Islander News Articles 6/6

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/06/2008 06:32:00 AM | | |
Daily Gleaner: Bill Hunt reports the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds hockey team will host the New York Islanders rookies Sept. 24 - with the writer speculating for UNB player Rob Hennigar could dress for New York.

It will be the second year in a row the V-Reds will meet the Islanders rookies. For
those curious, Rob Hennigar did play in last years game and score in the win over the Isles rookies here.

Telegraph-Journal: Also had a few words on the upcoming game featuring the Isles rookies.

The Lindsay Post: Matt James reports the Islanders were one of the first eleven teams to interview prospect Cody Hodgson who could go in the top ten picks with his comments on the NHL combine and the upcoming NHL draft.

Timmins Press : In an editorial on the NHL off-season beginning speculation that Islander defensive prospect Mark Katic should have a decent shot at cracking the lineup of the New York Islanders and is ranked as the team's fifth best prospect.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Not to pick apart a general article/NHL editorial that mentions a prospect, but Katic was drafted in the third round. I have never seen an official list from the Islanders ranking prospects to where he would be placed fifth and it will take something very special for him in camp to beat out Jack Hillen combined with what is a big group of defenders already signed to say nothing of Dustin Kohn.

Katic also would have to be signed.

Islanders website ranked it's enforcers from five to one with more youtube.com video on the website for each player.

Small notables:
Kyle Woodlief again did a prospect report on USAToday.com which is posted in the prospect section, on XM radio in his mock draft he predicted the Isles would select Michael Bodker.

Newsday: Neil Best Thursday reported the NHL television ratings and for some reason seems to think New York's jump from 36th to 24th in markerts to a 3.4 is a positive?

NYI Fan Central Comments:
So much spin from so many places on these ratings. Sure it's good news overall ratings are higher but it really says a lot when two teams loaded with stars in major hockey-centric markets did not even match the Carolina-Detroit final or the Devils-Stars matchup. It's hard for folks to understand with versus this is a new network that has been adding outlets each year so they will improve ratings but that's more because they added more affiliates for folks to see games.

On paper take away the team colors and both Carolina-Edmonton, Calgary-Tampa put on just as good a show for the league.

Dick Ebersol nor Sam Flood can be thrilled with such a poor New York market rating with three teams fans only good enough for 36th or 24th?

Yes, folks I'm aware a 3.4 in New York can equal a 20.0 somewhere else with less televisions. Still, the bottom line here was this series was barely mentioned or even covered much by the media.