New York Celebrates History/Legends In Eviction Year

New York Islander Fan Central | 11/21/2014 11:11:00 PM |
Folks who have read New York Islander Fan Central know how I feel about our legendary players.

Core of Four weekend, 1980 celebration, all these things were written about. The archives are packed with updates/endless articles including Billy Smith on 7/17/2014 who is the greatest money goalie in NHL history

No goalie won more playoff series in a row, no team won more championships since in professional sports.

There is nothing new I can add for these players or the ones who will be honored moving forward. 

I honestly do not know how you honor players with their jersey's in the rafters who have been celebrated time and again over the years or what the players can say that's different?

They all deserve a final thunderous ovation from our fans.

For everyone honored this is the final time they will be at the current Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in their life times. 

Let's also be clear it's a very ambiguous and uncomfortable circumstance for the organization which was obvious on opening night and on the final year patch.

This team was evicted from Nassau County because it's politicians and most citizens did not care about this team or it's history to support it, that is the undercurrent of these celebrations, and it's justifiably very bitter for everyone, myself included. 

The history for this New York team since 1972 will continue in 2015-16, just as it did for the Giants, Jets, Devils, Caps who all moved locally.  

I keep reading stuff from the teams website and fans trying to pick a greatest player, my answer is simple.

There can be no greatest player. They had the greatest team management in sports history with Bill Torrey and Al Arbour.

They were the ultimate team.

The header to this site has reflected this since day one, it always will. 

Without every single one of them, they do not have that historic team success. From the retired numbers to every member of the core of four/Brent Sutter/Roland Melanson were all most valuable in what was accomplished.