A SMALL STORY ABOUT A SMALL GESTURE
That speaks volumes about Josh Bailey
Dave Seibert is a 37-year old native of Commack, Long Island now living in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. His love for the Islanders and the game of hockey has remained. Dave coaches a squirt team in nearby Franklin and gets his taste of the NHL with the Predators.
When Nashville hosted the Islanders in December, Dave took his 9-year old son Ryan to the game. They dressed in Islanders gear head-to-toe and stood as close to the ice as possible during warmups.
Near the end of the Islanders’ warmup, rookie center Josh Bailey spotted the father and son in their blue-and-orange jerseys and figured he should thank them personally for the support. So the 19-year old Bailey scooped up a puck from the ice, skated over to the boards and tossed it to Ryan Seibert.
Of course, Ryan is now a Bailey fan for life – as is his dad. “Josh took a brief moment to make a life-long impression on a young hockey player and Islanders fan,” said Dave Seibert. “Talk about a pro athlete who ‘gets it,’ and he’s still a teenager.”
The courtesy did not end in Nashville. Ryan wrote a thank-you note to his new favorite NHL player, never for a moment expecting to hear back. But yesterday Ryan got a package at the house in Murfreesboro, air-mailed from Canada.
Inside was an Upper Deck special edition “Young Guns” hockey card, hand-signed by Josh Bailey. “It would be an understatement to say my boy went a little nuts,” said Dave.
The envelope was addressed by hand with a postage stamp affixed. To his father’s eyes, it was not processed through a machine or came from a corporate office. “The card is signed by Josh and he included his #12,” said Dave Seibert.
Forget about steroids and PSLs for a moment. This small gesture with the personal touch results in a young hockey player having two fans for life.
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118 Responses to A SMALL STORY ABOUT A SMALL GESTURE
That speaks volumes about Josh Bailey
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Rich Pilon is an Animal says:
What a great story. You don’t see that from many athletes. Josh Bailey is a class act.
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Big Dally says:
That’s a good Canadian boy for ya. We are a polite lot eh?
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Dave S. says:
damn good story CB, shows that this kid does really care about being involved with the team and the fans.
Just got the msg from twitter about this story CB, it was an awesome idea! Crackberry beeps, and I go straight to the site. Thanks for keeping us all informed about the smallest to largest stories regarding the isles =D
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KevinT123 says:
ted donato for me haha
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The PolishPrince says:
Nice gesture by a talented young man who seems to have a great head on his shoulders. Class act.
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mom got me a bossy jersey in ’79 and finally got it signed march 07, in calgary, and a picture too.
and another story, my wife’s 4th grade class did a hero project, so i told her to get them to write to there fav player, it was all avalanche, flames, wings, ducks , leaf and habs only reply was from ZIGGY, and ashley and a few other kids are now isles fans.
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Merrick says:
Hockey players are the best and although I never played ice hockey, the attitude of the players is one big reason why it’s my favorite professional sport.
Bailey did the same puck flip for my daughter in Philly–although it might not have hurt that she was wearing a Bailey jersey. Two thumbs up.
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dmen77 says:
Great story about Bailey….
I had a similar story about the player I loved growing up as a kid.
Nov 1988, just turned 12 years old and my father got me a Pat LaFontaine #16 jersey for my b-day. I live in Orange County and since the Meadowlands was easier to get to than the Coliseum, we went to see Isles-Devils at the swamp.
I’m standing in one of the corners by myself during warmups and Patty skates around, goes down to his knee and scoops up a puck and flips it over the glass to me. Over 20 years later, I still have the puck in a case and it’s never been taken out.
Also, it only took a few years later to know what the jersey curse was all about when Patty was traded to the Sabres…but one favorite player turned into another, #77 Pierre Turgeon.
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Thomas says:
WIth all the negative stories we hear about atheletes these days, it would be nice if the press reported more stories like this one. Thanks Chris…
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kevin says:
great story! love hearing these. you just dont see these things all the time with other sports. good little jest on the steroids and psl’S
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Pez says:
bailey is still as down to earth as anyone can get when i went to go get his autograph i said something to him about an intermission segment i saw and me and him had a full fledged conversation it was awesome i hope he stays that way
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Strummer's Army says:
Great story and Josh Bailey quickly became one of my favorite Isles for many reasons on/off ice. It would be a neat story if the young man in this story from TN grows up to be an NHL’er as well.
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greg says:
hockey players are pretty awesome, my friend ran into eric nystrom the other night in huntington village. He was actually suprised he knew who he was, and was really cool about, talked about hockey and islanders.
Pissed I didnt go out that night.
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speaking of eric nystrom, my brother was playing hockey with whoever was there and bob nystrom and eric were there and eric signed his blocker. also, bob nystrom was kind enough that when my brother was like 9, he was at the rinx and someone took a picture of my brother, bob and my dad and signed it.
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Jim M says:
Ive got a pretty good story dating back to the 02′-03′ when I was 12. My uncle is good friends with Don Koharski so he hooked us up with tickets to a game against the Canucks. My uncle is also good friends with Brian Burke who was the GM at the time(nothing to do with the story really). After the Isles warmups and they were heading back to the locker room I was hanging over the railing yelling and getting high fives. As Snow was coming off the ice he looked at me as I continued to yell and he kept making his way to the locker room with Jason Blake following behind him. Garth out of nowhere turned around, handed his stick to Blake, and pointed to me as for Blake to hand me the stick. I could not have been happier as everyone around me was going wow, it was such a great moment for me. At the first intermission Koharski told my Uncle it would be cool for us to come back and hangout. We did and the four refs all signed a puck for me. That has got to be by far my best player-fan experience. I find it funny that Blake and Burke are now in toronto together and Snow is the GM with all this Tavares stuff going on. I guess Koharski is irrelevant but still a great experience
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Moose says:
Attaboy, Joshua!
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love this story CB, especially with all the headaches of the lighthouse drama going on. i really do think that bailey is going to turn into a great play maker and might be a future captain of this team. maybe his maturity at 19 will rub off on tavares and keep him grateful and not jaded.
speaking of future captain, do you have any thoughts of who the next captain is going to be CB? i’m sure you’ll have a future post about that huge issue. just want to throw in that i think it would be amazing if they give it to mark streit. best player on the team, apparently a great leader in the locker room, signed on for 4 more years, all star, and big champion of the new york islanders. i say it would be an amazing move by the organization. streit, okposso, bailey, tavares… things are finally looking up!
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hale says:
kevin dineen for me….brendan witt for my niece
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Met Joel Rechlicz at prospect camp and my 9 year old was fascinated with the fact that Joel would actually take time out to talk to him. Joel went the extra mile, after scoring his “First Prospect Camp Goal” he saved the puck, signed the exact phrase I quoted and game it to my son. At rookie camp a month later, Joel remembered me and my son and gave him a personalized stick that said “…thanks for all the support!…..” Nothing more classy than that. Doesn’t matter how many fights his wins or loses, my 9 year old will never forget that. Mr Rechlicz has a fan for life!
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Mike from Islip says:
Great story. Class act all the way.
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Paul says:
This is what sets hockey apart from other sports
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BrianAlbany says:
While it is a different sport, I had a very similar situation with Cal Ripken Jr. at Yankees Stadium the year Cal broke the record.
It was literally a minute before the National Anthem and I was simply calling over whoever I could for a simply autograph. To my surprise Cal comes out of nowhere and signs about 8 autographs. I was number 7. He had to be almost pulled away by an usher because they were just about to start playing the Anthem.
I ran up about 30 rows to my father and grandfather yelling “I got it! I got it!” waving Cal’s autograph on my ticket stub. They quickly told me “put that down!” (you can never be too safe in Yankee Stadium)
I was only 11 at the time, but the cool thing for me is that Cal was already my idol, a future Hall of Famer (who could have not been easily not bothered to give 8 autographs in a mid season game in the midst of his record breaking year).
As a huge Orioles fan (which ofcourse was not easy growing up on Long Island!) Cal was my hero growing up. With countless memorabilia, autographs, relics and more…this is by far my most cherished item and always will be.
It’s really nice when stories like this one with Bailey bring out the brighter side of sports and athletes.
Go Bailey!
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carmine says:
Classy move by Bailey. I have a similar experience. I live in Tampa and was at the game this season for the father-son trip with my Dad and Doug Weight tossed a puck to me and my dad. It didn’t make it the 1st time but Doug was determined, 2 more tries and it finally made it over. I have to say that was one of the best Father-son experiences.
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isles99 says:
i met bailey near the marriot to get his autograph in the beg. of the year but i had a good 2 min. conversation with him instead. not many athletes do that. for josh to have that simple conversation with me meaent a lot. instead of reporting about steroids and all else that is wrong with atletes, the media should more talk about ppl like josh bailey. not only is josh a good player, he is a good human being. cant say that for even half this world.
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Tom says:
A story like that makes ya kinda happy we traded down to get him huh?
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(26) It makes me glad we were able to get a top young player who has certainly not reach his potential, and a class act! I have no idea what the personalities are of the guys we did not draft, but regardless we have Bailey and it does make me at least feel good that he’s a good kid.
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the fact that bailey is a good person has nothing to do where we drafted him. a good person is a good person no matter where they were drafted or how great they are. the two things are mutually exclusive.
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I’ve had (mostly) wonderful interactions with professional hockey players and I hope they never lose their modesty and sense of humanity. In sports, hockey players are a rare breed and I think it’s the interaction between fans and players that help make us so passionate about the sport. The players make us feel like part of the family.
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this was a very nice warm story..I agree with one of the posters above. It would be nice if Newsday would print something like this..lol..that was funny..ofcourse they won’t..they would probably do a rag instead..
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Priest says:
I’ve never gotten a jersey with a name on it (with the exception of a Peter Forsberg NHLPA jersey that I won in a draw and has hung in a closet ever since) but if I was to get in the next year or so, I’d definitely go with a Bailey 3rd jersey. He and Okposo really impressed me this year, and I hope both are with the team for a number of years. Stories like this (I believe there was a similar story about Bailey on this blog earlier) and the fact that I have a mutual friend with Bailey (who is hoping to get drafted himself this summer) would make me lean toward him over Okposo though.
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flames fans lost out in reneau , josh learned from him, and so have the spitfire of windser. R.I.P mickey,
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Webber says:
This is exactly why I get frustrated when fans get mad at GMs for taking a player that is rated a little lower than another player. You can not and should not ever underestimate the value of having a player with character. This kid gets it and it’s obvious that he cares about more than just himself. He’s the type of kid that will put the team first and do everything he can to help them win. He’s a team player and I couldn’t be happier with his maturity level at such a young age. Go get em’ Josh, we’re all rooting for you. Great story CB.
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Also everyone is comparing Josh to other professionals and what is amazing is that he’s only 19 years old but acts like a veteran. Someone needs to send his parents a thank you card.
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Rob says:
Let’s just hope if the Isles take John Tavares, he is as classy as Bailey… I love the way Bailey carries himself, and he wears a smile that says he is happy to be an Islander…. I haven’t seen Tavares smile once yet in any interview.. It scares me a bit… Makes me wonder if he has any personality…
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Frankie Boy says:
yashin was very curtious off the ice, have a couple things signed by him and would actually have a convo with you. too bad he didnt perform equally on the ice.
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SteveWebbClapClap says:
My dad’s office had season tixx right behind the Isles bench two decades ago.. I was about 7, maybe 8. An Islander skates back to the bench to get a new stick. He gets the usher’s attention, points to me, and hands the stick over the railing. Usher hands it to me. I bleed blue and orange ever since. His name’s on the stick, proudly hanging in my basement.
The player?
Denny Potvin.
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Thomas32 says:
VERY cool!! I had a similar incident with Steve Thomas in 93! Made my YEAR!!! “Stumpy” was ALWAYS and still is my favorite Islander!
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JKP in Halifax says:
Hockey players rock. Josh sounds like a great kid.
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Austin H says:
Great story…had a similar encounter at a Caps/Isles game during Ovechkin’s rookie year (meaning hardly anyone went to the games). I got amazing tickets two rows up right behind the Isles bench. I wore my white Isles jersey and my one year old son wore his kiddy blue Isles jersey. Not once, but twice the puck went into the Isles bench. Jason Blake turned and looked for the blue and orange supporters…he saw me and my boy. Over the glass, right to me came the puck. The second time an assistant (don’t remember which) did the same thing and threw the puck to me. My son got one and I gave the other to and Isles fan 10 rows back. Unfortunately, the pucks were Caps pucks…but I tell my son it came from the Isles Jason Blake (although he is a Maple Leaf now). That kind of stuff only happens at hockey games.
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Lav says:
Bailey is a class act. Hockey players are hands down the classiest athletes in the world. The only exception I have is Robert Reichel. My buddies and I were in Roosevelt Field and said hello to Robert as we bumped into him. We were all so excited, said hi and all he could respond was, “what do you want? get to the F out of here.” I have never respected that guy since then.
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Great story to read about JB.
On a related note, did anyone see the “Day in the Life” piece highlighting Doug Weight on the NHL Network? Great glimpse into the life of an Islander and what a good, normal guy Weight seems to be. Guerin has a few minutes on camera too.
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Steve K. says:
i’ll add my two cents to this pro hockey player discussion… when i was a young kid my dad would take me to the marriot after the islander games to get some wings at pitchers (now champs). while walking through the lobby we saw wayne gretzky, and without saying anything to him he came up to us and asked us if we enjoyed the game! we were stunned, and he proceeded to talk with us for a few minutes. i will never forget that…
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Chris T. says:
Great story. Nice gesture by Bailey.
This season my family and I went to see Caps/Isles at the Coliseum. (Caps won 2-1 in OT, Ovechkin scored twice). We were lucky enough to have tickets in the first row on the glass in one of the corners (thanks stub hub). During a 1st period stoppage, before a face off in our corner, one of the linsemen, Greg Devorski, skated over and gave my son a puck by passing it through one of the holes in the glass used by rinkside photographers. Needless to say he’s probably the only 7-year old with a favorite NHL linseman.
cheers.
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I too was impressed by Josh Bailey in his first NHL season, but it wasn’t his fan interaction or even his play that did it. It was late in the season, and players were in & out of the lineup on a daily basis. Mike Iggleden had a few games under his belt, and had posted a few assists, but as of yet “no goals”. During the game a pass came to Iggleden in front (It might have come from Bailey, but that really doesn’t matter) which Iggy burried for his “First NHL Goal”. As Bailey skated from behind the net toward the gathering of Isles joining “Iggy” in his celebration, He quickly changed direction away from the group & made a “B-line” to the Net to retrieve the Puck for his team-mate. That small but significant act made a huge impression on me, that the “Kid” really get’s it… Yet to my surprise, there was no comment from the booth on Bailey’s actions. I noticed, & I’m sure some other fans did also. I do hope Josh has a long and fruitful NHL career with most, or all of it in an Islanders Uniform…
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chip saunders says:
There is no doubt that hockey player’s in general,are the best when it comes to dealing with the public.It’s no surprise that Bailey did this.
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Mark in Ottawa says:
“Big Dally on May 12th, 2009 19:42:51 said:
That’s a good Canadian boy for ya. We are a polite lot eh”TRUE NORTH STRONG AND FREE !
Good on you Mr. Bailey – I hope this means next year is the first in many 30 goal seasons ! Well done !
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coral springs isle fan says:
Great story about Bailey. I had a similar experience with Rick DiPietro (although on a smaller scale). I was at opening night this year against St. Louis with my 7 year old daughter. She is a big fan of Ricky’s. Well guess who goes out of his way to make sure that all the fans who had kids got a puck. We were sitting right where the Isles come on and off the ice. And between the 2nd & 3rd period’s Ricky had two handfuls of pucks and he went out of his way to make sure that all the little kids got a puck. My daughter got a puck and she was smiling from ear to hear and I could not have been happier.
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bergie20 says:
great story. bailey seems like a really good kid. i wouldn’t be surprised if he’s our captain sometime down the road. hockey players tend to be more down to earth than other big league athletes.
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Isles fan in CA says:
Bailey is a class act all the way!! I was stoked to get a picture with Josh and Kyle Okposo after an Islander practice in Syosset while visiting my family back on Long Island in January. In fact almost all the guys took time to sign kids pictures and such. I remember Dougie Weight informing us that it was his pleasure after a few fans thanked him for autographing their jersey or poster. The players on this team are fantastic and I am glad they are getting some recognition in posts such as yours. Thanks.
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Great story. You nailed it home: it took one quick moment of his time to a lifelong impression. Every player needs to internalize this. Yes, of course it’s the right thing to do…..but, you know, it’s not bad for business, either. For me, the player was Billy Carroll when I was in camp back in the early 80s.
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Scott, East Meadow Long Island says:
Seems to me Bailey is mature past his years…I hope he continues these gestures on and off the ice.. and continues to grow to be a leader in the community and in the locker room! Feel good story!
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SIR WILLIAM says:
The year that Alexi Yashin was cut by a skate blade I took my 17 year old very autistic son the the Islanders season ticket holders autograph party. As fate would have it we ended up first to walk over to Yashin as he sat with his damaged arm in a sling. There was a polaroid camera photog there who took your photo and Alexi then autographed it. Not wanting my son to injure Yashin any further (autistic children are often unpredictable) I explained to him that he shouldn’t risk taking the photo with my boy.
Yashin politely shrugged me out of the way and made a point to put his arm around Bryan and proceeded to take the picture. He then insisted on another picture with the three of us.Unfortunatey, Long Island never warmed up to Alexi Yashin. But he will always be at the top of my list………..Sir William
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Al L says:
Back in 1987 after attending the final game of the season,I noticed Isles defenseman Steve Konroyd(acquired from Calgary for Johnny Tonelli)handing out sticks to a few fans. Standing near with my then 10 year old daughter,I approached Steve and asked if he would be kind enough to do the same for my kid. He told me that the ones he handed out were already designated,but the next time I came to a game come down to the runway and get his attention as he took the ice for warmups. Sure enough, late the following Sept(FIVE MONTHS LATER),my friend and his son took in a pre season game with my daughter and myself. I stood along the runway railing and as Konroyd took the ice for warmups,I reached over and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up at me and without another word from myself he said; “You are the gentleman who asked me about a stick!” I thanked him for remembering me,but told him I was in an awkward situation being that my friend and his son were with us. He winked at me,said stay right there and did an about face. Five minutes later he returned and handed me TWO signed sticks!! Here an entire spring and summer went by and this player remembered JOE FAN and his child!!! In Yiddish,this gentleman is discribed a Mench(Sweet Person)!!!! I believe Steve is currently the TV color commentator for the Chicago Blackhawks(Who the Isles eventually traded him to)and has been for quite a long time now! People like this deserve the best of everything!!! PS: My daughter is now married and I have the stick!!!!
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Sir William(#51),Yashin may have lacked the heart for NHL Hockey,but never could be accused of not having one for instances that really matter!!!! God Bless Alexei and God Bless your Son Bryan!!!! Ironically my son’s name is Bryan also!
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Chris TMC says:
This Josh story is so wonderful to hear. I am very proud that Josh Bailey is an Islander. So many other great stories here as well… thank you all for sharing!
Every hockey player Ive ever met has been really cool- but Stevie Webb, Rick DiPietro and Bryan McCabe really stand out for me.
I first met Steve Webb when he was a rookie and I was psyched to meet him, but at that moment up at NVMC there was nobody around him (it was before anyone really knew him yet.) He was visibly flattered that I wanted to talk to him and get a pic, and I felt like a million bucks. Fastforward more than a decade and, all these years later, the really nice comment he left me here on PB when he was doing his fundraiser- let alone how he dedicates his time and effort to helping kids- showed me that he is just as nice of a person now as ever.
I met Bryan McCabe that same day and he was great too. I talked to him for a few, but that isnt the best part for me. The season that Caber became Captain I was at a late movie Christmas night with my best friend Savafan1 (we saw The Postman!) A guy and his GF sat right behind us, and we soon realized it was Bryan. We turned around a few times to make sure but we didnt want to bother/annoy them. After the movie, we decided to say hi. Bryan was so gracious that we wound up talking until everyone was long gone from the theater and they were sweeping up the popcorn. We all walked out together and when we were leaving Bryan thanked US for the support. Boy did I cry when the Isles traded him.
I met Rick last fall at the NHL store. I talked to him a bit and he was super nice, but it was observing his actions that made me really admire him. I was right up front during the interview and there were signs everywhere that said no autographs. Well, they had some problems with the mics a little while into the interview and one of the suits came up to him and VERY quietly shispered asking if it would be OK if he did some signings while we work on this. Rick was like “sure!” and he (and Ryan Miller) proceded to sign multiple things for every single person there. Rick took pictures with everyone who wanted one and did not leave until he was sure that he got to every single person. He didnt have to do that, he just wanted to… and I have a lot of respect for him for it.
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HilbertSnipe says:
It was Michael Peca for me. An autograph signing around 03-04 I believe at the Coliseum. Picture this scenario….
I walk up to Peca’s booth and wait on line for a few minutes with my younger cousin, I was 13 at the time and he was 8. I finally get to Peca and tell him how much I admire his play. He signs my Isles Year Book and jersey. I then tell him to make sure he smacks around Barnaby a little bit for me (they were playing the Rangers the next week.) Peca looked at me in the absolute worst way for a little kid. I was terrified and it seemed like he was really mad. Well, little do you know, the next Isles Rags game, Peca and Barnaby got into a scuffle after the puck drops. I can’t find the youtube video however.
And I was the most ecstatic little dude ever.
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Isle be Damned says:
Hockey players are BY FAR the best pro athletes off the ice. The overwhelming majority of them are very fan friendly. great story CB.
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Mike in Bohemia says:
About 20 years ago, I saw Hank Aaron in a restaurant at National Airport in D.C. I wanted to get his autograph, but didn’t want to interrupt his meal (he was with another gentleman). I waited until he got up to leave and asked him for his autograph. His response was “sorry man, I have to go.” In the time it took to say that, he could have given me his signature, but apparently, he could care less. Maybe he was having a bad day or something, but I lost alot of respect for him that day. This is a man considered to be a class act in the baseball world.
Sorry, but he can’t hold a candle to the numerous hockey players I have met over the years. Hockey players as a group are by far the most down to earth athletes, and it has been my pleasure to have met hundreds of them over the years. I’m glad to see that Josh is upholding the tradition. -
Matt S says:
When I was younger, around the year 2000 or 2001, Chris Osgood happened to live in the same town as me. (Oyster Bay) One day towards the end of the regular season, when the weather was warmer, my friends and I were playing street hockey, when all of a sudden a white SUV approached where we were playing. I happened to catch a glimpse of the driver, and it was none other than Mr. Peca himself!! He must have been in town to visit Chris. He must have caught my astonished gaze as he passed, because he stopped his car, got out, and shook all of our hands and signed all of our hockey sticks. He talked with us for 5 minutes or so and we were all ecstatic!! We asked him if he was in town to visit Osgood and he said that he was. After about another two hours, on his way back (we were still playing) he stopped again, got out of his car and distributed signed glossy photos of Chris Osgood to us also. What a great thing to do! I miss Mikey so much.
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Mookie says:
I think Bailey should be groomed to be
the next captain. The kids shows a lot
class on and off the ice. -
Pete M says:
The kid gets it. But I think hockey players in general get it. I remember back in the early ’80′s a group of us used to hang out at the Fridays on Merrick Rd near the Coliseum. A lot of the young Islanders frequented the place as well and I remember me and my friends having long conversations with guys like Billy Carroll and Pat Flately. I also remember a few years later running into Billy Smith at Buttle’s on Hempstead Turnpike. He hung out and talked for a long time. It happened to be during the whole LaFontaine mess and I recall him having some very strong feelings about it. Class guys all around.
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frank nyc says:
Well the Isles said they would draft character and they drafted character. Class act off the ice and i saw a lot of improvement on the ice toward the end of the season.
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19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
I have a few examples of NHL player goodwill / down to earth actions.
#1 – I was on an adult travel team as a rookie 19 y/o in 85-86 … and our team captain never showed up to the rink we were playing at in South Jersey, and he had the pucks for warm ups … before we were to take the ice these 3 guys were on the ice practicing… being the rookie gulable kid … my teammates made me ask them if we could borrow some pucks. Well … the guy I asked was a kid himself … and he felt bad they made me ask them for pucks … so he not only gave me pucks we can use … he said I can keep the pucks (about 30 of em) and the puck bag … he was the then barely known Peter Zezel. He even stayed to watch us play.
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#2 At an NHL sponsored event in NYC in I think 92 or 93 … I don’t recall the exact year … Glen Healy was heckling me during a hardest shot contest with one of those street hockey balls … My shot was 88 Mph … I trash talked Glen back after I took that shot because that put me in the lead … he gets up and fires a 90 mph slap shot … geeeze … I didn’t know goalies can shoot that hard … we both laughed and he signed my stick and said … now who’s your favorite goaltender? LOL!
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#3 Bryan Trottier teaching me how to cheat on face offs without really “Cheating” … LOL! … and showing me that my backhand shot is just as deadly if not more than any snap shot / forehand shot… made me 4x better a hockey player…
#4 … While at a Ranger / Isle exhibition game during pre-game warmups … I went to get some grub for my little brother who was 13 at the time … when I came back there was a little comotion … These adult Ranger fans (early 20 year olds) were harrassing my lil Bro … and guess who was sticking up for him … Battling Billy Smith … LOL!! In the stands … he was there with a can of coke … and telling them to get the “f” outta here … and they had the gaul to ask for an autograph … they then said what’s in that can … beer? And Billy said … if it was beer it would be in a beer can … my brother said .. don’t mind them Billy … they’re Ranger fans they don’t know the difference … Billy cracked up and had someone get my brother a stick.
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I’m probably one of the few fans who was sad to see Yash go. He was a class act off the ice and was always accommodating to the fans even if he was mobbed. I wish him nothing but the best in Russia. Another story….I’ve always been a huge Robitaille fan and when the Isles played the Kings I brought my Kings jersey with me. As all of the Kings players got off the bus and filed into the arena, maybe 2 or 3 Kings players stopped to greet Islanders fans and one of them was Luc. He was very gracious and humble and gladly signed my jersey.
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#57 – Thats a great Peca story! I always liked Mike Peca – guy gave 110% all the time.
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Gary9-19-22 says:
i have been debating over replacing my Billy Smith (circa 1982) jersey since his retirement 20+ years ago. Never finding someone that replaced what I loved about Smitty.
Done deal… I will be retiring #31 and wearing #12 for the next 20+ years.
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Spartiarti - RVC says:
I never understood why all athletes are not like this. They forget they play the game they love and that something as simple as that can make impression on kid forever.
Josh is a class act. Dont worry isles fans, Kid is a winner. He wants to get better. he’ll put on some muscle this summer and make some noise next year. Bailey playmaking skillz are some of the best i have seen on isles in long time. -
art says:
CB aliitle off the subject but not really. Hockey players are great in sharing with their fans. there are exceptions of course. Other major pro sports don’t come near. However the non connection with opposing players except after a series finale is suppose to be macho but comes off to me as childish tradition. Other sports have harder hitting like the NFL and there is always concern with injured players and handshakes after every game. In baseball bitter rivals like the yanks and redsox will always greet and talk to each other when at the plate or as runners on base.I’m not saying that tea should be served on ice but would Crosby talking once in a while to ovechkin spoil the sport?
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Brian says:
As a rule, I’ve found hockey players to be more fan friendly that athletes in any other sport. Not sure why this is, but it is.
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dose says:
there are posters here and at other sites who diminish bailey as a player and criticize snow’s move to get him. he’s not going to be a 40 goal scorer but when he has talent to skate with he’ll account for 20-25 along with 50 assists every year. and because he’s smart and works hard he’ll keep getting better in his own end and in the circle. add to the mix the character the kid already shows, as evidenced by this Siebert kid story, and I see a future captain and long time islander linchpin.
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RAmen says:
Mine ws Mike Bossy and my sons is Rick D. I always think of Dave Scatchard when he was with the Isles, and all the things he did with families on long Island. With many hockey players, it is genuine and personal. I think it’s a part of hockey’s culture, more than any other sport.
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Blizzard says: Great story, and an indicator on why Snow was enarmoured with him. Character guy. Its going to be fun watching him mature into a solid NHLer. I agree with others on the classyness of Hockey players as opposed to some other sports. And it always boggles my mind that Basketball is more popular than Hockey. Thats a crime. The battles going on in the playoffs are epic and they should be viewed nationally.
There is nothing like playoff hockey, nothing.
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Ed J says:
Islander players have always been fan friendly. I’ve met Ziggy, DP, Snow, & Osgood. All great guys and Josh that is awesome what you did.
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Pat says:
Three in particular
* Ted Donato. Well, his wife Ginny introduced us – we were sitting in seats in the 200′s and some small child spilled something all over my son by accident. The child’s mother was upset – but we told her “really- its ok” – but she insisted on making it up to us and it was Ted’s wife Ginny…….who further upon finding out the town on LI where we live – she is from – and her parents still live there……so she came back after the second intermission with all access passes and introduced us to Ted……who took my son in the locker room and had his white Isles jersey signed by available players…..real class act both of them – best of luck to Ted in his coaching career.
* Zdeno Chara – Isles prospects were handing out programs at the Isles draft party – and Z got an assignment over by where I wanted to sit – so I approached him and he was surprised someone knew who he was. What a delightful young man he was – and is. We talked for 20 mins – and he asked some questions about living on LI and told me about his family. Great guy.
* Former Isles coach Bill Stewart. Met him in Germany while visiting a friend….at the game. He spotted me wearing Isles colors and had a beer with us after the game. Got to meet and have nice chats with Mike Stevens, Chris Luongo and Steve Junker (all ex-Isles) while in germany. Mike was shocked that I remembered him ( he was up for a cup of coffee with the organization) – I was shocked that he has a famous brother (Scott) – He was surprised that I did not know that ( I didn’t) hell of a guy.
There are so many more players I have met – but these three situations jumped out at me.
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bob l says:
Bailey rocks, he makes it sooo easy to root for him (as most of these youngsters do)
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Tom Barone says:
nice job on his part. A little goes a ling way.
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JonnyBoston says:
Great story about Josh Bailey and it reminded me of one of my own. I was at an outdoor bar in Boston about 2 years ago wearing my Islanders hat and the waittress came over with a couple of beers for us, telling me “someone who plays for your team sent these over”. It was Shawn Bates. I went over to thank him and we chatted about the team for about ten minutes. A really great guy to talk to and just a great gesture for him to do that.
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The main thrust of the posts is that our children are given a good lesson in sharing and generosity by the excellent examples of hockey athletes in their off ice friendly gestures. autographs. and friendliness. So why not an occasional gesture of respect and sportmanship between opposing players after a game insight of our young fans? I’m told that lots of social contact between teams goes on in bars. onthe phone and even in home visitations when time is available on road trips. So the players don’t really all hate each other How about sharing that with our kids? It would serve as a great example in helping kids deal with problems they have in growing up with other kids and siblings.
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Matt says:
wow, great story. Bailey looks like he is going to be a special player on the ice but also a great guy off the ice as well. very nice to see.
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Marc from Troy says:
Thanks, CB, for bringing this to our attention, and thanks to all for sharing your stories. Catching up on some of the recent posts, and had just read the latest depressing/infuriating Murray/LH thread. Bailey seems like the kind of kid who would be embarrassed that we’re making a big deal of this, but reading about it sure made me feel better after reading more of that other stuff.
(Apologies in advance, CB, for the length of the story I’ll now share here.)
I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting some pro hockey players over the years, and it’s absolutely true what good guys they are. And even though it’s been several years since I was a kid, my biggest thrill came just two months ago. Wife and I made the trip to LI the weekend of the Bossy/Trottier bobblehead games. Good timing, since Mike Bossy is still my all-time favorite Islander. I had also ordered a new #22 3rd jersey, which I picked up and put on shortly after arriving for the game on Sat. I’ll skip the details – because I’m sure it’s not exactly standard procedure – but someone who knows how thankful I am then asked us if we had a few minutes to walk downstairs with her. When we got down there, I looked and saw none other than Mike Bossy waiting for us at the entry to the meeting room. He greeted us saying “nice jersey!”, I got the chance to tell him that he’s the reason I first became an Isles fan, and we had a great conversation which lasted several minutes. He signed my new jersey and we said goodbye. Shortly thereafter, I realized that I had never taken the camera out of my pocket. Just goes to show you can still be awestruck no matter your age. But I had just met my first hockey idol, and nothing was going to take away from that. Next day, however, as we’re waiting to go in for the game, I see Bossy walking over from the Marriott. I approach him, he asks if I enjoyed the previous day’s game, and I tell him yes – but that I had forgotten something. He says “a camera?”, we laugh and then he graciously poses with me for a photo. Wonderful guy, and truly a weekend I won’t soon forget.
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Mike from Oceanside says:
Give Josh an “Atta-Boy”!
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Stuff like this never gets old. My son received a puck from Jean Potvin at the old timers game a few years ago. But twice received a puck and autographs from Chris Campoli who was one of the nicest players around young kids. Wished him well. Bottom line is how personable hockey players are compared to athletes in other sports.
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sean says:
I held the door for Bailey at the islanders practice in October at the Ice Works, I was with my girlfriend were both 26. He just walked through, no thank you… like I was a door man, even so he should say thanks… hes not that great, hes still a kid.
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Jon says:
great work Bails!
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JohnnyC. says:
Hey CB great story. Mine is different. My son’s first game He was 4. Wearing his Islander jersey. We were by the glass watching warmups. Bruins v isles. We were on the Bruins side across from the bench. My son was in awe. As the pre game warmup ended P.J. Axelsson banged his stick on the glass pointed to me & my son & tossed a puck over. My son would not let go of that puck the whole night & his smile did not leave his face either.
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Frei says:
Does character score goals?
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Pritchett says:
Hockey players are the best “people” because they are primarily canadians. Canadians are just nice people in general. They grow up in rural areas where values are taught and instilled and they dont forget them when they make it big. That is my opinion anyway.
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STP says:
For many who don’t know much about the game of hockey, the first thought they associate with the sport is fighting. For those of us who love hockey, it is just this sort of gesture, which not only represents the sport, but to me, separates it from the others…particularly in this day and age. Keep it up, Josh.
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Mark says:
Nothing like making news while doing something you should be doing anyway (if you’re a decent human being and not to mention a professional athlete).
Why is this special? I mean, I am sure Josh is a good guy and all but heck, everyone should do nice things for others even just once in awhile.
I guess it’s just unfortunate that things like this are so rare that they actually have special notes made of it.
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Darryl says:
I love the attitude and mindset we are starting to see from the Islanders. Bailey and Okposo both seem like hard working character guys. THe comments around the trade deadline from Witt, Weight, and others about wanting to stay on the Island speak volumes about the organization and are a really positive sign for the future.
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Lou says:
Who cares? When he puts up 60-80 points please let me know.
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The Real Vukota says:
Sitting up in one of the luxury boxes about 8 years ago between the 1st and 2nd period. My buddies and I are sitting around having a beer bullshatting when Billy Smith comes in and say’s “Do you mind If I take a hotdog, then ran out next door” I said “shoot you are Billy Smith you can take whatever you want” He laughed and grabbed a dog….
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set us frei says:
# 91
i see the attention seeking blog infection known as frei has made an appearance – such a shame. CB posts a nice positive story and some ppl always have to turn it into a negative. nice job CB and bails – keep the faith cause most “true fans” support you no matter what.
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Character does not score goals but skill does and Josh has plenty of that as well. I’m willing to bet he’ll be a set up machine in a season or two also.
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Hishutzi Skorz says:
Two buddies and I were at the Forum in 1981 for an Isles-Hab game. We had seats in the end arena balcony and after the 1st period we ducked out in the hall. Who should emerge from the broadcast booth but Dick Irvin Jr. the Hockey Night in Canada analyst. We introduced ourselves and he spent the entire intermission (his break time, mind you) talking hockey with us!
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mike says:
Great story! Wish more could be like Bailey! I ran into Billy Smith at Champions several years ago before the season started when the Jets were playing on a Monday night. Politely asked him to autograph my Islanders hat. He refused.
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David Kravitz says:
These stories are great, and it’s definitely something you see so much more of in hockey. Kudos to Bailey and all the Islander players who give back to the fans this way. Even this year, with all the struggles and issues, I really enjoyed watching this team because they seemed like such a likeable and classy bunch of guys.
Wow, Pat (#78), I was going to say the same thing about Zdeno Chara. I met him at that draft party too, and he was just the nicest guy you could ever meet. That was a really nice touch by the Isles, having young players like Chara give out programs and chat with the fans.
One ex-Islander who stands out for me is Pat LaFontaine. My little brother totally idolized him, and still followed him closely after the trade to Buffalo. One year LaFontaine had a serious injury, so my brother sent him a get well card. About a week later, a package arrived from the Buffalo Sabres. LaFontaine sent a hand-written thank you note, an autographed card, and all kinds of tchatchkes. I mean, the kid wasn’t expecting anything, yet this injured superstar took the time to read the card, write a personal note almost immediately, and send extra stuff to boot. What a class act LaFontaine was and is!
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Bryan says:
Great Story, One thing I do hope though is that when he does achieve a level of success in the NHL that these acts continue. Its a lot more difficult to stay humble when you start succeeding and the real bucks come in. Hope Bailey stays true to himself and to the fans in the years to come.
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Doug says:
Petr Klima
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KO21 says:
Call me naive but hockey players seem to be the most humble and gracious athletes in all pro-sports…When a hockey player is asked about a goal or a nice play they usually attribute it to a luck bounce and usually credit a teammate for making the play happen…
Unless, it’s just an act but I doubt it…
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why says:
#91 i met billy smith several times, he gave me and my son each an autograph and could not have been nicer. you must have caught him on a bad night, we all have them! i have also met many other islanders going back to the seventies and they have all been great.
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I met the islander Alumni team after they played an exhibition game at the Supirior Ice rink…The players were cordial, signed sigs for every kid there..
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Ron says:
Josh Baily is one of the nice guys in the league. I took my daughter to see the Isles play in Philly on Valentines day (she loves her islanders). During warmups we stood by the glass near the Isles bench, wearing our gear. He saw her standing there, grabbed a puck, skated over and flipped a puck over the glass to her. She still talks about it today. He really looks out for our little fans!
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Rick says:
In general, the Islanders have always had players who have gone above & beyond as far as fan relations go. As a kid, I’d hang around after the games by the tunnel the players used to come out of, and never did one refuse to sign. I’ve told the story before about Mark Fitzpatrick & the Bomber standing in the rain after a game for 5 minutes talking to my friend and I (had to be 11 or 12 at the time). In general, I think hockey players ‘get it’, while, as we can see from what the Yankees have done with their new stadium, most athletes in other sports don’t.
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Mike Cavalluzzo says:
Dave Scatchard storys can go on all day! Wish he was still an Islander!!
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Mike in Bohemia(#61). I am not the least bit surprised about your experience with Aaron. Having been to many Card shows in the past what you descirbed had been a pattern with this guy. He has a miserablle attitude and aside from being rude to his supporters(Fans)he doesn’t give an inch even to a kid. I had a nice 500 HR lithograph and simply asked him to sign 755 HR so it would be consistent with the other players on it. He didn’t even look up at me,but said;”some people want everything”,proceeding to write 755 only. I paid $95 for the autograph and inscription mind you! When I was young I idolized the guy because of his perceived nonchalance and gentlemanly appearance. Perhaps time has made him bitter or perception was never reality with this guy!
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sarah says:
this is why i love hockey.
i am a huge andy sutton fan (he was involved in the first real hockey fight i had ever seen in person). i have an andy sutton practice jersey. i went to one of the practices (while he was rehabbing in the beginning of the season) and he came out and said “so you’re the one with my jersey” he signed my jersey and then we took pictures (to which he insisted we take two of them) after he left i continued watching the practice. andy sutton came out again and tapped me on my shoulder (and did an “i made you look”). i believe he came out a third time and said goodbye to me.
i have only been a hockey and an islander fan for two years and i’ve already met and gotten pictures with most of the current team. they have always been extremely friendly, and always willing to say hi. it is unbelievable that these guys are sports players and are so approachable and down to earth.
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Erika says:
It’s true…all these athletes making the big $$$–they need to thank their fans. Why can’t athletes in other sports do this?? This is why I say hockey players are the least overpaid of the 4 major pro sports. The games I went to this year, I always watched the warm-up up close and saw Josh throw a few pucks over the glass, usually to a kid.
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kabbage says:
To Frei (91)Character does not score goals but it wins championships and it leads teams. It is something that all championship teams have!
This is why the Isles bring in possible draft picks to Long Island for face-to-face interviews.
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Bob C says:
16 Years ago today my buddy and I went to Pittsburgh for Game 7. After the game and my brief heart attack during the overtime we were outside the Civic Arena and the players were getting on the bus and they were celebrating and talking to the fans who made the trek from Long Island. I spot Jeff Norton who was my favorite player on the team and whose jersey I was wearing. I mentioned I was so pumped that I should go to Montreal along with the team, he said “if you and your buddy are serious you have tickets”. We were serious and after flying home Satrurday morning we got in a van with other friends and headed to Montreal. I took a chance and went to the box office and sure enough Jeff had left 2 tickets on the blue line for the game. Never forget that gesture and love hearing the stories about the great men who have made up this franchise.
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bryan says:
hockey players are “real” people and they are thankful that they get to play the game they love for a living, and it shows.
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JANE FONDAS ARMY says:
Kudos to Josh, im glad he’s an Islander…But id have to agree, Scatchard is by far the most honest,giving and nicest guys in the sport. I too, wish he was still with Isles…what an awesome guy. Another current great kid on the Isles is, Bruno Gervias. I hear he’s so much involved w/the community on LI. Ive got a great player/fan expierence to share…back in 97, i was visiting LI from Omaha, Ne for my brothers wedding, i bumped into Bob Nymstrom. I happened upon him at the Benningans in Commack. I was with my sister,brother, fiancee(shes from Nebraska) and my cousin(hes a Rags fan). Anyways, we were drinking and catching up, talking about the times we had growing up on LI & the wedding, when i looked across the bar i saw Bobby..i go to everyone “hey, its Nymstrom”…so i get up and approach him, meanwhile in the background i can hear my cousin saying “its not him”, i knew it was, so i go up to him(Nystrom)and tell him, “Ranger fans have gotta be the most dumbest fans in Ny” and Bobby says ” Whys that? and i tell him because my cousin does’nt believe your the Islander HOF’er, Nymstrom. He laughs and looks over at him and flashes him the “four fingers”..what a class act Bobby is. Anyways, i call over to my fiancee to come meet him, and she was just awestruck..mind you she’s a midwest girl and has never met anybody famous, so she says hello and tells him that she loves Long Island and she loves the Islanders and asks him if it was ok to get her Jersey from the car and have him sign it…Bobby told her sure, signed it and we talked for quite a while. Very nice guy. i can say this, the Islanders have always had teams that go out of thier way for the fans.
I had a very similar interaction with Kenny Jonsson years ago. Hopefully Bailey turns out as well.