Blame For Islander's Ridiculous Injury Records? No

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/29/2011 07:42:00 AM |


Simply put when you lose 402, 582, over 600 man games/300 more in AHL last year, it might be easy to blame training staff or Islander doctors for the last four years.

Frankly speaking, hockey fans blogging are not medical experts, (neither are professional writers) no one should pretend to insult their readers otherwise.

Having written this, the Islander doctors/training staff cannot be blamed for what's transpired, it's painfully obvious when we have seen several players injured in games.

NYIFC is going to examine this topic.

Silly Season/Real Questions For New York Islander Fans

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/28/2011 07:02:00 PM |


I always consider this the silly season for New York Islander Fans/some media, who cannot name ten roster players, but pretend to play expert, with not one article pointing out the nine hundred plus man games lost combined between New York/Bridgeport.

Why do that when it's lazy/easier to discuss ten years ago or longer?

However let's ask a few common sense questions to clear the rhetoric.

Josh Bailey Mismanaged By New York?

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/25/2011 09:58:00 AM |


Butch Goring was head coach of this franchise a little over a decade ago, what did he say on television, the first game after Bailey was recalled from Bridgeport last December, after dominating at the AHL level at center?

Bailey has to play center. How do you send someone down, have them do well, recall them, then change their position? (this criticism also extended to Comeau)

Goring was a hundred percent correct.

A Few Words From Garth Snow

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/24/2011 01:09:00 PM | |


NY Post: General manager, Garth Snow, had a few comments regarding his team within the last day, where he spoke on a variety of subjects.

Five on Five Scoring Has To Be Consistent For Playoff Spot

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/23/2011 10:20:00 PM |


No site anywhere quotes the injuries this team has sustained three of the last four years as often as NYIFC has.

It's done to drive home the fair point no team would be able to remain competitive under such circumstances.

Having written this NYIFC did not give the club a pass last season when the season fell apart because of injuries, it was only a part of the story.

Things fell apart after a 4-1-2 illusion of a start, which had Scott Gordon concerned at the signs his roster could not produce at five on five.

He was absolutely correct.

Professional NHL Sites Only For NYIFC Information

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/23/2011 06:36:00 AM |


NYIFC Blog Entry 7/7/2010 " Source " Games Over At NYIFC & the title of this entry say it all.

NYIFC has no interest in posting anything regarding team information/news unless it's from a professional newspaper site or NHL official affiliated outlet.

If some professional NHL media are also lazy, or need to use these sites for their own page views, that is not our businesses. More and more the professional media has gotten sloppy in their research, or fail to do their own homework.

It's also painfully obvious no professional sports franchise in North America has a collective professional media worse than the New York Islanders.

NYIFC also has no interest in information without supporting direct quotes (not third-hand sourced based rumors) without official team confirmation to determine if information is correct.

Simply put, NYIFC, as always will set the highest standard. It's very easy when you write with no financial gain or interest in advertisers/page views.


Spots Open On 2011-12 New York Islanders? Few/None

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/22/2011 10:05:00 AM |


Very easy to speculate on job openings, however reality is until opening night, perhaps beyond, some spots will not be certain.

Having written that many spots on the 2011-12 New York Islanders are locked up barring injury.

Pens Media Defeats Msg/Isles Lack of Print Media

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/18/2011 12:26:00 PM |


Perhaps at the next fan gathering the Islanders can have a Crush For The Cup promotion with receipts going to the Make A Wish Foundation here as we saw sponsored by a local radio station, not affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks in April 2011.

The NHL did object to the word Cup being used, however vehicles using the Blackhawk and Nashville logo's were hit by participants with sledgehammers in subsequent playoff rounds.

Some may recall this happening in Ottawa during the 2003 playoffs vs the Islanders?

Islanders website: Report they have requested Msg change it's program schedule with the following statement:

The New York Islanders have requested that MSG Networks change the originally scheduled game to be viewed at the Friday, Aug. 19 meetup. As a part of MSG Plus’ Summer Ice programming, the schedule had the Islanders game from Friday, Feb. 11 against the Pittsburgh Penguins set to air at 7 p.m. Instead MSG Plus will air the Islanders 7-6 overtime victory on Sunday, Feb. 13 over the Buffalo Sabres.

New York Announces Training Camp Schedule

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/16/2011 05:45:00 PM |


Islanders website: announced the schedule for their 2011 Training Camp held at Islanders Iceworks in Syosset and at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Rookies first on-ice session is Saturday, Sept. 10, while the full team will begin on-ice sessions on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Camp will run through Wednesday, Oct. 5.

A list (subject to change) of players attending was released. Tomas Marcinko, who was resigned to an NHL only or he can play in Europe contract is not listed.




8/15: New York Notables: NHL/Coliseum RFP Folly

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/15/2011 09:58:00 PM | | |


USA Today: Has the following from NHL deputy comissioner, Bill Daly, that the NHL is looking into the Islanders viewing party for Friday.

We do not approve of the use, based on what we know.

Signing Deadline For Brian Day, Shane Sims 8/15

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/15/2011 08:13:00 AM | | |


For those curious the signing deadline for graduated college prospects, Shane Sims and Brian Day is 8/15/11.

Both are 2006 college prospects.

Day signed an ATO with Bridgeport and participated in ten games. Sims signed an NHL regular season amateur tryout agreement, participating in the final game of last season.

Prospect Troy Mattila is also a 2006 pick, he enters his senior year in 2011-12.





NY Viewing Party Gives Lazy Media A Chance To Cheapshot

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/14/2011 11:37:00 PM | | | |


This is a topic NYIFC usually does not lower our high standard to elevate.

Apparently Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, plus a few fringe outlets (nbc) who need page-views without spending money, do not understand the New York Islanders have several viewing parties, some built on those rare moments Msg shows games during the summer months, others where they bring video themselves.

Dejan Kovacevic of the Tribune Review also has a few twitter digs, to go with an obvious lack of general knowledge on the Islanders over the last decade.

The most recent Islander fan gathering was August 3rd where folks attending got to select the game at the event based on greatest games DVD.

But why expect newspaper people to report facts?

Jay Jacobs New 8/12 Vision For Coliseum Not Viable

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/12/2011 07:00:00 PM |


Jay Jacobs clearly does not get it.

8/12/2011 was Ed Mangano's soft deadline for idea's announced on August 2nd, ironically it's also the six year anniversary of Tom Suozzi putting out his RFP 8/12/2005 for the Coliseum site.

Jay Jacobs had a new idea for the Nassau Coliseum on 8/12/11, one that is not going to be viable for Charles Wang or anyone.

Surviving Tabloid Professionalism Journalism 101

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/11/2011 07:38:00 PM |


Sadly for those interested in quality professional hockey coverage, there is not much out there these days.

Consider this the NYIFC guide to surviving tabloid professional journalism 101.

A Top Defender? Best Strategy Is To Develop One

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/10/2011 06:41:00 AM |


Patience.

Top defenders are what twenty nine other teams always make room for, in other words that kind of player is not going to be available on the market without paying a big price in return, most of them are close to UFA.

Do not expect it to happen, it's highly unlikely.

Goaltending Plan For New York A Problem

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/09/2011 03:18:00 PM |


Simply put, how do you keep six goaltenders sharp/effective for what is two starting spots when all of them need to start, with many/most coming off surgeries?

What happens to the two goaltenders on the outside?

New York Notables/Players On The Clock

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/04/2011 03:37:00 PM | | | | |


Blake Comeau signing for over two million is a nice raise, but far below market value for players with back to back twenty goal seasons.
*****************************
Our plan for a top four defender?
Let Calvin deHaan play here and win the Calder next season, making a run at the Norris.

Absolutely want to see Mark Katic's skating get a full look here.
******************************
With prospect camp opening September 9th, that is likely the time the club has to complete a new contract with Josh Bailey, with Charles Wang's rule looming on players not signed by opening of camp.

The owner/gm do not need another headache, but it's complicated. Bailey saw what Okposo received, his agent will want the same, perhaps not back-loaded?

**************************************
When Garth Snow is quoted in a professional newspaper as saying he made an offer to Alexei Yashin, there is something to discuss here, not before.

Mark Gandler comes off like a used-car salesman every year, Yashin deserves better from his agent.
***************************************
* If there is a crush of teams competing for Blake Kessel's services, I guess we missed it?

* Graduated prospects Brian Day/Shane Sims, both have 8/15 deadlines to sign professional contracts with the Islanders or they are available to any team.

* Getting late for Jack Hillen as well.
* Nothing about Dustin Kohn/Mark Wotton.
****************************************
Because again we are being asked. Regarding NYIFC in 2011-12, all that can be guaranteed is the domain is paid until October, the arena circumstances have never played any part of NYIFC future, it never will.

Beyond that nothing will be written on this subject moving forward until it's decided to renew the domain for another year. If not, NYIFC will simply disappear.




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Projecting Out Coliseum End Game Long-Term

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/04/2011 11:17:00 AM |


Now things get tough folks, everyone took their out but Charles Wang.

Sorry to write everything short of Ed Magano's Casino idea for the Coliseum site (which he quickly killed) is playing out exactly as projected here. Kate Murray sat in silence, she's not going to be blamed or remembered for a referendum defeat.

Mangano got from plan A through plan C, very quickly from his NYIFC Blog Entry 4/11 Press Conference until now.

Now the land is anyone's to develop via an upcoming RFP without a new Nassau Coliseum.

Mangano's doing exactly as projected, playing the will of the people card, he's used his out.

No doubt he told Charles Wang, I just spent two million dollars in loyalty, took a huge political beating doing an August election, I have done enough.

It's also fair to write perhaps Mangano also told Wang, get in line like everyone else and win another bid, which frankly should be too insulting for him at this point (hundreds of millions in losses) and likely impossible financially without another Scott Rechler.

Kate Murray (not sure if she commented) got her name mentioned for her new zone which can get her best interest (her political developers) on the property, after total silence since May press conference.

Charles Wang stayed true to forum, he went right back into get the focus back on hockey, he deserves highest marks for that, eliminating distractions, but it's not helping himself long-term.

Wang should have pointed out how Mike Bloomberg got every other local team a stadium in the backroom via the taxpayers without a public referendum.

Long-Term:
Mangano and TOH are going to make the best business deal for Nassau County, there will be no inside advantage for Wang being the anchor tenant of a building that has to be replaced, unless this upcoming RFP is for Mangano to come back and declare all these plans are not viable, we need a new Coliseum.

That's highly unlikely.

Mangano made this a public referendum to avoid political blame long-term, not to attach his political career to a forty year old building, and put himself back on the hook.

Bottom line, the right developer comes in with money to develop the entire site within Murray's zone without a Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders will have to relocate.

Why would any private company build a new Nassau Coliseum for Charles Wang to be the new Smg, and make all the revenue from it?

Cablevision can come in and bid on an arena for themselves as well, kicking out the Islanders for their team of choice, I don't see that coming for a while.

Charles Wang (unless he was told otherwise which is unlikely) has to get back in line now with everyone else wanting to build on that site if he has any interest at all?

Wang's hotel cannot be removed which is his tie to that site beyond 2015, and could make things tough for another developer.

It's also been made clear via Howard Saffan, Bridgeport ownership of the building in Ct signed this summer is going nowhere along with the Sound Tigers, who are owned by Charles Wang.

Obviously unless Cablevision wants to give Charles Wang a big TV contract buyout, it's in his best interest to keep the team local.

The non-sense in Brooklyn and Queens is just that, politicians can talk, they cannot get people to spend close to a billion dollars on a facility in Flushing.

The site itself could take years to prepare for any kind of construction.

Wang wants the team at his hotel next to the Coliseum, unless there is an outside buyer for the team and someone with the money to build an arena and start construction on Shea Stadium parking lot by next summer that is not happening. Mike Bloomberg (friends with Dolan again) is not getting away with any more taxpayer bonds in backrooms for a Queens arena.

The deadline for RFP in Queens/Willets Point was moved back four weeks, tons of competition there also.

Maybe Wang or someone takes the team to Brooklyn and they create enough capacity, but the revenue from all events will not be with the Islander owner as a renter.

As for Monday night, the Nassau legislature soon enough would have been defeating the Coliseum referendum approval vote. Can you picture Peter Schmitt, approving a property tax increase along with other legislators throwing away their re-elections?

Now it get's tough. The framework is there for a Coliseum deal, but will Mangano jump back in or simply rubber stamp the best potential deal when an RFP is ready, and protect his political career?

Mangano's used his out, the best deal moving forward wins, does Charles Wang want to go through that again?



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Newspaper Editorials Based On Lies Not Credible

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/03/2011 12:33:00 PM |


NY Times: had enough money in their budget they never have for New York Islander hockey coverage, to provide space for an editorial again ripping the Coliseum referendum Wednesday.

If Mr. Wang needs a new arena, let him build it. Last we checked, professional sports was still a private (and highly lucrative) business, not a public utility.

NY Daily News: Again continued their editorial practice of selective amnesia on 8/3 regarding funding for all local stadiums projects.

NYIFC Comments:
Sure seems like we have read/seen a lot of that, apparently those rules only apply to the New York Islanders, not every other team that got huge taxpayer money or permanent exemptions.

If editorials are going to be based upon outright lies, what's the point of writing them? The Daily News several times pulled this same junk, same as the Post, even insulting everyone's intelligence to a point they wrote the Yankees and Mets privately financed their stadiums?

What's the point of doing editorials based upon lies/selective reporting, when their own paper reported the facts about enormous taxpayer financing for those projects?

There are tons of articles from the same NY Times that the Yankees and Mets received huge taxpayer funds for their stadiums here here here here.

Is it all about the Times, News and Post are too cheap to cover New York Islander hockey? Is their end game to save on coverage permanently? Anyone who could find the Dolan's lukewarm/half-baked Newsday endorsement after weeks of negative coverage that already got out their true message (come to our taxpayer exempt building getting eleven million dollars a year permanently in NYC) should know better.

Reality is the Times, News and Post need NY baseball teams, and their advertising budgets, so they looked the other way on financing or wrapped themselves (like Mike Bloomberg) in a sea of baseball propaganda when it's taxpayer money for something that helps their business, however when it teams they can save money on not by not coveting them they present editorials based on lies?

That's where Charles Wang and especially Howard Saffan should focus their disappointment and anger, along with Ed Mangano making this a public issue in the first place. If this was a referendum for something Dolan/Cablevision wanted built not one negative word would have been printed in Newsday.

Not like these editorials are going to even give you an honest history. Funny, but I never saw in all the Yankee/Steinbrenner outright threats one word that the Yankees or Mets should fund it themselves. Not even in 1971 when Mayor Lindsay ran right to the taxpayers to renovate Yankee Stadium to keep the team from relocating.

But why write editorials on the facts?

That would be bad for the NY Times, NY Daily News and NY Post advertising and their bottom line covering baseball. You think the NY Times hockey bloggers are going to risk their credential and correctly point out the entire history?

Look how hard, Ken Belson and Dave Caldwell got busy to push the Islanders out the door in the Times? So transparent and downright dishonest.

Think a blogger who the NY Times backed last November, is going to question the NY Times?

All one big lie.
************************
* Anyone else actually believe Ted Nolan was going to stay in Rochester when Buffalo bought the affiliate do not have long memories? No chance Darcy Regier or Lindy Ruff would not have one bit of that.

Welcome to Latvia, Ted Nolan.
************************




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Blake Comeau Resigns With New York/Notables

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/02/2011 10:04:00 PM | | | | |


If Charles Wang issued a press release here.

Islanders website: Announced today that Blake Comeau has agreed to terms on a one-year deal.

NYIFC Comments:
Our fans could use some positive news, and a hockey signing of a player avoiding arbitration is just that.

Twenty four goal players are not easy to find on the open market, and this organizations left wing prospect depth took a hit this summer with the loss of Jason Gregiore, along with the Bridgeport losses.

Notables:
Color make shocked the Devils took Trent Hunter in a trade, then bought him out given he passed his physical. The entire NHL passing on Hunter in waivers says a lot about how far his stock has fallen because of his injuries. I keep seeing Mark Parrish when his full-time NHL days were winding down.

These notions the Islanders are operating at a floor contradict the past before a salary floor when they were spending forty million, and last season when somehow this franchise supposedly scraping the floor traded 4.5m in salary last December?

The club easily could have kept Hunter and his cap hit instead of trading it if there was this scramble to reach a floor, especially if another injury would have insurance cover his salary.

This blog was no fan of Rolston last December, even at half that price on re-entry waivers, however he had an outstanding second half, plays all three positions, and is reportedly good for a lockeroom.

So far this summer Garth Snow replaced two players with three goals/eleven points with twenty seven goals/sixty six points.

All the one goal games, that cannot hurt.

Evgeny Nabokov, says last year, he was going through a rough time physically and mentally? Ok, fair enough.

Come to camp, quietly work hard and be the player he was two years ago.




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Mangano's 8/2 Press Conference On Coliseum Future

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/02/2011 03:51:00 PM |


Updated 5pm:
Nassau County Website: Has Ed Mangano's full nineteen minute press conference on 8/2 with questions and answers.


Updated 3:35pm
Mr Mangano responded via twitter to our question on an 8/12 deadline for RFP with the following:

This is not a RFP request. We just want ideas submitted so we can create the RFP. The 12th is a loose deadline

AP: had an article on Mangano's press conference and that anyone, including Charles Wang, can submit a proposal for the Coliseum site. Also no public money can be used for any development project.

NYIFC Comments:
In short, Charles Wang has to bid to retain the team there past 2015 or someone willing to buy the team from him must bid and construct a Coliseum with no public money.

The door is now wide-open for any development, that if approved, would remove the Islanders after 2015, along with the Nassau Coliseum afterward. Construction on other projects could begin before 2015, as the Islanders are only a tenant.

About what was expected in early May. This was Kate Murray's plan all along for her zoning, now we see if her developers can get something constructed with the long-term slate on the land blank.

Problem there is Charles Wang's hotel belongs to him and is not leased only until 2015, but permanently.

Of course there is the Dolan factor long-term, do not see them jumping in when it would be unpopular, but after the Islanders exit ticket is stamped, they did plenty to win the sound bite game for the other side, long before their luke-warm endorsements.



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No More Excuses 16,000 Must Attend Games

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/02/2011 12:32:00 PM |


67,000+ people in Nassau County alone voted YES on Monday, they should now be putting their money where they vote was.

All the folks, who voted YES, those who voted no, most had one thing in common, they wanted to keep the team here.

Your tax money is not going toward a building anymore, go purchase some tickets.

Perhaps that will make Charles Wang, less heartbroken, as he understandably should be for again spending money to be slapped around like a hockey puck by politics.

67,000 said Yes on Monday just in Nassau County alone. All it takes it's 16,000 people to get involved, not counting 30-40 percent of the season tickets based outside Nassau County per Charles Wang, who all wished they could vote YES Monday.

You want to force the politicians to keep the team here? Very simple.

You do that by filling the Nassau Coliseum for every single game. This team has games with four digit attendance, that has to stop immediately. The days of staying home until the club wins will get this team moved, new building or not.

We had two recent entries on this 5/31/11: Why Are We Here Now Blame Yourselves? & 6/3/11: Only Way To Save The New York Islanders Is Purchase Tickets

Unlike Monday, this is something not relegated to Nassau County, anyone can get involved and purchase tickets.

Howard Milstein long ago said fill the building first, I'm sorry, but the fans now have to fill the building immediately, regardless of poor and indifferent television and media coverage.

Regardless of what happens on the ice.

Charles Wang did what he usually does Monday, try to take away the distractions and put the focus on hockey.

Vote Yes on Season Tickets.

Trent Hunter: Has cleared NHL waivers, with a buyout expected.




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Referendum Defeated: Wang, Mangano Comment

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/01/2011 11:45:00 PM |














Islanders website: Has Charles Wang's comments on the defeat of the referendum & additional entry with comments from Wang, Garth Snow and Ed Mangano.

ITV.com: Has several video interviews.

News12 Live Press Conference Concluded: Ed Mangano kept saying he will continue to work to keep the Islanders here, and find additional options for the property.

News12: Full press conference.

Charles Wang:
1. Disappointed with outcome and heartbroken/emotional, did not want to make any comments or specifics on next steps.

2.Thanked all his employees and interns.
3.Thanked all the groups who worked for a Yes Vote.
4.Thanked his friend, Ed Mangano, and his staff for getting out facts.

Felt soundbites decided issue, was very emotional. Is committed to Nassau Coliseum, will honor his lease for next four seasons, cannot wait for puck to drop with training camp, talked about season opener.

Ended with Let's Go Islanders to applause.

Garth Snow was also heartbroken, said he would keep working to build a winning team.

NYIFC Comments:
I know folks will jump to conclusions, fueled by media....please stop because it's a lot of sensationalism, nothing more. Tune out the media spin, and use your own judgment.

As written Saturday this was never a vote on the popularity of the New York Islanders, it failed in Pittsburgh for the Steelers, it's failed in other placed and things eventually got done.

Over 67,000 people in a place where thirty-forty percent of the season tickets were outside of Nassau County, committed to a thirty year tax increase of fifty eight dollars. It's hardly a defeat in these economic times.

An arena project will be approved here sooner or later, unless Mangano is determined to move on.

If this vote took place in the Bronx to give the Yankees more money it would have been overwhelmingly rejected, same as any team in New York or New Jersey. Newark would have voted Corey Booker into oblivion if he tried to do the Purdential Center in a public referendum, same as Ed Koch in 1981 when Msg was threatening to leave.

The New York Islanders did not have a politician willing to get it done in the backroom like everyone else, we had Ed Mangano.

This defeat was about tax increases at a horrible time, nothing more.

Charles Wang said Monday morning, there are four more hockey seasons here, and that means there is time for another plan.

The framework is there for a compromise deal, it's going to get ugly, my thoughts are like most places it will get done.

Monday was the day to congratulate Charles Wang, all the folks who worked so hard to get out a YES vote, and the people from the Islander staff, who have worked non-stop since early May. They did the NHL draft, prospect camp, and a daily campaign since May.

Charles Wang, sure did predict the rain, I wonder if the storms came at the wrong time vs earlier when the older demographics likely would have been against it?

Judging by the results, sadly we got the turnout wrong, but the result correct.



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Referendum Failing As of 11:30 PM HUGE

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/01/2011 11:02:00 PM |


Referendum is now failing as of 11:25 pm with fifty four percent of votes counted, the margin has grown from 6,000 down to now over 11,000 down.

Yes-31,300
No-42,698

Fifty eight percent vs Forty Two Percent.



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