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12:16 am - This is from multiple league sources, in the midst of preparations for travel, publicity and other logistics for the NHL All-Star Teams. All signs point to this man as the Islanders’ representative at the 2009 All-Star Game in Montreal. The official announcement is at noon. (My sources asked me to hold until I woke up in the morning and I was going to oblige. But now I see B.D. Gallof has the scoop).
Glückwünsche.
Reaction?
Mark Streit is our All Star. The league got it right!
Beyond a doubt Streit was the right choice. It would be nice to see Weight get there too but Streit is most deserving. It will also be nice for the Canadians organization to choke on a bit of crow after their coaches comments earlier in the year.
OK, now let’s think good thought for Okposo and Bailey to get into the young stars game, both are deserving.
Congrats Streiter
Sacrebleu!
L’Anarchie pour Montréal!
Tabernac!!
WHOOOOO! This is GREAT! Streit absolutely deserves this!
Well deserved Mark Streit, skate with your head held VERY HIGH as you reappear in Montreal with non Canadien All Star colors on.
How does one say “ha ha ha” en francais?
See??? It’s not ALL bad in Islanderworld!!!
Thanks Mark!!
So does Snow get any credit for signing this guy? Streit and Weight were two of the best UFA signings in the NHL.
Let’s hope Garth can repeat this feat next year……SW
most deserving..
I concur Sir William….
I am looking forward to an off-season that includes a draft choice of John Tavares followed by Snow pulling off the coup of the Millenium by signing UFA’s including Komisarek and Franzen.
Hey, a guy can dream can’t he?
The League got it right. Streit is not only the best player on the Team, he is one of the top offensive Dman in the NHL. Weight also deserves to go, imo.
Snow’s free agents last year didn’t work so well (e.g., getting Fedotenko wasn’t the problem, but the salary Snow gave him?). Streit and Weight were fantastic signings. Hopefully, Snow is learning well as he goes, as is Gordon and the rest of the Team.
Love the fact its in Montreal. Wonder what his reception will be like, after all these are the same fans that voted Komiserik as a starter. Hope he scores a goal.
Streit without the slightest doubt deserves it!
And it’s the first sane thing I hear from the NHL today (well, yesterday), the other thing I heard was a 2 game suspension to Ruutu…
Jarko “Jaws” Ruutu… I’m just saying
P.S. Does anyone know what’s this “Champions Hockey League” they were showing today on ch 4? I got that its European but I never heard of that league….
I think that Tank and Joe Vas were simply stopgaps to fill out the roster and hope to catch lightning in a bottle. Snow knew this.
Streit (especially) and Weight were better planned decisions looking to bolster a woeful PP.
This is the year Garth has to step up again and at least grab one solid UFA who will be part of the rebuilding…SW
congrats to mark! he deserves it.
Congratulations Mark!
In reply to the post above asking about the “Champions Hockey League” it’s a new tournament along the lines of the football (sorry, soccer that is to you) Champions Lwague tournament in which the Champions from different countries pplay eachother in a knock-out tournament to decide the best team in Europe.
Streit is the best choice to represent the Isles. Weight is deserving as well, but he’s been to his fair share of all star games already.
Too bad there will not be a Power Play for him to be on the point of
Streit certainly deserves it, a big Congrats to him, he will certainly represent the Isles well!!
A little off topic, but we really need to get off the Komisarek thing. I can almost guarantee that Mike is not coming to Long Island and I would bet a lot of money he doesn’t even leave Montreal, not only is he the starting all-star defensemen but he absolutely loves it there. There’s a better chance(although slim)of Higgins coming here then Komo. You want a Long Island kid who has a real shot of coming here, look to Matt Gilroy.
I knew Streit would help our team but was skeptical as to what extent
a++ to snowy for pulling off the best free agent signing(s) (weight)of the 08 offseason
yes , I realize we are 30th but you cannot deny Streit/Weight have been the best islanders
Not a bad representation in an otherwise pointless event. Adds a little spice to it.
Well i guess that means Streit will be traded for a fourth round pick in 2011.
Any news on the Young Gun team?
Any word on Okposo or maybe even bailey
Would love to see KO and Bailey in the Young Stars game. Perhaps Comeau as well? What is the age criteria to qualify?
Hockey’s worst team does not deserve 2 reps at the All Star game. So no, Streit and Weight, do not both deserve to be in the All Star game.
Thanks Kai
A reason why Weight maybe wasn’t chosen was that he’s kinda been missing games lately (His play has been good when he is on the ice) so they league maybe didn’t want to take a chance on Weight missing the game. I dunno, I’m just saying, but again, Congrats to Mark Streit!
Lets go Isles!
Logan’s blog says the NHL does not require each team to be represented with at least one player. I thought that was the case for the league, that every team had to be represented. When did the league change that, when they got rid of the World vs. North America crap?
How the hell else would you explain Scott Lachance being named an all star way back when?
A little off topic.
First, congrats to Streit — he deserves it!
Second, I’m not trying to be a wise guy… but is Komisarek really as good as many people on here think he is?
I’ve really only seen a handful of his games… and I just don’t see where he would warrant an extravagant contract offer.
He’s big, tough, but I wouldn’t put him in the upper echelon.
Maybe it’s just because he’s a local kid… or maybe you have to see him more and more to appreciate what he does. I don’t know. Help me understand.
DOC
Great job Snowy !!! Congratulations Mark! Hope we sign Gilroy…
The league got it right. . well deserved!!
Sure it will be a great moment for him to return to Montreal as an All - Star! Hope trowd shows him some love. .
**crowd
KP on Jan 8th, 2009 09:18:27 said:
Logan’s blog says the NHL does not require each team to be represented with at least one player. I thought that was the case for the league, that every team had to be represented. When did the league change that, when they got rid of the World vs. North America crap?
How the hell else would you explain Scott Lachance being named an all star way back when?
What he means is that it isnt mandated- the cam can still take place w/o every team being represented in the game. But they do pick at least one player from every team… not because they have to, just because they want to.
Streit is clearly deserving…I hope the fans in Montreal show some class — and smarts — by knocking off the boos every time he touches the puck
To Habs fans: get over it….you had the guy, your coach (and GM) didn’t use him properly as a full-time defenseman, and he left for a better career opportunity, both playing and money…you could’ve kept him and didn’t, so if you want to boo somebody, boo your own team for not keeping him and using him properly
Congrats Streit…well deserved. I actually kind of hope he ends up as the next captain rather than Hunter.
doc - Komi and Higgins both seem to always have great games against the Isles. I wonder if we view them the way Sabres fans view Comrie. They love the guy and think he’s a great center because he always has career games against them!
So well deserved that it’s actually frightening that the NHL got it right. Congrats, Mark.
(As earlier noted, this is the same league that apparently equates biting someone’s glove with a drive-by hit to the head… er, “glancing blow” that didn’t really hit the head.)
And let’s not understate the beauty of Streit’s selection coming this year, in that city, immediately after that organization not only blew it by misusing him, but then added to how bad they looked by making some rather disparaging comments after he left. So sweet.
Deserved, no matter how the Isles are looking in the standings. He’s only leading all NHL defensemen in scoring, right? Good on ya, Mr. Streit.
Flames 4 Isles 1
Time to trade Streit back to Montreal from PK Subban, Ryan McDonagh, and a first rounder……lol…..would you do it guys?
Congrats to Streit; He is the guy that I see always making the most diffence practically every game that I’ve seen. He plays a great two way game and is the best D-Man that we’ve had since Aucoin. He’s everything that Witter hasn’t been this year!
Congrats also to Komasarik getting that nod as a starter. I know it has a lot to do with the fact that it’s his home crowd that got him voted on but what’s missed most these days is that a reliable non-scoring dman gets acknowledged for once!
What a beatiful day!!! - Hopefully it’ll put all the naysayers on mute by now.. and forever!
Gratuliere Mark! GEILE SIECH!
Congrats to Mark! Glad to see the NHL is doing something right for a change.
So Happy for Streit! and looking pretty cute putting the jersey on..
To those that stated they don’t feel any Islanders should be in the ASG, you can’t fault a whole team because of a few bad apples..Streit is very deserving of this.
I’ll be sorry to see Weight go, but business is business in the NHL, I wish they would have had him play out the rest of his years here, he’s no stranger to the nature of the beast, he probably knew he was goin before anyone..
Dmarie #43, did I miss something?? where is Weight going?
Can’t wait till they introduce the players to the fans before the game. Its called sticking it to “Les Habitants” and could not happen o a nicer bunch:)
And once Streit is introduced I will turn off in protest to an idiotic system that allows the best player in hockey to be on the bench for a washed up fellow Russian.
I admire Habs fans, personally. They pack out not only their building, but every other one no matter where it is. The script deal for the starting lineup was insane, but I fault the league for devising a ridulous “vote early, vote often” process more than I fault Habs fans for taking that system to its logical conclusion.
YEAH STRIET!!WHOOO! i see multiple points coming from him. idk if anyone asked this but i am sure someone did. what about the youngstars game? if clarkson got in last year then bailey and okposo should go. you know, i actually sorta wanted hunter to go. o well. go streit.
Streit has done a very good job just staying healthy… he deserves an ASG spot just for that… and of course being amongst the leading scorers for defensemen. And (-5) on a team that has allowed the largest 5-0n-5 goal differential in the league isn’t too shabby either.
Congrats Mark!
Streit is the only guy worthy. Truly worthy. Congrats!
Congrats Mark … well deserved and so aprapo considering the ASG is in Montreal … I know you’ll make us proud.
—————–
CB … since over the last several threads “we” ALL seem focused on this year’s draft and John Tavares (guilty as charged), and some even brought up the possibility of Taylor Hall in 2010. Is it possible you can share your behind the scenes memories of the previous drafts that you were around for? I know you said you’ll work on the MM story on Kolvachuck … that will be great .. but as we all know … there are more stories than that. It would be great to get an insiders look at how things panned out at each draft up to the drafting of players … we know how they worked out after the draft. LOL!
This would be great “off-day” blogging … maybe it will distract us from getting our hopes up.
Even though the Isles are currently in position for the most ping-pong balls in the lottery … I myself am not confident that Toronto will be fair about the draft formula … (see recent replay decisons against the Isle’s favor in recent days).
————–
Nick …. your handle should be “The Nick” …. some of us just know who is who by how they write and where they stand on a subject … I knew that the other Nick wasn’t you … just didn’t seem “The Nickesque”
ig you go to the nhl part of yahoo.com. the cco line is the whos hot in the middle of the page. comrie was there before comuea and okposo were on the list
pretty interesting that Dubie was at the Soundtigers game last night and that Fornabaio is reporting Danis wasn’t at practice this morning. Makes me wonder if DP is gonna get shut down for the season and w/ Dubie and Joey playing out the remainder of the year.
52 leros on Jan 8th, 2009 12:21:57 said:
pretty interesting that Dubie was at the Soundtigers game last night and that Fornabaio is reporting Danis wasn’t at practice this morning. Makes me wonder if DP is gonna get shut down for the season and w/ Dubie and Joey playing out the remainder of the year.
Why would Danis not being at practice make you think that? If that was what was going to happen then that would be all the more reason for Danis to be AT practice! Think about it: Dubie cant sign with Bridgeport (past deadline) so he would have to sign with the Isles… and, like Joey, he couldnt go to Bridgeport w/o going through waivers. That would place Danis in BPT to stay.
I dont think its happening, Im just pointing out that what you said doesnt really follow through logically.
That’d be great if Dubie came back. I know, I know, Big Mac is all the rage now and Dubie is yesterday’s news…but for whatever it’s worth, I’m still a big fan.
CB do you knwo who is in charge of picking the reserves for the all star teams
shutting down DP makes perfect sense to me. Let hin get fully healthy and let’s TANK TANK TANK the season!
To Rick from LI…First Congrats to Mark Streit he is the first half team MVP. No question about that.There is a point I want to address that Rick LI made yesterday about not moving Weight. (CB I hope I am allowed to comment on yesterday’s blog. It was important) Here goes…the Islanders are not the Yankees where they are close to winning anything yet. There is no justification to keep multiple veterans to teach the young kids how to win. One (Guerin or DP) will suffice. My analogy to the Yankees during their dynasty years was to add Vets such as Strawberry etc. to get the team over the top. Since we are nowhere near the top we do not need that type of tutoring from players. On teams like this it comes from the coach. That is why Gordon is right for the rebuild. So ask yourself is it more important to have Doug Weight mentor Okposo, Bailey, Comeau at the end of his career or get someone who can actually play for 10 more. To be honest his presence hasn’t done much for the young guys in the scoring department. I understand your argument but it does not seem to fit this team right now. If we had a chance to win in the next one or two years I would agree with you. On a side note Doug Weight has more value than Mike Comrie. Comrie is a very soft player. Soft defensively and soft offensively. Weight won’t cost the acquiring team any money. So the potential to move Weight is far greater than it would for Comrie. Sometimes we have to take off our Orange and Blue tinted glasses and see what is out there. Excuse that tiring metaphor but Hunter, Park, Comrie and Hilbert are all role players. 4th liners on other teams. Martinek has no value. Witt is getting old and slow..(very noticeable this year) Remember in the offseason when we all loved this guy. OMG he is a warrior he loves LI..retire here Brendan please. He snipes to the media this year and I have read numerous posts about moving him. Sutton no value always hurt, Pock is an absolute disaster. Gervais is undersized but serviceable 5th D-Man. Campoli I think is underrated. Please hold onto him Garth. I know I rambled but the main point is we don’t have much value on our team. We need to get some by trading aging assets. Doug Weight thank you and au revoir.
why do I get the sick feeling that hmmnnn Wilson winds up coach in Toronto,
Burke (Bettmans buddy) winds up GM of Toronto, That Canada’s golden boy (Tavares)will wind up in Toronto. The fix is in. Toronto moving from 3 to 1 draft lottery. Hey they did it with Pitts & Crosby.
Dubie got the shaft from the Isles, not for nothing. For two years, he won a ton of clutch games for the Isles and earned a new contract.
Instead, he didn’t because they signed Joey Mac? That was a raw deal. Joey Mac has been good, don’t get me wrong, but Dubie earned the right to stay. I hope the Isles find a way to make it up to him, I’m a big fan of the little goalie that could.
51 kevin on Jan 8th, 2009 11:57:20 said:
ig you go to the nhl part of yahoo.com. the cco line is the whos hot in the middle of the page. comrie was there before comuea and okposo were on the list
I saw that myself yesterday …. that whole line has had the forwards in the NHL the past 14 days … not bad at all.
Bravo “Rich” for comment #57.
Best stuff I have seen regarding “keep or trade Weight”.
Just my opinion
not in under 100 words or less!
Others as well as I have said it already, but it bears repeating - it’s too soon to move Doug Weight. If the Isles flip Weight after having just signed him, what does that tell other UFA’s about the organization? Does it say that they’re valued members of the team, or that they are just bargaining chips? Does it say that the Isles know what they’re doing or that they get distracted by the latest shiny object that rolls past?
He’s got to play out the season, at least. It would be shortsighted to get a two and a lower prospect for the guy but then have less than no shot at a stud UFA like Kovalchuk or Bouwmeester because they get the impression that the Islanders are a revolving door organization. Keep him, let him finish the year, mentor the prospects, get on track for another one- or two-year deal; let the league’s players see that we have a club that’s good to its vets and its kids. He’ll be grateful, Guerin will be grateful, and that kind of goodwill is invaluable.
I’m quite sure prime UFA’s of the status of Kovalchuk or Bouwmeester - and their agents - understand the difference between their situations and that of a 38 yr old Doug Weight who just had to take a one year contract due to his declining production. Apples and oranges.
How the Islanders would “look” to other UFA’s will not determine whether they trade Weight.
Every player knows that being a “bargaining chip” is part of the game…which is why there are such things as “no trade clauses” and “no movement clauses”.