Founded in 1972, the New York Islanders are one of three teams to reside in the New York City area. The team has six Division championships, six Conference Championships, and four Stanley Cups. They have also had seven members of the team inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Cheering the team from the sidelines and present at all home games are Sparky the Dragon and the Ice Girls. The Ice Girls are a group of women who help clean the ice for the teams during breaks in the game and are also part of the promotional efforts of the team.
Sparky is the team's mascot. He appears at home games and events throughout the area, as well as making appearances at local schools and even showing up at birthday parties. He is a part of the team's efforts to improve education and other aspects of life for area residents.
When they're not wowing fans on the ice, the New York Islanders are out in the community working to improve the lives of area children and families. Through community initiatives and events the team, their families, staff, and fans are all active in promoting healthier lifestyles and education. They are also active in raising funds to fight diseases such as cancer, promoting awareness about safer teen driving, and making hospital visits.
Home of the New York Islanders is the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Also known to fans as "Fort Neverlose" during the four years the team won the Stanley Cup, the coliseum has seating for 16,250 fans. It is the second oldest arena in the NHL and has the smallest capacity of any arena in the league.
The stadium, old as it is, has been considered obsolete for several years. However, plans are being drawn for renovations and improvements to the stadium and surrounding areas. Among the plans are housing complexes, a hotel, convention center, and a large amount of retail space. Currently, the plans are being reviewed for approval on zoning. If the plans are not approved, the owner of the Islanders has stated that other options must be considered, including possibly moving the team from Long Island.
Aside from their normal fight each year to reach the Stanley Cup, the New York Islanders are also involved in the "Battle of New York." The Battle of New York is a rivalry between the Islanders and the Rangers. Like most rivalries, the battle was hottest in the years when the two teams were at the top of the league, and has cooled some in recent years, although it is not gone completely.
Hockey fans in the New York metropolitan area are fortunate and excited to have the New York Islanders in their community. From their fantastic entertainment on the ice to the tireless works and devotion to the area off the ice, the Islanders are one team that has worked hard and continues to strive to win and keep the appreciation of their fans.
2009-10 New York Islanders
After finishing last in the Atlantic Division with 26-47-9 record, the New York Islanders were looking to the future to bring back some respectability to the franchise. With the #1 pick in the NHL Entry Draft, the Islanders selected John Tavares who they hoped would make an immediate impact on the team. He is currently the third leading scorer on the team with making 16 out of 17 goal shots. The team also signed a number of free agents to include Dwayne Roloson, Scott Munroe, Jeremy Reich, Mark Flood, Greg Mauldin, Matt Moulson, Greg Moore and Martin Biron. They also resigned Nate Thompson.
With all the moves, the team is still struggling as they are again in the Atlantic Division cellar with a 23-27-8. They have lost eight of their last ten games.
Previous Seasons
The New York Islanders came to Long Island in 1972 as the NHL expanded to bring their second team to the New York area. The Islanders were no better than most expansion teams in the NHL, finishing their first season with a meager 12 wins. By 1975 though, the Islanders had developed into a competitive team, locking in their first playoff appearance and advancing to the Conference Finals behind the leadership of head coach Al Arbour. The Islanders dusted off the New York Rangers in the first round, then came back from a 3-0 deficit in the 2nd round to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in 7 games. In the Conference Finals though, the Islanders fell to the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers.
New York came back in 1980 to claim their first Stanley Cup. After finishing the regular season at 39-28-13, the Islanders won a 4 game series with the Los Angeles Kings to advance to the second round. A pair f overtime wins in Boston propelled the Islanders to a series win over the Bruins after 5 games. It took 6 games against the Buffalo Sabres for the Islanders to advance to their first Stanley Cup Finals, where they would face off against the Philadelphia Flyers. Philadelphia took Game 1 in Philly with an overtime goal by Dennis Potvin. Another Flyers win in Game 2 was answered by back to back wins by New York to even the series at 2-2. A desperate overtime battle in Game 5 resulted in the Islanders' Bob Nystrom squeezing in the winning goal to give the New York islanders franchise their first Stanley Cup Championship.
The 1980 Stanley Cup win started an avalanche of Islander wins. For the next three years, New York dominated the Stanley Cup Finals, winning Cups in 1981, 1982, and 1983. The Islanders would fall 1 Stanley Cup short of the Montreal Canadiens record 5 straight wins though, as the Edmonton Oilers put a stop to the streak with a 5 Game series win in the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals. 10 subsequent playoff appearances between 1985 and 2004 failed to get the Islanders past the Conference Finals.
The New York Islanders Alezei Yashin will be front and center at the Nassau Veterans Coliseum in 2005-06. Yashin, along with wings Jason Blake and Mike York, will be leading the Islanders offensive assault. Garth Snow and Rick DiPietro handle the goaltending duties. The Islanders served up 38 wins last season and New York Islanders tickets won't be easy to get if New York lives up to their potential. So get your Islanders tickets now before the rush is on.
Free Agency was rough on the Islanders, as they lost several important players on day one – including favorite Ryan Smyth. But, there are positives. The buying of captain Alexei Yahsin was definitely smart, as well as the signings of Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike Comrie, Josef Vasicek, and Andy Sutton. And let’s not forget new Islander captain Bill Guerin. Islander management is slowly but surely building a team with seasoned vets who know what they are doing on the ice. And they are going to be fighters, but the playoffs don’t seem likely.
