New York Clean-Up Day/Notables

Our final entry on the 2011-12 season will be released Thursday at 10:00am.

The 2011-12 season is over so it's time to retire the 40th Anniversary logo.

Islanders website: is conducting their final interviews with the players.
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Lottery:
See last year's entry or the year before/ect.

Last year the Isles dropped a spot back, losing the lottery. The Devils selected Adam Larsson, the Isles Ryan Strome.

Our past thoughts are any team missing the lottery five years in a row should not be entitled to a lottery selection. Our thoughts are also teams should not be allowed to front-load contracts, or hide bad contracts in the AHL.

This blog does not own the league, see you Tuesday at 8pm.
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Response to Friday Entry:
My Thanks to all for the positive response on Friday's entry.

All we did was correct information not in Mike Sielski's article.

Buffalo News: Bucky Gleason on Sunday interviewed Pat Lafontaine about the WSJ article where he did not have much to say, but knew it was coming out.

NYIFC Comments:
Mr Gleason seemed to play off the WSJ cliff notes regarding the Isles or Charles Wang's ownership which is lazy but expected. He included Milbury as a member of Charles Wang's board of governors with Lafontaine/Smith which was not correct, while Tom Golisano inherited a taxpayer funded new arena from the Rigas ownership, and lost out to the Isles for a few playoffs.

You would think Bucky Gleason would know Lafontaine was honored in Nov 2003 by the Isles given that he knew Charles Wang had full control of the Isles by 2004? That there are several people, who absolutely need to be inducted into the 2005-06 Hall of Fame before Pat Lafontaine.

Butch Goring, John Tonelli, Jiggs McDonald, all of the core of the four.

Most interesting was Mr Gleason asked Lafontaine about the Isles not honoring the Long Island Royals this week at the Coliseum.

Was he serious?

Mr Gleason's own Buffalo News: reported the Royals won the title on 4/1, which was the Isles fan appreciation day game against Ottawa.

Beyond that there was only the April 5th season finale, but the Royals Website on 4/2 announced their celebration was going to be 4/5 at 7:30pm at Superior Ice Rink in Kings Park where they advertised the unveiling of their 16-and-under state and national championship banners to be hung.

This was the day/time the NHL scheduled Winnipeg vs the Islanders last summer.

Ed Mangano/Nassau/Isles absolutely do something in the future to honor the kids.

Gleason wants to impress us (beyond fixing his broken e-mail address) he should be just as quick to ask Darcy Regier/Lindy Ruff, why Ted Nolan had to leave Rochester as soon as it became a Sabre affiliate again under a new owner?

Gleason was asking last May here when the new owner reacquired the Rochester affiliate.

Ted Nolan wound up in Latvia.

Mr Gleason the day after the WSJ article 4/3 was quick to support the injury card in Buffalo, but that management could have been better.

Never have the Isles used back to back games as an excuse. I guess Gleason missed all the years the Isles lead the NHL in man games lost before this season.
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People will write/say whatever they want about Mike Milbury, a lot of it will be fair/correct, some of it will be unfair/vindictive.

Having written that anyone who criticizes Mike Milbury for shots at Sidney Crosby's health, but takes the same cheap-shots at Rick DiPietro or any injured player on any NHL team is just as guilty as Milbury.

You have clowns with media credentials making fun of Radek Martinek because he discussed Ryan Hollweg trying to pull out his stitches long ago.

After the tragedies of last summer media should learn there are limits, regardless of the laundry any player wears or how long he's hurt.

Islander Notables

Tweet

Garth Snow did the perfunctory interview on Monday, ten days before the draft with Cablevision's Newspaper. Snow, as usual, said a lot, but nothing all at which is completely appropriate for the circumstances.

In short, picture any possible scenario with the teams top pick according to Snow. Most of the top prospects will be coming to New York for interviews.

Even a fan blog could have speculated all those possible results.

Katie Strang had more rust on her reporting than Evgeny Nabokov in Slovakia.

Ms Strang had the following very sloppy errors:
1-That Ryan Jankowski was dismissed by the Islanders in September. In fact, he was hired by the Montreal Canadians on 7/27/2010 with twenty one year Ranger European scout, Christopher Rockstrom, which the team (or Newsday) did not even report when he was dismissed.

2-That the Islanders will be without Jankowski for the first time since 2007.

Jankowski was named Islanders Chief European Scout in 2003. He gave interviews in 2006 & December 2005.

Before that Jankowski worked one season in North America for the Islanders, starting his career scouting six seasons for the WHL Spokane Chiefs. He was also a video coordinator for Canadian Junior teams here.

3-Strang once again played the " bristled card " in what she reported was a phone interview about Snow's reaction to the size of scouting staff? We got the same bristled tag from Strang in April about DiPietro in what is becoming a familiar pattern.

If Ms Strang cannot report facts correctly her viewpoint of someone's reaction during a phone call must be questioned. Snow has responded many times on the clubs scouting staff.

Strang unfortunately did not get quotes (or a no comment) from Snow on qualifying the clubs restricted free agents/signing their own unrestricted free agents, or anything about Blake Kessel/Jason Gregiore.

For those speculating the Islanders had to give a qualifying offer to these players immediately upon turning professional, or the thirty day rule did not apply would not be correct. There is only one criteria for these players, the Blake Wheeler rule.

Yearly qualifying offers are for CHL prospects or players like Anders Nilsson received last summer with Casey Cizikas.

Gregoire is likely an UFA around 6/17, Kessel around 6/24 based on thirty day rule vs time-frame these stories broke in professional media.
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The Islanders official radio station out of Hofstra started a weekly radio program in May. Chris King, who has done interviews with several of the players, Garth Snow, Mike Bossy, Barry Landers, who used to call the clubs games on radio long ago are also interviewed.

Islanders website: Has an archive of the weekly shows which started in May.

NYIFC Comments:
Great work and a weekly show with player/management comments is something of interest. Having written this another example the Islanders media does work well in getting out it's message because no one knows about it.

A weekly show is something the teams website should feature every single week, with times/upcoming guests and an archive easy to find.

I'll see what can be done here at NYIFC so you can directly access the weekly archive from here.
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Times & Transcript: Has a complete interview with PA Parenteau at the annual Moncton Wildcats Golf tournament, which included Andrew MacDonald, Ted Nolan and Chico Resch.

NHLPA: Reported Mike Cammalleri, and former Islander, Chris Campoli, were named to the league's competition committee.

NYIFC Comments:
What's Mike Cammalleri going to do besides chop players from behind as his version of competition?
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The NHL Finals will have a game seven. It's been a sad show reading the Boston and Vancouver media turn into glorified salesman/fans for the home teams papers and advertisers. Too many days off for a sport which will finish after basketball, who began a month later.

Tim Thomas has won me over, sloppy style and all.

Anything can happen in a game seven but each series has trends, this one has the 2002 Islanders-Leafs trend that the home team wins every game.

I do not see Boston breaking that trend in game seven.

Roberto Luongo could use some media relations lessons from Dwayne Roloson, I'm aware he praised Thomas also and not all he said was reported in every article.
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Want to know what Larry Brooks sees when he looks in the mirror?
Mike Milbury.

Milbury's inappropriate comments about the Sedins reflect many of the same things Brooks has written about European players, including Radek Martinek.

A few years ago when former Ranger goon, Ryan Hollweg, was pulling out Radek Martink's stitches here Brooks conduct was frankly pathetic after Martinek had a few postgame words.

Martinek's a classy man who has worked hard to interview in two languages, most NHL media have enough problems with one.

Milbury also drafted the Sedin's old line-mate in Mattias Weinhandl.

Now go cover baseball, Mr Brooks. The Post will not be sending you to game seven because it's too expensive and hockey is not relevant in baseball's largest market.

Like it or not, Mike Milbury's views will be center stage, not that of the NY Post or your views.




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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

Snow's Chance To Prove Here He's Not Milbury

Seventy Days of Waiting for General Manager Garth Snow to select.

This pick will determine Garth Snow's legacy as New York Islander General Manager.

When it's all over we will get a lot of answers as to whether Charles Wang picked the right general manager, someone who is absolutely interested in building a team through the draft with top level prospects when available.

Sit back, relax and take a nap because about seventy days of twists and turns with a ton of articles how the Islanders may/may not, could/could not, would/would not trade their top overall pick are coming before the Isles staff hits that stage come late June.

Get ready for a lot more articles about the late nineties, a ton of misleading ones and few Steve Simmons shots for a lot of fans who in the end will see this as the crossroads as to whether things have really changed in the front office.

Those fans would be correct in my estimation, this is the crossroads and what Snow will be remembered for.

I understand where Garth Snow is coming from even if I disagree and liked what Tampa did a year ago by outright saying they were drafting Steve Stamkos (and that was done without a gm in place) but what if John Tavares or Victor Hedman did get hurt before the draft or their agents had contract demands so extreme it was meant to drive management to select someone else?

What Tampa did last year was unconventional and given how their ownership/management did not have a gm/coach in place (or present) for the draft that is not a template to follow.

John Tavares and Victor Hedman both have said the right things, Tavares for longer about the Islanders.

I understand there is a rookie cap but after Tavares agent recent comments that was not a good thing for Garth Snow or the Islanders.

Do I see a trade here short of Ovechkin or Crosby that mandates trading this pick?
No.

What soon to be veteran expiring contact (Ilya Kovalchuk) for a franchise pick is worth trading a good six-seven years of a franchise changing prospect on and off the ice?

I would not mind Vincent LeCavalier in an Islander uniform but he's not a bargain contract at eighty plus million for the next decade and he's coming off injuries, if Tampa cannot afford to keep him, I would make a package but that pick cannot be part of it. Maybe a future number one can be for a player like that with even some of the Isles youth but right now I would not trade Okposo or Bailey for Vinnie LeCavalier.

Thanks but no Thanks.

I understand last year Cliff Fletcher got the Isles number five pick and it did not come cheap. What does Brian Burke have anywhere in his system besides Luke Schenn who Garth Snow passed on a year ago that would make it even conceivable to trade this pick to the MapleLeafs for anything in their organization. Not even future number one selections from Toronto would be worth it for a franchise that has that kind of player ready to be selected right now for maybe a future top ten or lower but not likely a number one.

Is Burke's grand plan to sign Matt Gilroy and trade him to the Islanders as part of the package? We'll see if that's the case but you can bet Gilroy and his agent would not like that one bit.

Is Colorado ready to offer back Ryan Smyth with his huge contract (NTC) who is only getting older and somewhat less productive with a third overall pick which is not the right move?

Los Angeles Kings have a lot of good young talent, how long before some/most of them are heading for UFA?

It's time to be conventional, keep the pick and draft Tavares or Hedman and after that you can be as creative as you care to be with the other top picks. Anything short of that this is not the right general manager for this franchise or the right direction.

Seventy days of questions and waiting.

Bill Torrey took the consensus top pick in David Chyzowski a long time ago and was wrong, but it was the conventional strategy at the time and the correct one.

That's what this fan is looking for this general manager to do now, be conventional and play the percentages.

If Garth Snow drafts John Tavares or Victor Hedman and they turn out to be a bust, he still made the right call on draft day.

Just as Bill Torrey did at that time.

Espn: E.J Hradek's last line in this article says it all.

A Few Friday Notables

Yahoo Sports: Has the latest Islander team report.

Newsday: Jim Baumbach announces in his blog there is no one available at the paper to cover Josh Bailey or Doug Weight's debut appearance at the teams club's open house Saturday and are inviting bloggers to help them out?

NYI Fan Central Comments:
So Anthony Rieber's boss cannot send him to Nassau Coliseum at 10am because he has to be across the street at Hofstra for a 1:30 pm Jet practice here.

Meanwhile Mr Rieber writes were going to call the Isles a laughinstock?

I know tomorrow's event in of itself is not a game or a big team announcement but it's a question of professionalism and yes, Newsday has had someone at all of these fan gatherings at the Coliseum.

This is just another reason why I take exception with Newsday coverage because for anything controversial or negative they go out of their way to cover it and hurt the club's perception which carries to all of North America but for other things like this which can only help the club they cannot be bothered to even have Mr Rieber show up a little early and cover both events. I did not see the Jets advertise in Newsday like the Isles did for tomorrow.

I wonder if the Post or even the News will see the opportunity to chat with Doug Weight first so someone from the professional media will be in attendance.

Who is this masked former Islander gm at the Rockport-Ipswich-Manchester-Essex co-op hockey program car wash which the Ipswich Chronicle reports on?

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Imagine the turnout if Milbury did that in New York? Sure would raise a lot of money but he may need an armed escort to survive.

Islander News Articles 7/20

Islanders website: Garth Snow comments on the signing of Frans Nielsen to a multi-year contract.

Newsday: Greg Logan reports former Leafs coach Paul Maurice will be the first who will interview for the head coaches job on Monday with the list of confirmed coaching candidates including John Tortorella and his assistant, Mike Sullivan. Snow still is waiting for approval to interview Bob Hartley and Providence Bruins coach Scott Gordon on a list that will also include Joel Quenneville and Gerard Gallant.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
It should be noted just the other day Bruins assistant general manager said the Islanders had not asked for permission to speak with Scott Gordon. Obviously this is going to be a long process for Garth Snow and the club, it will be interesting if a team does not allow the Isles permission to speak with someone but most teams do want to reward their current employees or try and get the financial hit off the books with their former employees.

Newsday: Greg Logan has another article that is mostly a recap of last weeks articles on the problems between coach and general manger that now includes the problems began last summer when they were unable to add free agents. Again it has the full summary of all the un-named players and what supposedly transpired behind the scenes but now adds how Miroslav Satan was not handled properly by the coach, that several players caught Nolan in false statements and the coach was fuming with the general manger saying the club had underachieved with a lot of speculation not supported by a single quote from anyone.

Only actual quotes here are from Garth Snow earlier this week who talks about his plan to add youth and that the club did make some offers above what some other clubs did last summer that did not include any comment about front-loaded contracts or bonus money.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
I do not read this much dirty laundry aired by reporters for other teams who fire coaches or have problems? Like I wrote the other day when there is good news around the club it's barely touched upon much less given the same sustained hype this kind of information is. This would be a little more tolerable if the same applied to all things Islanders when reported in the paper and for me raises fair questions as to the motivation at Newsday to cover the club in this manner given Newsday did not have an Islander centric feature update on Sunday from Mr Logan all season but did have Mr Zipay write the Sunday NHL feature that always had a Ranger slant.

This does not even begin to address the mistakes/contradictions in reporting or retractions by the paper.

Bottom line unless Garth Snow or Ted Nolan have something new to say or a player wants to give his name and say what happened is this really necessary?


Boston Globe: Fluto Shinzawa reports the Islanders will play a second preseason game against them on October 4th in addition to the one on September 23rd in Moncton.

Boston Globe:Fluto Shinzawa has some very interesting comments from former Sound Tiger coach Greg Cronin who also used to coach at the University of Maine which is Garth Snow's alma mater that he spoke to the Islander general manger last weekend briefly and never brought anything up along the lines of a coaching change and that Monday's announcement surprised him but he had heard the stories about friction but never through the general manager and is quoted as saying the gm and coach must both have the same vision and gives us a Mike Milbury story when he was coaching in Bridgeport...............

"I remember asking Mike, 'What are we? What are we doing? Are we a big, strong, physical team? Are we quick?' He got all [upset] at me, thinking I was questioning his direction. I was trying to prepare guys for the NHL and wanted to know what identity we were trying to replicate down here."

"He threw a napkin at me and told me to shut up," Cronin said with a laugh. "Something about, 'You're the All-Star coach in the AHL so you think you know everything.' Mike was all about balance. I know that isn't a real sexy word. But he wanted bigger defensemen with mobility and forwards for a fast-paced game, forwards that relied on possession."

Mr Shinwaza also has comments from Ben Walter's agent (named Fee) that he needs to be on the first three lines to be effective but will work hard regardless of his role and that he fully expects his client to become an NHL player while the writer gives us some background.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Do not like putting the quotes in from the paper but this is a registration site.


Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio in his Sound Tigers blog has a few words on the club signing Frans Nielsen with a lot of other items.

Quick hits:
Dick Ebersol is expected to announce he is stepping down from NBC sports after the upcoming Olympics so hopefully that ends the very cozy relationship with Madison Square Garden where the Network used to have a small stake in Msg.

Islander News Articles 6/5

Islanders website: John Hill reported on last night's business club meeting.

Newsday: Islander blog had a recap of last night's business club event with Chris Dey's comments.

Newsday: Katie Strang attended last night's business club event with Garth Snow's comments that we're a tight-knit organization and the situation with confidence in Wade Dubielewicz was not as big of a deal as what people are making it out to be. In addition, the gm said everything is great regarding his relationship with the coach but prefers that situations like this be kept within the four walls.

He also spoke with Rick DiPietro after surgery and everything is great according to the gm.

Ted Nolan for his part felt there was no disagreement at all, that he and Snow agreed on the conditioning, that Dubie was hurt in the off season, so he couldn't come in and that sometimes that's construed as lack of confidence, but it was maybe a lack of communication.

The coach also plans on thanking Dubielewicz, trying to maintain a friendship as he spoke about the business side vs the relationship side as he again praised Dubielewicz and maintained he never lost faith in his ability.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Bottom line Greg Logan made another mountain out of nothing and Garth Snow made it very easy for him to do so. Even a harmless comment about raising an eyebrow (starting Dubie in second March Ranger game) is all it took for Mr Logan to create something.

The Newsday beatwriter did not even attend to face Snow or Nolan together or do the blog on the business meeting.

Garth Snow for his part has to watch what he says a lot better. He talks of keeping things inside the four walls and they are a tight-knit family and all that but then he goes and tells everyone about Dubielewicz conditioning and that the coaching staff had no confidence in him, requiring a public comment from the coach. He made light of Dubie's conditioning back in April, once was enough.

Tight-knit families keep things in house, you publicly thank Dubielewicz (as Snow did in April) report we could not get together on a contract and that's it.

Charles Wang, Garth Snow, Ted Nolan need to understand the few people covering this team are not die-hard Islander fans who have been on this beat for decades like you would see with a Red Fisher, Tim Panaccio, Kevin-Paul Dupont. It's a paid job assignment, little more and when an opportunity presents itself to stir something up they will take that as far as they can.

What I personally do not like is Greg Logan has no real competition from several papers or writers, he's not struggling to produce stories or scoops and should not have to go out of his way to present an issue as more than it is unless the Newsday sports editor, Hank Winnicki demands he cover the team in this manner?

It does a lot of damage with the fanbase too because many folks cannot get past the headline before they start ripping the team and just tune out everything else.

Michigan Live: Ansar Khan has former Islander general manager Mike Milbury's comments that he offered Chris Osgood a
long-term contract, $16 million for four years, and he turned it down as an indication of what the Islander organization thought of him.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Congratulations to Chris Osgood on winning another Stanley Cup with the Red Wings.

Only Mike Milbury would trade Roberto Luongo, draft Rick DiPietro first overall and then offer another goalie a four year/sixteeen million contract who had a great first month in New York but was hardly a stopper after that.

Ozzie signing a four year deal here would have likely meant DiPietro would have been traded.

Of course this is old news that everyone knew when Osgood was still here at the time the contract offers were reported.

Updated 4:00pm:
Detroit News: Ted Kulfan has Wings owner Mike Mike Illitch comment today comparing his teams four in cups in eleven years with that of the Islanders four in a row and what a great organization they were.

Islander News Articles 6/3

Times & Transcript: Cole Hobson reports the Islanders will host an NHL exhibition game against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m. Ian Fowler, City of Moncton general manager of recreation, parks, tourism and culture, talks about the event & the team's training camp in Moncton.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
For those putting together a pre-season schedule:
New York vs Florida, Sept 27th at Summerside.
New York vs Boston, Sept 23th at Moncton.

The team that needs to get away from it all the least that will be upsetting the players routine and risk injury by practicing at unfamiliar rinks during the season to stir up fan support in the local community will again go to Moncton to get lukewarm fan support for exhibition games because Ted Nolan coached there.

Not a Ted Nolan issue gang, Isles have had camps at Lake Placid, Wheeling West Virginia, Yarmouth and now Moncton. I know teams need to get away and bond but the fans need to bond with this team a lot more so they come out to games.

These camps are scheduled years in advance sometimes as was the agreement with Moncton but somewhere along the way Isles should have decided to have this training camp in and around New York.

NY Post: NHL blog actually did a write-up on the signing of Tim Jackman after throwing together three quick paragraphs in the print edition of the newspaper here with of course no writer doing the story like Mr Everson reports on all things Devils.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Times has several bloggers and is not reporting Islander signings on it's main page or even putting up AP update. Daily News (aside from John Dellapina telling us NBC does not want the Isles in an outdoor game while he lobbies for the club he covers) has not even had an AP update since April 6th.

Newsday: Neil Best reports game four of the finals on NBC received only a 2.4 in New York on television.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio had a few words on the signing of Tim Jackman as well as some speculation on the upcoming moves for Bridgeport in a blog on several subjects.

Tsn.ca: Darren Dreger reported Mike Milbury from TSN interviewed for the San Jose Sharks job and could be a prime candidate after updating the Leafs situation.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
The video has Milbury sitting right next to Dreger when he reported it and refused to comments in his usual colorful way.

So the interim gm hires the coach, then leaves in Toronto? Why not hire a gm and then let him hire his choice?

Between the Tortorella-Melrose rumors in Tampa, the Leafs circus and now this makes you wonder what is coming next?

Updated 4:27pm
AP/Several Sources:: Report John Tortorella has been fired as coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning with a year left on his contract.

At least the finals have officially gotten interesting.

Updated 5:30pm
ECHL.com: Utah Grizzlies Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Jason Christie today released his 2008-2009 Protected List. Players who signed contracts prior to this past season with either the New York Islanders or their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport are not eligible for this list.