracts. The Islanders did end up trading three veteran players around the deadline, but it wasn't merely to save payroll.

On February 20, the Islanders shipped Chris Campoli and Mike Comrie to Ottawa in exchange for Dean McAmmond and a first-round pick. Campoli wasn't going to be a free agent, but had something in common with Comrie - neither were happy with Scott Gordon's system. Nor was Guerin, who was pulled from the Islanders lineup on February 28 in anticipation of a trade, which did not materialize until just before the deadline on March 4. Guerin's haul was less than anticipated, but he did end up yielding a third-round pick when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

The message in these trades were clear. Veterans who didn't want to mentor the young guys and play within Scott Gordon's system were expendable and would be moved out in favor of younger players. The trades were proof that the Islanders were committed to rebuilding with Gordon and that fans could finally embrace a coach without worrying about him getting fired anytime soon.

11) Islanders Hire Ted Nolan And Neil Smith

June 8, 2006

After the Islanders fired Steve Stirling in January 2006, fans were waiting to see who would be named the next Islanders coach. Interim coach Brad Shaw did a decent job to close out 2005-06, but most people were looking for the Isles to name a coach from outside the organization. Fans were also waiting for the team to name Mike Milbury's successor as general manager. On June 8, 2006, they would be pleasantly surprised to find that both the coach and general manager vacancies were filled.

For the general manager position, the Islanders brought in Neil Smith. While some Islanders fans weren't thrilled about the prospect of a former Rangers GM running their team, Smith also had a background with the Islanders, serving as a scout on their 80s Cup teams. In addition, it was hard to ignore Smith's work in bringing the Rangers the 1994 Stanley Cup. For coach, the Islanders hired Ted Nolan, the former Sabres coach who hadn't coached in the NHL since being fired by the Sabres and subsuquently blackballed from the league as a whole.

The additions of these two respected leaders with proven track records of success helped give the Islanders a sense of credibility they hadn't had for years. The additions of Pat LaFontaine and Bryan Trottier as executives only helped to enhance the good vibes of the day. Then, unfortunately, Charles Wang announced his "management model" whereby everyone would have an equal say and all would report directly to Wang. Smith was unable to exist within this "model" and was fired just 40 days later, with LaFontaine resigning his post on the same day.

Ultimately, Wang's "model" was quietly dropped two years later, but by then, the damage was done. Smith was out and Garth Snow was in; a decision, as we will see later in the countdown, that was not exactly warmly embraced at first. However, Smith's tenure did have some long-lasting impact, as his first draft pick as Islanders GM was Kyle Okposo. As for Nolan, he brought the Islanders to the playoffs in his first season, but was fired after the next season, his "GM-killer" reputation still intact.

No Comment

Regarding the Long Island Press story stating that Charles Wang has pulled out of the Lighthouse Project...

As of right now, the only thing indicating that the Lighthouse Project is no more is a small local paper citing a singular unnamed source. In other words, that's not even close to reliable. Is the story true? Possibly. But until we know either way, this blog will refrain from commenting.

Look, as an Islanders fan, I can't help but fear the worst. And I can't help but think back to Wang's attempt to create "Old Plainview", something that ended with an abrupt announcement saying the project was over. But this shouldn't be a funeral. We have no proof that the Lighthouse is not going to happen. Yes, it's a little shady that nobody involved with the Lighthouse will go on the record to say anything. Yes, this news totally ruined my night. At the same time, with no confirmation of anything, we shouldn't get too carried away. After all, we have no certainty - there's that word again - that all hope is lost.

Here's hoping that the morning will bring confirmation that the Lighthouse Project is still a possibility.

Islanders Lose, But...

The Islanders lost tonight in a shootout against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The cynic in me thinks that these are the same old Islanders who can't hold a lead against a good team. That part of me is legitimately crestfallen after this loss. After all, this was one of those nights that just seemed too perfect to screw up, and we won't have many of those nights this season, especially with the specter of the Lighthouse Project looming large.

Having said all that...

How can you possibly be upset about tonight's game? The Isles looked pretty awesome for much of the game. John Tavares made his debut in just about as grand a fashion as you could imagine, and that's the biggest thing. For those who attended the game, his first goal is a memory that will never be forgotten. From a practical perspective, it's great that Tavares got all of his firsts (first point, first goal, first shootout attempt) out of the way in one night. Hard to knock that kind of performance.

I'm not saying wins and losses don't matter. What I am saying is that this season is about developing young talent, and we saw significant evidence that John Tavares is ready to contribute to this team right now. If the Islanders focus on developing Tavares and his young counterpart, the wins will come soon enough. Good teams always get the lucky bounces, as tonight's shootout showed. Someday, the Islanders will get those breaks.

For now, we have four days to reflect. Not on the loss or the expiration of Charles Wang's "certainty" deadline, but on the spectacular debut of John Tavares and what other tricks he may have in store for us. If Tavares is even half the difference-maker he was tonight, we're in store for a special season, regardless of the Isles' win-loss record.

Happy Certainty Day!

Finally, we're here. October 3. Opening Day... and Charles Wang's "certainty" deadline.

It comes as no surprise that Wang's deadline was not met by the Town of Hempstead. Bad news, sure, but not at all unexpected, and that's good. Because this should not be a sad day for Islanders fans.

Instead, it should be a celebration. Tonight should be a celebration of what we still have. We get to watch this team play instead of worry about the future. We get to spend the night in Nassau Coliseum; warts and all, it's one of the few remaining arenas with a real home-ice advantage when the crowd's involved. We get to reacquaint ourselves with pretzel twists, easily the greatest arena food available anywhere. Most importantly, we get to welcome John Tavares to Long Island.

On many occasions, I've tried to put into to words what John Tavares means to the Islanders and their fans. I've failed each time. You never want to give a player the dreaded "savior" label, and it's not fair to give it to Tavares. However, it's okay to admit that Tavares is a bigger deal than just about anybody the Islanders have brought in since Pat LaFontaine. He's the kind of player the Islanders would never have a prayer of signing as a free agent and the kind of player they'd never be able to trade for, and yet John Tavares begins his NHL career as a New York Islander. Even better, he's a very willing and happy New York Islander.

It's a night to forget all the Lighthouse stuff. It's a night to cheer and to finally be proud of the Islanders. That's something no politician can take away.

So This Is How It's Going To Be

The Islanders are about to head to training camp. John Tavares is about to take the ice in OUR colors for the first time. We're about to get hockey back after six long months.

And yet, we can't enjoy any of it.

We're not going to get into the politics of the Lighthouse Project here. There are plenty of other places to follow that saga if you're so inclined. Yes, it's important. It's EXTREMELY important. But it's not hockey, and we're here to talk about hockey. And, to be honest, the Lighthouse stuff is getting in the way of what should be a very exciting time for Islanders fans.

Look, we're not downplaying the significance of any of this. But it's almost like people are ready to write the Islanders a one-way ticket to Queens, or Hamilton, or Las Vegas, or Kansas City, or wherever. We're not going to do that. Everytime I go out in Islanders gear, someone asks me what I'm going to do when the Islanders leave, and I'm f***ing sick of it. We should be discussing the on-ice future of the Islanders, not preparing the Islanders' eulogy.

On September 22, the Lighthouse re-zoning meeting will take place at Hofstra. That night, the Islanders will play the Los Angeles Kings at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. I, for one, will be solely focused on the Islanders, and not just to scout out the team's future building. I want to see John Tavares and Kyle Okposo and get a glimpse of this wonderful future we have all earned. Call me a bad Islanders fan or an irresponsible writer if you want. But I'm not letting bulls**t politics ruin what could be a special season. After all, who knows how many seasons we have left?

I'm not saying the Lighthouse doesn't matter. I'm not saying I don't think the team will move. I'm just saying I refuse to take the New York Islanders for granted. And damn the Town of Hempstead for daring to ruin this season for me.

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

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.

Coyotes File For Bankruptcy - And How It Affects The Islanders

Interesting news out of Phoenix today, as the Coyotes have apparently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and are awaiting a sale. Before the ink dried on the bankruptcy filing, Blackberry billionaire Jim Balsillie made an offer for $215 million - provided the Coyotes leave Phoenix and take up residence in Hamilton, Ontario. And the craziest part is, all of this could be happening before next season. The bankruptcy filing indicates that the Coyotes need to either be moved or be assured of staying by June 30, 2009 for purposes of next season's scheduling.

Most hockey fans know Balsillie has been in the business of buying NHL teams in the past. In 2006, he attempted to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins, a deal that fell through when it became known he intended to move the team. Undeterred, he made a deal to purchase the Nashville Predators a year later. Balsillie went as far as to procure deposits from 12,000 fans in Hamilton who would buy season tickets if the team moved. Again, plans to move the team became Balsillie's undoing, and the deal didn't work out. Now, he's at it again, this time with Phoenix.

Personally, I'd love to see this deal go through. Hockey is a Canadian game and there should be more than six NHL teams in Canada. The Copps Coliseum in Hamilton holds some significant history, as the greatest hockey ever played took place inside the building during the 1987 Canada Cup. In fact, Hamilton has been clamoring for an NHL team for decades; it'd be nice to see the city achieve its goal. Now, this isn't to say hockey can't work in Phoenix. But the truth is, the team is awful, the fanbase has become jaded and, while their arena might be new, Coyotes fans say it's in the middle of nowhere and is hard to get to. Clearly, this is not the best formula to develop a loyal fanbase.

So, what does all of this have to do with the Islanders? Quite a bit, actually. 

 - First and foremost, this is going to be a test of Gary Bettman's "I like all 30 clubs where they are" proclamation. If a team is going to move, it's the Coyotes. Conversely, if they stay put, odds are good the Islanders will remain on Long Island as well. 

 - Second, this will determine the going rate for a team with a ton of young stars, but has struggled on the ice and in the stands over the past decade. In addition, Balsillie's $215 bid doesn't take into account the 30-year lease the Coyotes have with the city of Glendale, who owns the Jobing.com Arena; the lease is said to include a $750 million payout to the city if the Coyotes leave town.

 

 - Lastly, speaking of arenas, it shows that new arenas don't mean much if the team under-performs and fans don't show up. Remember, the Jobing.com Arena is the centerpiece of the developing Westgate City Center, which features malls, restaurants, office space, and housing. Sound familiar?

Islanders fans, pay attention to how this unfolds. The Coyotes are hemorrhaging money. They are a historically bad team with a bad lease and a dwindling fanbase. They have no stars to lure in casual fans (aside from their coach/owner, Wayne Gretzky), but have plenty of top prospects that will blossom sooner rather than later. Their arena is part of a developmental project, albeit one that was already approved, but even the surrounding area hasn't been able to draw fans. There's a lot to be learned from the story of the Phoenix Coyotes. If anything, Islanders fans should be ecstatic that this is happening so that they know what to expect if Charles Wang is forced to move or sell the team. And again, if the Coyotes end up staying in Phoenix, it stands to reason that the Islanders will be sticking around as well.

Charles Wang Opens The Books

You know things aren't quite right when the Islanders are front-page news a month after their season ends.

And yet, today, that's exactly what happened. Charles Wang launched his latest PR initiative yesterday, stating that if he had to do it over again, he wouldn't have bought the Islanders. Seeing as how he's lost nearly $300 million since buying the team a decade ago, I can't say I blame him.

Now, this shouldn't be interpreted as "regret", as many media outlets have described Wang's statement. Sure, part of him probably wishes he hadn't bought the team and assumed the Lighthouse would have been take care of years ago. But not unlike the exhibition game in Kansas City, this is mainly geared towards getting a reaction out of people. Islanders fans shouldn't panic; if anything, they should be more behind Wang than ever. Would any of us stick with the Islanders despite losing in excess of $20 million a year? Doubtful.

Wang has made it clear that if a resolution hasn't been reached by the start of next season, he will have to consider his options. Fair enough. But it'd be a shame if Charles Wang has to cut his very considerable losses and move the team due to politics.

Sometimes, You Just Have To Laugh

This morning, I heard a number of loathsome tunes dedicated to the Islanders. These numbers include, but are not limited to, the following titles:

- "Meet Me At The Sprint Center"
- "Meet Me At The Lighthouse... in Kansas City"

- "Meet Me At The Lighthouse... in Hartford"

- "Meet Me At The Lighthouse... in (insert city)"

I'll admit, these were pretty funny. But nothing topped this one I received in my inbox today. The creator of this genius logo is unknown, but whoever made it gets a hat tip for giving me a much-needed laugh today...

The moral of the story? Zach's comment on my last post was right. It's too early for this doom-and-gloom stuff. Before the roof caves in on us, let's at least have some fun with this. If the Isles do end up moving, we'll have plenty of time to write their epitaph. For now, though, it never hurts to have a sense of humor about the whole thing.

It's Starting

This is supposed to be a post about the Islanders bringing back Wade Dubielewicz. Or maybe it's supposed to be a series of thinly-veiled shots at the Islanders' training staff, the only people I can think to blame for the roughly 20,000 man games the Islanders have lost to injury over the past two seasons. Or maybe it's supposed to be about two consecutive 2-1 losses, two games in which the Islanders have played extremely well, but fell short to their biggest rivals and the league's best team. Any of these would work.

Instead, I'm stuck here fearing the worst.

By now, everyone's heard that the Islanders will be playing a pre-season game in Kansas City in September. Hell, even Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe speculated about the hidden meaning of the game on the air tonight. Of course, they spun it in as positive a manner as possible, but the fact remains that there's a lot of negative that can be gleaned from this story. And we, as hockey fans - forget about the rivalry for a second - need to pay attention to this sort of stuff.

If you've read this blog for a while, you may be aware that we were among the first to raise the possibility of the Islanders being moved. That's not bragging, just a little reading between the lines that is starting to come to fruition. This Lighthouse Project just isn't happening right now, and it's so key to the Islanders' future that Charles Wang is taking proactive measures to get it going. If that means playing an exhibition game in Kansas City, fine. That said, I think we all have reason to panic.

Football fans will remember the infamous "Proposed West Side Stadium" the Jets were championing a few years back. It was the cornerstone of New York City's 2012 Olympic bid. It was a pretty good plan - it would bring the Olympics to the City, it would give the Jets their own home (not to mention actually bringing a New York football team to New York), and would make it a whole lot easier for fans to attend games. So what happened? The stadium became a political issue and the whole thing died shortly thereafter.

The lesson to be learned from this? Nothing we don't already know; namely, once politicians get involved, you can forget about progress being made - ever.

Now, we here at The Rivalry prefer to keep our hockey and our politics separate. So we'll spare you the whole debate over whose fault it is that the Lighthouse Project isn't moving, how much good it will really do, so on and so forth. All we really care about is, will the Islanders be moving? I mean, I'd love a renovated Coliseum, but I'd sit in the crummiest seat in the house if it meant keeping the Islanders on Long Island.

After the announcement of the Islanders-Kings game in Kansas City, I did a lot of thinking. And the obvious facts, namely that the Kings' owner also owns the Sprint Center, were not included in those thoughts. I thought about the possibility that this team might not be here in just a handful of years. I thought about my dreams of taking my daughter to the Coliseum and explaining all the different banners, and the powerful memories behind them, to her. I thought about the virtual guarantee of this team suddenly becoming a powerhouse immediately after leaving Long Island, and I thought about how I might feel about it. I thought about the guy at the Prudential Center who asked me which team I'd root for if the Islanders ever moved and how I couldn't give him an answer. I thought and I thought, because that's all I could do.

This is going to be a time when thorough introspection outweighs fact, when preparing for the worst beats hoping for the best. I know I'll have a lot more moments like these as the Lighthouse Project gets debated for the next eternity or so. Will we end up like the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were all but packed for Kansas City, but ended up staying in Pittsburgh and making the Stanley Cup Final just two years later? Or will we end up like the Quebec Nordiques, a team that finally achieves its great promise upon leaving? Only time will tell, and for much of this time, we will be out of the loop. All we can do is hope and pray for a happy ending.

D-Day

Let's be honest - this isn't a good time to be an Islanders fan.

You have one legitimate All-Star in Mark Streit, followed by a number of question marks. Your coach has implemented a system that many veterans on the team do not care for. Your franchise goaltender has been MIA for the past two weeks, this despite the team acknowledging that he is medically cleared to play. Your captain is starting to show signs of weariness as the ship sinks deeper underwater. And, to top it all off, your top offensive player is injured, just the latest in the endless string of Islanders to land on the IR this season.

Here's the reality for those of us who bleed orange and blue. D-Day for the 2008-09 Islanders season comes on June 20, 2009. If Charles Wang, Garth Snow, Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, and the rest of the Islanders' brass walks up to the podium at the Bell Centre in Montreal and says, "With the first pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders select John Tavares, center, London Knights," everything we're going through will be worth it. The agony of seeing our entire team hurt, of having no idea of the status of Rick DiPietro, it will all be worthwhile. Tavares, you see, represents the future for the New York Islanders. Because John Tavares is the kind of player who can help keep the Islanders on Long Island. 

With all due respect to Victor Hedman, there is nobody else who can save this team the way John Tavares can. The Islanders can't draw a big-name free agent. They don't have the bargaining chips to swing a big trade. The Lighthouse Project, tied up in political battle, is going nowhere. The only thing the Islanders can do is draft John Tavares and hope he turns it around sufficiently enough that the Islanders can stay put while the Lighthouse Project is straightened out.

I know we're not supposed to think about these things. As fans, we're supposed to be loyal to the bitter end, not worry about the draft, not worry about our team moving, so on and so forth. But this is not a typical situation. Most fans aren't blatantly lied to by their own team regarding the injury status of their 15-year goaltender. Furthermore, most fans aren't slammed with propaganda regarding a massive arena renovation that nobody has any proof will ever happen. Those of us who are still left, the real Islanders fans, have given plenty to this team and we deserve something a little better in return. And if daydreaming of John Tavares in an Islanders uniform gets us through these dark days, I think that's a hell of a lot better than the alternative. When Pittsburgh drafted Sidney Crosby, we saw how one player can completely change a team's fortunes. Islanders fans deserve the same chance to watch our team rise from these dire straits.

And if we don't land Tavares? That's a discussion for another day. But I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the absolute worst.

A Bit Disillusioned

Our buddy Jason from 3rd String Safety left us this comment last night regarding the Islanders-Capitals game...

Excuse this comment for being totally irrelevant to the post but I went to a hockey game for the first time in a while tonight and I had several observations.

- The Nassau Colosseum is a dump. A total dump. Sitting in my row I felt like a prisoner, I couldn't lift my hands to clap because my arms were wedged in between my body as my friends had jacked the arm rest space.

- Our friend Anthony didn't know the "Don't leave or go back to your seat" until there's a whistle etiquette rule. It was amusing to watch him get yelled at for walking up the stairs as he's holding his $18 nachos.

- I would describe the atmosphere as dead. Bryan I am truly sorry you're an Islander fan. The crowd cheered more for the Ice Girls (who I would compare to the WCW Nitro Girls) than anything else. When the game went into OT it just seemed everyone was waiting for inevitable gut wrenching loss.

These are points I'm not prepared to argue right now. Why? Because he's right.

OK, the $18 nachos is a bit inaccurate. (Though they are really good.) But he has every right to take these shots at the Islanders. Sure, it's annoying that everybody dumps on the Islanders. Then again, they're a bit of an easy target these days.

I'll be completely honest and state that I didn't even watch the final two periods of last night's game. The first period was everything I thought it would be. I assumed the Coliseum would be half-empty, and I was right. I assumed Scott Gordon would stubbornly stick with Joey MacDonald, even though he has a 4.67 goals against average in December, and I was right. I assumed the Islanders would fall behind early, and I was right. Does assuming the worst make me a bad Islanders fan? Probably.

In my defense, it was my first night off in a while, and I wanted to spend time doing rather than watching. So I fired up the 360 and played some NHL 09. Is that so wrong? I don't know. But I wasn't too keen on clearing out an entire night to watch a loss. Turns out I missed quite a game. I guess I got what I deserved.

Now, having said all of that, I'm not about to take all the blame here. I, for one, am absolutely sick and tired of hearing the same old crap about the Islanders. For starters, how they're only losing because of injuries. I call BS. The same people who were thrilled that Mike Comrie got hurt are now complaining because half the team is hurt. Oh, and for the record, the whole team was hurt last year, too. You can only blame bad luck for so long before you have to look at what's really going on with this team. (Before you take the easy way out and call the Islanders a team full of graybeards, realize there are only seven players on the active roster older than thirty.)

The other thing I'm sick of hearing about is Scott Gordon's system. I swear, the next time I hear the phrases "overspeed", "Scott Gordon's system", or "the new system", I'm putting a brick through my TV. Never in my life have I ever heard a coach's philosophies get so much press. This isn't football, where coaches call all the plays. Gordon can only do so much; ultimately, it's the players who have to win the games. Do you realize the Islanders have only one player, Andy Sutton, with a positive plus-minus rating? That's awful.

And awful is what the Islanders were supposed to be this year. This has turned into the season we all expected - lots of competitive games that end in losses. Now that the bottom is really starting to fall out on this team, it's easy to get discouraged. It's times like these when we're supposed to remind ourselves that the Islanders are rebuilding, that there are better times ahead for this team. However, it's not that easy. The question we're asking ourselves - and if we aren't, we should be - is, "When this team gets better, will they still be on Long Island?"

I've said before that I believe the Islanders will be moved off the Island within five years. And why shouldn't they be? The Lighthouse is not happening. Nobody really has $400 million lying around to get this thing going. Furthermore, now that it's become a political issue, you know nothing is ever going to get done. Look at the Jets' proposed West Side stadium for proof of what happens when politicians get involved in something started with good intentions. The team is losing money left and right. Nobody is going to the games because the team's not very good and nobody has money. It's a losing situation all around. At this point, the question really isn't if the Isles will be shipped off to Winnipeg, Hartford, or some other hockey-starved city, but when the move will take place.

If you're as cynical as I am, you're convinced this will happen just before all the young players turn the corner and start to become great players. This way, the new city gets all the glory we've earned.

You know, I was totally on board with rebuilding the Islanders the right way before I realized just how dire this whole situation was. Now, I'm not sure what to think. I want to see a successful Islanders team before they're eventually moved out. Will it happen? I sure hope so. Those of us who are still left certainly deserve it.

If you've followed me this far, I do appreciate it. I'm not even sure if I'm following myself at this point. I know this holiday season is supposed to bring about hope and all that, but it's hard to be so positive when evidence suggests things will get even worse. Here's hoping for a holiday miracle that not only keeps the Islanders on Long Island, but puts them on the path to their former glory.

Viva Las Vegas?

I don't know much about life. But there is one thing of which I'm absolutely certain. There is no such thing as a coincidence. Everything happens for a reason. And in the sports world, everything outside of the games themselves are done for a reason.

After reporting that the Islanders were a little too aggressive in promoting their Lighthouse Project last Thursday, I just assumed it was the Islanders shoving this thing down our throats. After all, that's what they've always done. But the next day at work, additional pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. A co-worker said that fans were chanting "Go To Vegas!" at the Islanders, with the backstory being that Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer was interested in moving an NHL team to Las Vegas. Apparently, Bruckheimer's interest in Vegas has cooled, but that's a city that's dying for a pro franchise; hockey could be the sport to get it done. After hearing that, I thought back to last Thursday's episode of NHL Live. E.J. Hradek was talking about the Islanders and mentioned how the Lighthouse Project was taking forever and that Charles Wang couldn't lose money on the Islanders forever. Then, to top it all off, Mike Milbury was on Hockey Night in Canada on Sirius on Friday. While talking about the Islanders, he intimated that hockey on Long Island could be a thing of the past, not just because nobody goes to the games, but because hockey isn't a big enough of a youth sport on Long Island to sustain interest in the Islanders.

That's when I got really worried. And that's when I made a prediction for which I'll hate myself should it come true: Within the next five years, the Islanders will be playing in a different city.

Don't believe me? Scroll up to two paragraphs ago. That should be all the proof you need. Why would the Islanders suddenly start shilling the Lighthouse Project on MSG Plus unless there was a reason for it? It's not like C.J. Papa came in on Thursday and said, "You know what? I don't have much to talk about in my intermission report. Why don't I constantly bring up the Lighthouse Project?" It doesn't work that way. My theory is that Charles Wang instructed MSG Plus to prominently feature the Lighthouse Project in Thursday's broadcast in order to put pressure on the Nassau County legislators, who have done a remarkable job in delaying this thing, to finally approve the project.

And if that's not enough for you, this one should erase any doubt in your mind. Just for fun, I went to the Lighthouse's website earlier today, just to see if it said anything particularly notable - as in, anything that would validate my blackest fears. I was greeted by a cheesy rock song and a wonderful graphic of the entire project as it's currently drawn up. However, I wasn't satisfied, and so I dug deeper. And sure enough, buried in the FAQ section of the website, came this nugget...

Q: Will the approval of the Lighthouse project ensure that the Islanders will not move?
A: As part of the proposal submitted by Nassau County Legislature, the New York Islanders would extend their current lease agreement at the Coliseum until 2025. The Islanders are Long Island's only major league professional sports team.

You can interpret this question in one of two ways. You can either see it as Charles Wang and company preying on the fears of Islander fans in order to get them more involved in seeing this thing through. Or, you can see it as Wang being as bluntly honest as he's always been. And when it comes to these big companies and big PR firms, you have to look for what they're not saying. As in, by saying that the Lighthouse will ensure that the Islanders don't move, what they're really saying is that if the Lighthouse Project is rejected, the Islanders will be forced to move to another city.

Now, before you get upset with me for saying this or for Charles Wang for thinking of cutting his losses, ask yourself this question: Can you really blame him?

Look at the situation Charles Wang finds himself in. He's stuck in a bad building with a horrible lease. He's got a team that many have earmarked for the bottom of the league. He's got a fanbase that would rather stay home than come out and support what they feel is a losing product. And that last one is key. It's hard to fight the good fight and convince Charles Wang to keep the Islanders on Long Island when last Saturday, with no significant competition and a 2-for-1 ticket promotion, they drew 11,219 fans. Even the Rangers' visit to the Coliseum on Monday didn't sell the building out. At the same time, pretty much everyone on Long Island is broke; even a great team wouldn't guarantee the sellouts that are needed to pump revenue into the organization.

It's a total Catch-22. But it sort of explains a lot. It helps to explain why the Islanders have been so hesitant to embrace a youth movement, as much as the Islanders have desperately needed one. If you want to take it back a little bit, you could even make the argument that the Ryan Smyth trade was made in order to make a Cup run, which would then make this whole Lighthouse Project a lot easier to sell to the politicians. After all, it'd be a sold-out building they'd be upgrading, and that's a lot easier to stomach than one that's half-full. Now that the Islanders have committed to youth for the foreseeable future, it's very possible that this is the last chance the Islanders, as they currently exist, will have to rebuild. If this current crop of youngsters doesn't work out and the Islanders are still getting killed on their current lease, with no Lighthouse in sight and no fans in the current seats, Wang might have to move on.

It's a tough thing to think about. And I'd love to be wrong about all of this. But I definitely think there's reason to worry. I also think there's a lot that we, as Islanders fans, can do about this. We can make our voices heard. Maybe we can try to get to some more games. Maybe we can wear our Islanders gear with a little more pride. We all know that no matter how bad Ranger fans give it to us, it's nothing compared to the pain we'd feel if the Islanders went off to some other city. Especially because you know that's when they'd finally start to get good.

Let's do our part to avoid such a scenario. I don't want the Islanders to be some franchise that moves because the fans don't care enough. That would be a shame. Let's do our best to give Charles Wang a reason to stay, Lighthouse or no Lighthouse.

Season In Review: New York Islanders

At long last, it's finally over. The season has come to an end, and you know what that means. No more injuries. No more woefully unprepared call-ups from Bridgeport. No more losing. No more free chili. No more exasperated claims from Howie Rose that he can't figure this team out. Which is a good thing. Because as Mr. Rose heads off to WFAN and the Mets, I'm sure he's found more questions than answers. I think I speak for every Islander fan when I say that I have a few of my own.

For me, the question doesn't concern who's going to be back next year. Instead, I'd like to ask about who isn't returning. Personally, I'd sleep easier knowing that the following players will never again don an Islanders jersey - Miroslav Satan, Josef Vasicek, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Bryan Berard. Not that these are bad players, but they aren't going to get any better. Their production could easily be replicated by a young player with at least a decent upside. One of the biggest problems on Long Island this year was the glut of roster spots that were being wasted, and getting rid of these players would help. It would also be nice if Garth Snow would refrain from signing role players to one-year deals and relying on them to be first-line players.

So, then, who to sign? A scorer would be nice. However, this team has seen both Satan and Alexei Yashin come to the Island and almost immediately lose their scoring touch. The Islanders need a player they can build around - or, even better, a player they've already subconsciously prepared to acquire. Who that player is, I have no idea. But getting a superstar scorer would not only get the Islanders some goals, but they could clear up some room for another desperately-needed commodity - an enforcer. The Islanders, for all of their muckers and grinders, ranked 26th in the NHL in fighting majors. The good teams in the NHL have a balance between their scorers and their fighters; that is, they don't roll four lines that play the same exact style. This is something the Islanders need to work on this off-season.

Truthfully, it isn't all that bad. Should they get a scorer, they already have a quality set-up man in Mike Comrie. They have tons of grinders and penalty killers - Richard Park, Sean Bergenheim, Mike Sillinger, and even Andy Hilbert are guys that are going to be back and should continue to succeed on the Island. Kyle Okposo should be a candidate for Rookie Of The Year, and Jeff Tambellini should have a good season in his first real chance at a 82-game NHL season. The Islanders have a solid defensive core, with an above-average offensive D-man in Chris Campoli and some good stay-at-home guys in Brendan Witt and Andy Sutton. And, in net, Rick DiPietro is obviously the go-to guy. If DP can replicate the first half of his 2007-08 campaign over a full season, he could be a Vezina nominee. As bad as it seems, there are some pieces in place. It's up to Garth Snow to make the necessary changes, but not change too much.

In my opinion, the most two most important facets of the off-season have absolutely nothing to do with the on-ice product of the New York Islanders. The first is the Isles' potential participation in the Winter Classic. I know the Islanders aren't exactly the most popular choice with the NHL or NBC, but an appearance on the league's second-biggest stage would be a major (and much-needed) coup for this team. I'm not even suggesting that the Islanders deserve to be there, just that it'd do a world of good for the team and the Islanders-Rangers rivalry.

More important than the Winter Classic, though, is Charles Wang's proposed Lighthouse Project. It was suggested the other day on NHL Live that if the Lighthouse Project falls through, the Islanders would have a hard time staying on Long Island. Time will tell how true that is, but facts are facts. The Islanders have the third-oldest arena in the league, and once the Penguins move into their new arena and the Garden is renovated, the Islanders will be left in the dust. The Coliseum has the smallest capacity of any arena in the NHL, not to mention it draws the lowest number of fans per night in the league. Sure, attendance has increased, but anybody who followed the Islanders this year saw the significant increase in ticket promotions and giveaways. The Lighthouse Project is critical for the Islanders, not just for the fans, but for purposes of attracting marquee free agents and increasing the visibility of the franchise. Charles Wang claims ground is to break in July 2009, but there's a lot of paperwork and political maneuvering to be done before then.

On Monday night, the New York Islanders officially end their season with the NHL Draft Lottery. The Isles will have a top-six pick in this year's draft, but exactly where they'll draft will be determined tomorrow night. In what's said to be the deepest draft in years, the Islanders should end up with a quality pick. Time will tell whether that pick will be turned into an elite prospect or a trading chip. Either way, it's a good problem to have. In an off-season where Garth Snow undoubtedly has his work cut out for him, he certainly has a good problem on his hands to start it off.

With that, we effectively close out our coverage of the Islanders for the next little while. Our focus turns to the Rangers and the NHL Playoffs as a whole. This is the best time of year for any true hockey fan; just because the Islanders aren't in the playoffs doesn't mean they shouldn't be enjoyed. We've got plenty of Islanders-related stuff in the hopper, but we have a whole summer for that. In the meantime, there are four rounds of playoffs to watch and savor. We'll have some sort of playoff preview up before the real season begins Wednesday night. Maybe next year, the Isles will be part of the dance... and if there's a God, they won't appear as an 8 seed yet again.