Late last night Newsday posted the scoop and first photo of the Islanders’ new jersey being modeled by goalie Rick DiPietro. The Islanders updated their website this morning with the other photo featuring both the home and away jerseys.
I’m not crazy about them. I like the player number on the front (ala the Sabres) and the thin stripes at the bottom. Even though I like it, the player number on the front is getting a little played out already - it was cool and unique when the Sabres did it last year, now there are 4 NHL teams using that style. I wouldn’t be surprised if the ref’s jerseys started using it too. Back to the Isles, there’s too much orange on the sleeves - especially on the away (white) jersey. The jersey is nice and clean and white with our classic logo…and then you’ve got these big bright orange sleeves. They stand out too much.
The Isles are hoping you’ll like them though, and are ready to take your pre-order ASAP. I’ll give the team a little credit for selling the new jerseys at a nice discount price (they probably all come with Yashin’s #79).
How to get one? Jerseys can be pre-ordered today through the Islanders (go to newyorkislanders.com) and will retail for $135. Season-ticket holders will receive a letter in the mail tomorrow offering the jerseys at the deep discount price of $75 and they will go on sale at the Islanders Team Store at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville starting Sept. 15.
The best quote in the Newsday article comes from Reebok’s talking head.
“The League sat down and brainstormed about what would be the biggest improvement for the game and the uniform was first and foremost,” said Keith Leach, director of NHL Uniforms for Reebok, the company responsible for the overhaul.
What? Excuse me? Someone needs to pull a jersey over this guy’s head (I don’t care if it’s the old or the new jersey) and pummel him. I mean, he works for Reebok, so what can you really expect him to say, but still “the uniform was first and foremost”? Ha! Maybe in Reebok’s accounting department, but not on the ice. Somehow I don’t see new jerseys fixing scoring, clutching and grabbing, stick fouls, hits to the head, or overtime anytime soon.
Regardless, we’re stuck with these new jerseys for a least a couple of years until someone steps up and throws more money at the NHL then Reebok did. Then we’ll get some new-new jerseys.
No, we’re not giving up on the Isles. Either we are too loyal, too dumb, or some combination of the two. However, we must admit the situation for 2007-08 is pretty grim. Have you seen what’s left of our roster? Now starting for the New York Islanders: Sim-Sillinger-Satan? GM Snow and Coach Nolan did a pretty good job with the players and talent they had last year but instead of building on that success, we’re starting all over again. It feels like last summer - lots of holes, lots of question marks, and lots of writers and bloggers down on the Islanders.
From J.Rolfe at CNN.SI, “Dark Daze On The Island”
If you’re old enough to recall the Islanders’ dynasty, this perpetual swamp of questionable ownership, front-office bungling, and misfortune is utterly mindboggling. It’s like former GM Bill Torrey and former owner John Pickett made a deal with the Devil for those four Cups and the bill has been coming due ever since. With each new development like the Smith hire-and-fire and the Smyth defection, the team’s reputation as a backwater of ineptitude in a crumbling arena with a fair-weather fanbase continues to hinder the ability to sign the kind of marquee character players like Smyth and Drury who can help restore the franchise to some semblance of glory.
From Greg Logan at Newsday.com, “Islander Nation a Tough Sell”
Although the Islanders offered Smyth a five-year deal worth $32.5 million, he took Colorado’s five-year offer for $31.25 million. Asked if he considered upping his offer to Smyth to see if that would make the difference, Snow said, “No. We knew our offer was better than anything else out there.
“I’ll be honest. One of the reasons for Ryan not coming back was the facility that’s here right now. We all know we’re trying to put a new Coliseum up. It seems to me the common theme of why players aren’t coming here is not because of Long Island or the organization. It’s the facility when visiting players come here.
“I don’t want to make too much of an emphasis on it, but we do need a new Coliseum. The agents I talk to tell me the same thing.”
From Mark Herrmann at Newsday.com, “Islanders, Coliseum Can’t Attract Star Players”
The Islanders, having their own roster gutted and seeing the Rangers sign two superstars on the same day, are back to square one. They also still are on Long Island, which isn’t the hockey destination it used to be. There’s no partying like it’s 1983, that’s for sure.
“It’s not Long Island in general, everyone knows it’s a beautiful area,” Islanders general manager Garth Snow said. “A lot of it has to do with our building. That’s a big obstacle.”
The Islanders offered Ryan Smyth more money than the Avalanche did, and that didn’t help. The Islanders offered a few big players more money than they ultimately signed for elsewhere. Although Snow wouldn’t name names, you might take a wild guess. If a player has his choice between the Garden and Nassau Coliseum, which is he going to pick?
From Eric McErlain at the AOL Fanhouse, “Can the Islanders Survive Another Rebuild?”
The most logical course at this point would be to embark on yet another rebuilding program, something Islanders fans have been asked to endure a number of times since they last saw their team win a playoff series in 1993. But remember, this is a franchise that’s seeking to convince the locals to help pay for a new arena, a prospect that’s daunting even in good times, never mind when the prospects of a winner on Long Island have never seemed more remote than they do right now.
The difference from last summer is that I (unfortunately) have to agree with the predictions of doom and gloom in 2007-08 for the Islanders to some degree. We entered last season with a good bit of talent on our roster and a coach known for getting the most out of his players. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was possible for the players to come together and play as a team and have success.
In the past 48 hours, a lot of the talent and scoring (114 goals/46%) on this team just walked out the front door and we received no compensation at all. Our division rivals have bought brought in some of the top UFA players on the market to face us 9 times a year. Our conference rivals (Toronto) who we barely edged out for the final playoff spot have signed our hardest working player. Another conference rival (Washington) appears playoff bound in 2008 by adding two players from our roster (and some other excellent signings) to complement their young superstar Alexander Ovechkin. Will it really take a new arena before we can get the franchise moving forward in a positive direction? I hope not, because the new arena deal is nowhere in sight.
No I’m not giving up on the Islanders, but if you thought last year was a roller coaster ride, you better buckle up for 2007-08.
Newsday’s Greg Logan has an article in the paper today and a couple of blog posts on yesterday’s UFA action.
Most interesting is the $$$ (isn’t it always?). Smyth signed in Colorado for less than the Islanders offered and meanwhile the Islanders lowballed every other UFA we had and lost out on them.
Ryan Smyth, who generated so much excitement when Islanders general manager Garth Snow acquired him from Edmonton at the trade deadline, spurned their five-year offer worth $32.5 million. Instead, Smyth agreed to a five-year deal for $31.25 million with Colorado that would return him to the Western Conference.
Coming off a career-best 40-goal season, Blake signed a five-year deal worth $20 million with Toronto that actually exceeded his asking price with the Islanders by $2 million. Snow is believed to have offered three years for $10 million.
After topping the Islanders in ice time and assists, Poti was offered a three-year deal by the Islanders for close to $10 million, but Washington stepped up with a four-year deal worth $14 million.
Kozlov also enjoyed a career-best 25-goal season with the Islanders, but he was offered only a modest raise over his previous one-year deal for $865,000. The Caps went to $5 million for two years. Florida gave Zednik $3.25 million for two years.
Newsday Islanders’ beat writer Greg Logan wraps up 2006-07 in a long post on his “On The Islanders Beat” blog. It’s a long post covering Smyth, Blake, DP, Yashin and more. Check it out, a couple of excerpts are below.
RYAN SMYTH: You might have seen these comments previously on the Islanders’ web site, but I found it interesting when Smyth spoke about his contact with former greats Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier before leaving. In particular, Smyth recalled a passage from Wayne Gretzky’s book about the scene in the locker room area at Nassau Coliseum after the Isles swept Edmonton, 4-0, to win their last Stanley Cup in 1983.
“It’s pretty special, actually,” Smyth said. “I came from the west side, knowing all those Oilers, and now, getting to meet the other side. I still remember when Gretz wrote in his book the fact that, when he walked down this hall, they were on ice bags. They weren’t even celebrating when they beat [the Oilers]. They knew how hard it was to win and what it took to win. That’s the reflection you get when you see the other side of it and how they deal with everyday life. It’s a great opportunity to get to know them all.”
That history might be meaningless to many hockey free agents, but I think Smyth honestly appreciated it. Whether it’s enough to convince him to return, I don’t know. But Marc-Andre Bergeron, another former Oiler and a friend of Smyth’s seemed to like his experience on Long Island and to think Smyth did, too.
“It’s been great,” Bergeron said of his own time with the Isles. “Right from the get-go when I was traded here, I talked with Garth, and he made me feel really confident about coming down here. He made sure I was comfortable. The players and the staff made it easy to adjust. That’s the biggest part. They showed me confidence on the ice, and I took advantage…I’m closer to home [in Quebec]. I’ve got friends coming down here. I’m in New York, so, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Of course, Smyth’s heart is far away in Edmonton, where he grew up as a kid in Alberta rooting for the Oilers. But when I asked Bergeron how he thought Smyth liked the Island, he said: “I think he likes it. I know he likes it. So, it’s a matter of having a deal that will make him happy.”
JASON BLAKE: It would be surprising to me if Blake signs before July 1 when the free agent market opens. It’s in his best interest to see if there’s a team that will blow him away with a big-money offer. He is coming off a career season of 40 goals despite playing with a wide variety of linemates that went from Alexei Yashin to Viktor Kozlov to Randy Robitaille. He proved in the second half of the season that he wasn’t just a beneficiary of Yashin’s hot start. If anything, it might have been the other way around.
As much as the Islanders need Blake’s speed, he actually might fit in better elsewhere with a team that places more of a priority on speed. “Is there a better fit out there?” Blake asked. “I don’t know that. For me, I’ve been here for six years; I’ve made a home here, I’m comfortable here, I know everyone in the organization, I know Charles and Mike Milbury and now Garth’s the GM. We’ve done a lot to make it successful. Is there a better fit? I’ll never know that unless I do go somewhere else. I’ll be 34 at the start of next year, and I want to win. It’s not necessarily about money. It’s being happy, and I want to win. Hopefully, that’s here.”
Interestingly, Blake said he and Rick DiPietro both tried to sell Smyth on the advantages of Long Island.
FAQs: Q: What are the chances of 2006 No. 1 pick Kyle Okposo leaving the University of Minnesota after his freshman year to join the Isles?
A: “That decision could come by the summer,” Snow said. “It’s not a rush. We’re not putting any pressure on from the organizational side of things. It’s something Kyle and his family have to talk about. It’s a big change in lifestyle.”
Q: How much talent is left in the farm system after sending Robert Nilsson, Ryan O’Marra and this year’s No. 1 pick to Edmonton for Ryan Smyth and trading this year’s No. 2 pick to Washington for Richard Zednik?
A: In addition to Okposo, Snow mentioned several young players who played with the Isles and Bridgeport, including forwards Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen and Blake Comeau and defensemen Chris Campoli and Bruno Gervais, who were a pair in the playoffs. He said the signing of University of New Hampshire star Trevor Smith, whom he likened to Trent Hunter but with better skating ability, was meant to offset the loss of Nilsson and O’Marra. Smith probably is a couple years away. Snow also mentioned that defenseman Dustin Kohn will be moving up from juniors, and he hopes to sign Sean Bergenheim, who spent last season playing in Sweden.
Q: When will defenseman Radek Martinek return from his fractured leg?
A: He is expected to be ready to go when training camp opens. Snow said Martinek will remain on Long Island during the offseason to undergo rehabilitation.
Q: How is Bergenheim’s knee injury that he suffered at the end of the season?
A: According to agent Marc Gandler, Bergenheim is perfectly healthy and will play with Finland in the world championships. As for signing with the Isles next season, Gandler said discussions haven’t begun, “but both sides are interested in getting a deal done.”
Q: Can Alexei Yashin restructure the remaining four years of his contract worth $26.45 million?
A: Restructuring a contract is NOT allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.
Q: What is the procedure for a buyout?
A: If the Islanders want to buy out a contract, they must do it by June 30 or wait another year. The player then receives an amount equal to two-thirds of his contract spread equally over twice the remaining years. In Yashin’s case, he would receive a total of $17.63 million in annual installments of just over $2.2 million paid in monthly checks for a total of eight years.
Looks like Alexei Yashin really wants to remain an Islander and maybe take that target off his back. According to Newsday, Yashin’s agent said his client is willing to give up the captaincy. We think that is a must if the Islanders are going to move in the right direction. That said, we’re not sure that will make much of a difference with regards to fan expectations. Yashin gets paid like a star. He has to play like one or he’s going to hear it until the contract expires.
“I’m sure Alexei would be happy to bring the jersey back and be on the team in whatever role management likes,” agent Marc Gandler said. “It’s not an issue for him. I know he would do it, whether it’s for Ryan Smyth or any other player. It’s not an issue.”
Newsday’s Jim Baumbach spoke with the man, the myth, the Islanders coaching legend himself, Mr. Al “739″ Arbour about the Islanders playoff chances.
“I think they could surprise a lot of people,” he said. “I can’t tell you the outcome, no one can tell you that, but they finished very strong and they won when they had to win, and they really were the only team that did that.
“You never know what could happen in the playoffs. Look at the finalist from the last couple of years. They’re not the top ranked clubs.”
Just look at last year when eighth-seeded Edmonton made it out of the Western Conference, falling to second-seeded Carolina in the Stanley Cup finals.
“Ted Nolan’s done a great job with the team bouncing back,” Arbour added. “They kept a level head. They don’t seem to be too excited. They’re just playing their game and that’s it. They just worry about themselves. That’s the main thing.”
Arbour, like everyone else who followed the Islanders last week, rode the roller coaster of emotions as they overcome major odds to qualify for the playoffs.
“What a finish they had there with the goaltender who doesn’t have much NHL experience, but he did it, and they did,” he said. “It was a storybook ending.”
Nice column in today’s Newsday by the always reliable Johnette Howard. Her point is that the OrangeAndBlue, the laughingstock of the league last summer when Neil Smith got hired and fired and Goalie Garth became GM Garth and then signed Rick DiPietro to a 15-year-contract (wow, that was quite a summer), have quietly had a hell of a season. Of course, part of the reason it has happened “quietly” is the NHL gets little ink in the papers or time on SportsCenter and even when it does, the press is usually reserved for the marquee teams in the league.
The Islanders have had a great run so far. Raise your hand if you saw it coming.
The Islanders remain a handful of players away from terrifying anybody. But at least they’re interesting. In a town where the Knicks get a lot of praise for merely being watchable, the Isles have been an underappreciated story. They’re six games over .500.
Now, you can call Wang more lucky than good or give all the credit to Nolan. Whatever you like.
But it’s not often a franchise goes through a public crack-up and comes out looking better. Time to put away the butterfly nets and send the orderlies home.
Big game tonight against the Maple Leafs. Actually, you can make the case that it’s a critical game but I won’t go there yet. Both teams are tied in ninth with 66 points, one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes. Both the Islanders and the Leafs have 22 games remaining. Carolina has 20. Montreal and the Rangers, two other teams in the hunt for that final spot, have 66 points and 63 points, respectively. The Habs have 20 games remaining. The Garden Boys have 22.
Just got around to taking the Islanders trivia challenge on Newsday.com. Got 17 out of 20 correct. Screwed up 2, 12, and 13. Let us know how you do.
Sports Media Guide, a site that professes to “Exploring the art and craft of sports coverage” has an interview with Islanders beat writer Greg Logan now online. It’s a good read with a little behind the scenes look at covering the Islanders for Newsday.
Q. How would you describe the Islanders beat?
A. Like any other beat – it’s covering games and practices and all the news generated by the beat. It has a couple of differences. One, because the profile of the team and the team’s attendance has gone way down since the Stanley Cup years in the early 80s I am the only beat writer who travels with the team on the road. Newsday and the Daily News both staff home games, and occasionally the Post and Times will send someone to cover home games.
But basically I am the only one with the Islanders on a daily basis. Even though you would think that would be an ideal situation for a beat writer to have a minimal amount of competition only at home I still feel the responsibility to cover the news in the same competitive way I would on another beat with several competing reporters. I’m still always trying to focus on the heart of the story and any controversial angles that might come up.
In some ways there’s an even greater pressure on me – I have to ask all the tough questions. I don’t get to share that with anybody – even the radio and TV people wait for me to ask the questions, and they feed off those because they don’t want to be in a position of challenging anyone.
There’s that post-Ranger game hangover Murph warned about. As happens all too often, the Islanders fell to the Senators last night, bringing their record to 4-28-8 against the Sens in their last 40 meetings. The OrangeAndBlue mustered little offense on a night when the 67-Million-Dollar-Man looked worth every penny. Ottawa’s first goal came off a deflection off of Sean Hill’s skate and its second goal came during the closing seconds of its seconed consecutive power play, which followed a 5-3 advantage. Can’t blame DP for either one.
The latter goal was scored after Coach Ted took a penalty for chewing out ref Eric Furlatt. According to Newsday’s Greg Logan, Nolan told Furlatt that an earlier penalty call that resulted in the 5-3 advantage was “A $#%* call.” I’m thinking he went with “shit call” but who knows. Furlatt then hit Nolan with a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Ordinarily, Islanders coach Ted Nolan is about as mild-mannered as anyone in the NHL when it comes to dealing with the officials. But if there’s one thing that has been stewing inside him this season, it’s what he sees as the occasional lack of respect his resurgent team has received from the referees.
[ev type="youtube" data="UO-CldCAu5M"][/ev]
