Some quick hits

Amazing how many articles referencing the New York Islanders this time of year.

From the dynasty or the comebacks down 3-0 or just the incredible memorable wins and even the playoff beards this time of year. The history and the legacy are just fun to see everywhere even without the team in the playoffs. Other teams just do not have this kind of incredible tradition.

Islanders website: Reports Bill Guerin was nominated for the King Clancy award with his comments and Garth Snow's.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Glad he got nominated, we'll see if he gets picked in June. He could be fantastic off the ice but on the ice he played large stretches of the season where he did not work as hard as he is capable. In terms of on ice I think the gm went overboard with his praise. A player who had one assist after the opening weekend going into December who's veterans were called out by the coach on several occasions is not above and beyond.

Ted Nolan admitted last week he went easy on his veterans and it was a mistake, one the captain has be directly accountable for also.

Everything and more, Mr Snow? Scoring thirty with a bunch of big goals and a playoff spot is everything and more. Worst offensive club in the league where the captain called the powerplay awful is not everything and more.

If his name was Yashin people would be looking for a buyout and Yashin had no one nearly as talented as Comrie all those years.

Updated:
To be fair the King Clancy award is given to a player who exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in the community. If Mr Snow feels his contribution was above and beyond off the ice I cannot say and do not know. It was reported he did a lot of great things, I do not want to give my readers any impression my comments are about anything but what I saw watching him play hockey games which is where my disagreement with the gm is here.

I felt that had to be added in here to be fair across the board. I have no idea what Bill Guerin does off the ice or in the community.

Vancouver Sun: Elliott Pap reports player agent Mike Gillis has been named the new general manager of the Vancouver Cauncks with speculation assistant gm Steve Tambellini could be replaced.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Another player agent makes the jump to general manager. Interesting the great class of potential general mangers for the Isles job two years ago are not exactly looking like incredible talents right now, although Chiarelli did a fantastic job getting Boston to the playoffs this year. I wonder how folks would feel with Dean Lombardi's record or Brent Sutter's fighting with his veterans, despite a solid year.

Some playoff notables:
All those former Islander defenders play game seven's.

Hamrlik Montreal-Won
Chara Boston-Loss
Aucoin Calgary-Loss
Poti/Erskine-Loss

Mike Keenan is still the most destructive coach in hockey and once again his giant ego just had to tinker until he kills him team. Pulling Kiprusoff for Curtis Joseph and within a minute he let up a softie that basically put the game away. I know Calgary was outshot and outplayed badly before he did this but it's like he cannot help himself and has to try something/anything instead of trusting his world-class talent.

Without that absurd move it's a one goal goal down the stretch instead of a Calgary club that seemed resigned to it's fate after falling behind three.

Kiprusoff and his agent should be demanding a trade unless Keenan is fired, it was that dumb a move by a coach who's team was outplayed and outshot badly and did not need a gimmick but a leader.

Speaking of ego too bad Washington did not win for another reason.

Dick Ebersol and Sam Flood would have looked like Msg employees on Dolan's payroll if Montreal and the Garden's team got the NBC games vs Washington-Pittsburgh which is the best matchup of all for ratings.

It would have been very entertaining watching them put a spin on showing a
Montreal-Ranger matchup over the leagues best draws by a mile. I think they would have gotten some heavy abuse from the hockey media also if they tried to pull it off.

Funny how last Sunday NBC's partner Versus did not get the hockey games when NBC showed the pope but Msg plus did? That's how friendly Msg and Mr Ebersol are.

It will be fun watching Ed Snider Comcast/Versus in Philadelphia vs the
Dolan-Ebersol connection fight for NBC games with Crosby in the middle. Personally the league needs to go where Crosby goes unless they wish to dig up the Detroit-Colorado rivalry now that Ovechkin is out.

In my opinion Ovechkin-Crosby was the only real ratings draw they have. None of these matchups will pull in big numbers.

For some reason I found myself pulling for Washington and was happy to see big crowds and a great building from a fanbase that even after going to a final looked lost after leaving Landover. What is Ted Leonsis waiting for to add Alexei Yashin to that speed and skill with his world-class shot?

If he stays healthy he will put up eight points in his sleep with everyone targeting Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin.

USHL.com: Announced former Islander J.P Parise was named the general manager and head coach of the Des Moines Buccaneers.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Congratutions and best of luck to JP Parise.

Article also credits Parise for his prior work as director of prospect evaluation at Shattuck St. Mary's Prep School in Faribault, Minn as one of the premiere prep school hockey programs in the world that has produced the likes of Sidney Crosby and Kyle Okposo.

Newsday: Katie Strang had another blog on the Islanders Newsday page with Pat Lafontaine's comments on his latest charity endeavor where he praised Ted Nolan for his coaching and gave his thoughts on the young players and the Isles future.

Islander News Articles 1/11:

Newsday: Greg Logan's article is on Eric Nystrom who grew up a die-hard Islander fan and lives down the street from Rick DiPietro in the summer and trains with him. Miroslav Satan sat out practice but is expected to play.

"It's a little far from home," Nystrom said wistfully. "It would be nice to get back and play a game . But this is great. I'm real excited; I know a bunch of guys on the Islanders, and I'd like to get one on Ricky. I'd have all summer for the bragging rights."

Newsday/countless sources: Report on Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals signing a 13-year, $124-million contract extension yesterday with the Washington Capitals that he negotiated without an agent. It still does not eclipse Rick DiPietro's contract in years which is noted in the article.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Is this why we had a lockout? Seems like this is what owners have to pay franchise players to keep them for their career because if Ted Leonsis did not give him this offer someone else would have as soon as they could. I wonder how DiPietro feels about this and Mike Richards contract because more and more it's proving he did leave money on the table if he does play the entire length of the contract.

Ovechkin did not even need an agent to negotiate this deal. No doubt some of the jealously from Toronto and markets that could not sign him will produce criticism for Leonsis. Congratulations to Ovechkin who will no doubt be featured on the NHLPA site for this deal.

Newsday: Neil Best reports in his blog Newsday.com offers more Islanders stuff than ever and then goes into the seniority list at Newsday.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Compared to when Newsday was covering the Islanders when they were winning the Stanley Cup or even in the 2002 playoffs when they were getting close to ten articles in one day's paper?

Islanders now have a Thursday web feature, the Sunday agenda is controlled by the Rangers beat writer which is a disgrace considering John Dellapina and Larry Brooks already do this for the Rangers on Sunday.

It will be interesting to see if the club is happy with a coverage increase or if they want Mike Bossy used to talk about which is not just a fair share but what they deserve from the local paper.

Sorry gang, I come from a time where the Islanders could play a weeknight home game against a Western Conference team and draw the backpage of the Times, Post and Daily News. I'm not expecting that again but my point is the Isles as a franchise should not be satisfied or settle for what crumbs they can get here.

Calgary Herald & Calgary Sun: cover the Flames who could have some words from former Islanders Adrian Aucoin and perhaps Eric Godard.

St Cloud Times: Kevin Allenspach has more on college prospects leaving programs with Kyle Okposo the focus and Don Lucia comments.

"I don't think it's a financial decision," said Lucia, 49, who makes it sound like the players respond to a pied piper whenever an NHL representative starts talking. "From the (pro) teams' perspective, why wouldn't you sign someone when it's cheaper to do so now than it was in the past? They use that adage 'Bring 'em all in and see who survives.' They use the curve that 'You're going to have to spend some time in the AHL anyway, you might as well get started now.' I guess I'm getting to be a dinosaur but, to me, it's 'Get your degree.' How many of these players are really going to make a living for a long time playing hockey?"

National Post: Mark Spector has comments from Mike Sillinger and Bill Guerin on steroid use in professional sports.

"It would make you more powerful. I just don't think it would make you a better hockey player," reasoned New York Islanders forward Mike Sillinger. He has played for a dozen NHL teams in 17 seasons, and claims no knowledge of steroid use by a teammate. "The game's played at a high speed, and you have to be able to think the game. [Steroids] might make you bigger, faster, stronger. But it's not going to make you a better hockey player."

"I don't think anyone can even scratch the surface of where baseball is going," Islanders winger Bill Guerin said. "Everybody was doing them."

Calgary Herald: Jean LeFebvre has Eric Nystrom's comments on what the Islanders meant to him growing up and Dubie's mask with his father's picture on it and how it came about.

"He's following the tradition and the legacy on Long Island that my dad had a big part in building," said Nystrom after meeting with Dubielewicz after Thursday's practice. "He was part of those championship teams. There's a strong tradition there and these guys are filling the tradition."

"I didn't really have much of an idea of what I wanted to do with my mask," said Dubielewicz, who has a painted image of former Isles captain Denis Potvin on the other cheek. "Then a couple of guys came up (with the concept) of getting some of the heritage on there and I thought it was a great idea. Like Eric said, there's a strong tradition on Long Island and obviously his father was a big part of it. I thought it'd be pretty neat to get some of that history on a mask."

Albany Business Review: Reports a new business venture for Bob Nystrom as well.

Edmonton Sun: Derek Van Diest reports Robin Figren will be staying with the Oil Kings for the rest of the season with gm Bob Green's comments.

"I definitely wanted to stay," Figren said. "I really enjoy it here and I think things are going really well for me. I think we have a good group of guys and I didn't want to go anywhere else."

"There were future considerations that we could have gotten for Robin in terms of younger players or draft picks," Green said. "But I've been at the draft long enough to know that it can be a crap shoot. There's no guarantee that when you get draft picks for good players that they're going to turn into good players.

"It would have been nice to do that, but by the same token, Robin is a great person to have around. In dressing room the younger players really respect him and he's a good leader."