Islander News Articles 4/15

Will add/update this posting on Thursday depending what's written, working on some Islander end of season blog entries.

Toronto Sun: Ian Busby reports that Eric Nystrom will play for team USA at the World Championships and makes it very clear his roots are in Calgary despite speculation he would sign with New York this summer.

CBC.com: Former Islander general manager Mike Mibury reviews the East, pulling no punches on how many people he thinks really care about his former team on Long Island and also takes some rips at the local politicians.

NYIFC Comments:
Sounds harsh but people in New York (not just LI) care enough to point out how many mistakes were made under your tenure (also when you were selling tickets) that contributed to putting the organization in it's current spot which absolutely still resonates with many folks who decide to purchase tickets.

In terms of prospects Travis Hamonic (Brandon Wheat Kings) who advanced to semi-finals against Calgary begins Friday 4/16 here. Galtender Kevin Poulin (Victoriaville QMJHL) opens against St John in QMJHL semi-final starting also starting 4/16.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio reports Head coach Jack Capuano, and players felt goal late in third was a " joke " with Islanders Garth Snow in attendance. Lebanon Daily News Patroit News all recap the Bears 4-3 comeback overtime win in game one.

NYIFC Comments:
Sidebar has all blogs/twitter updates from writers, I did live blog and twitter through game and had a lot of fun, despite tough result. Game two is Friday night at Giant Center.

And for those who just want in-game twitter updates NYIFC second blog has only the twitter box updating the games without all the new blog entries.



New York Islander Fan Central Twitter Page

Islander News Articles 1/9

Another blog entry has already been written and is scheduled for released around 3:30pm. If there is an Islander Insider I will try and get that in first.

Newsday: Greg Logan's early recap (no quotes at this time) reviews the game and the key moment which was the goal twenty three seconds after the Islanders tied it on Tambellini's second of the season.

Note-Mr Logan's early game article above was altered into almost a full update on Rick DiPietro with far less about the game. Thursday night's edited version shortly after the game is a lot different than what is in Friday's newspaper.

Newsday: Mr Logan had more from head coach Scott Gordon and Rick DiPietro on the goaltenders condition and why he did not play in Calgary with a reevaluation coming when the team returns to New York.

Newsday: Mr Logan's article has Mark Streit's comments on being named to the all-star team.

Canadian Press: Has Mark Streit's comments on making the all-star team in an interview and what it will be like returning to Montreal.

Globe & Mail/Canadian Press: Recaps Calgary's win against the Islanders.

Calgary Herald: Scott Cruickshank recaps tonight's 5-3 win by Calgary against New York.

Calgary Herald: Vicki Hall has Kyle Okposo's comments about playing against his boyhood idol, Jermome Ignila as both players comment while Scott Gordon praised Okposo's play.

Calgary Sun: Has Flames coverage on the game while Steve MacFarlane had Eric Nystrom's comments that it's tough to see the current Islanders struggle based on his experience growing up around the club but be back on top soon. Mike Comrie also talks about how brutal losing is and the toll it takes but feels the Islanders have some great young prospects that are learning as they go.

Sarnia Observer: Reports at press time there have been no trades involving the Sting heading into Friday's noon trade deadline in the OHL.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Sarnia a while back was one of the teams considering trades because they were struggling but won some games. Matt Martin, Mark Katic, Justin DiBenedetto are Islander prospects who play for Sarnia.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio's article is on goaltender Peter Mannino who had struggled recently but also has not played in almost two weeks with the limited games and the Islanders situation in goal forcing Danis to get a start. Mannino and head coach Jack Capuano comment.

Ct Post: Mr Fornabaio previews Friday's game against Scott Gordon's old team in Providence.

The Hour.com: Mike Madar has an article on Mike Iggulden and Andrew MacDonald being named to the Canadian All-Stars and has a complete Sound Tigers report.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Excellent report, very well detailed, surprising for a paper not providing daily coverage.

Nielsen, DiPietro, Snow, Johnson & Nystrom

IIHF.com: Lucas Aykroyd reports Frans Nielen's shoulder injury will keep him out of the World Championships for Denmark.

The World Championships begin on May 2nd. It looks like Sean Bergenheim for Finland will be the only New York Islander participating.

Ottawa Citizen: Announced Tuesday the formation of the goalie equipment working group which will meet June 11th in Toronto. Rick DiPietro will be a player representative with Martin Brodeur and Ryan Miller. Garth Snow will be representing the NHL with Jim Rutherford (Carolina) Doug Risebrough (Minnesota) and Brett Hull (Dallas), Dany Heatley and Mike Cammalleri (Kings) represent the skaters.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Isles website also updated this with a quick word from Garth Snow.

Cape Brenton Post: Greg Macvicar reports on Team Norway playing Team Slovenia in International Ice Hockey Federation exhibition game tonight will honour retired Montreal Canadians forward Mike McPhee of River Bourgeois and New York Islanders defenceman Aaron Johnson of Port Hawkesbury during the ceremonial faceoff.

Calgary Sun: Randy Sportek has agent Wade Arnott's comments on his client, Eric Nystrom who is an unrestricted free agent this July with the writer speculating about the Islanders.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Sorry folks, too much Robert Nilsson/Frans Nielsen coverage has had me writing Robert in a few posts lately. Obviously it's Eric Nystrom. Hopefully he signs with the Isles so I can get his name correct if for no other reason.

Of course Robert Nystrom is Bobby Nystrom's correct name. For twenty points anyone want to take a shot at his correct middle name ?

Islander News Articles 4/28

Calgary Sun: Steve MacFarlane has an interview with Rob Hennigar, what his experience was like coming to the Islanders and what Ted Nolan said to him about training camp.

Daily Gleaner: Also reports Rob Hennigar finds out tonight if he's the top male athlete in Canadian Interuniversity Sport at the 16th annual BLG Awards dinner in Calgary.

The Sault Star:
Ben Leeson reports Ted Nolan was on hand to help open the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships and is a planned guests for Thursday's award dinner with Bryan Trottier.

Calgary Sun: Mr MacFarlane also does some speclation on Eric Nystrom who is an unrestricted free agent and mentions the Isles.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Nystrom is a year older than Bergenheim for those wondering why two players from the same draft class have different free agent status.

Newsday:
Daniel Wagner had a few words on the Marriot Hotel which is tied to Charles Wang.

For those asking nothing updated on Kim Johansson or Robin Figren from the Europan Prospect sites.

Updated 4:00pm:
Islanders website: Also linked to the Calgary Sun article on Hennigar, tonights BLG dinner with comments from Garth Snow.

Blaming Isles on Parise getting old

Drafted By Player
1 Pittsburgh Marc-Andre Fleury
2 Carolina Eric Staal
3 Florida Nathan Horton
4 Columbus Nikolai Zherdev
5 Buffalo Thomas Vanek
6 San Jose Milan Michalek
7 Nashville Ryan Suter
8 Atlanta Braydon Coburn
9 Calgary Dion Phaneuf
10 Mtl. Canadiens Andrei Kostitsyn
11 Philadelphia Jeff Carter
12 NY Rangers Hugh Jessiman
13 Los Angeles Dustin Brown
14 Chicago Brent Seabrook
15 NY Islanders Robert Nilsson
16 San Jose Steve Bernier
17 New Jersey Zach Parise

Great draft class. Zherdev almost held out but outside of one apparent bust all of these players have helped their clubs. Bernier was just traded for Campbell.

Granted Parise is an excellent player who has had two thirty goal seasons in a row and had a knack for scoring big goals who is only getting better, but having written that how is this only an Islander mistake when seventeen other teams passed on him before Edmonton did not want Parise and gave up it's pick to New Jersey?

I remember that draft, at the time I would have been happy with Parise, Nilsson or Bernier. If many recall Parise dropped like a stone on draft day because of his size. For the Isles Robeet Nilsson's play making ability stood out and he had good family lineage from his father, Kent Nilsson.

Does it really come down to Pierre McGuire's rant on draft day that year where he plays arm-chair prospect expert for a few hours and simply blamed the Isles because he was not a Mike Milbury fan back then?

How come McGuire did not go off at Chicago for Brent Seabrook or the Rangers for taking the only player who has yet to sniff the NHL in that outstanding group?

It's not like the Isles went off the board here and took a player projected for the second round, or did what Phoenix did with Blake Wheeler. It's not like Nilsson was Mike Rupp, who now plays for New Jersey also.

Do you draft based on family lineage or ability to help your team win?

Eric Nystrom was available the year before (in a far weaker draft) where teams after the top ten selections were unloading first rounders to stock up on picks, Isles kept their pick, did not move up and Sean Bergenheim looks like a solid player. At the time Bobby Nystrom felt the pressure of his son being an Islander would have been a problem, today he has yet to break through with Calgary.

Los Angeles drafted Jeff Tambellini who has Islander lineage with his father and here we are two years later and we are still waiting for him to break through after he was traded for Mark Parrish.

Bottom line, you credit New Jersey for making a great trade to move up and for Parise for proving the experts wrong. You give the Isles credit for making a great run at a top player when trading for Smythe and you credit Robert Nilsson for his obvious progress in Edmonton.

This idea the Isles are the only team who made a terrible decision here just makes no sense.

I do think Parise is going to haunt the Isles for a long time on the ice just like all the other teams that passed on him.

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."