Monthly Archives: August 2009
Here’s my Fanhouse debut, a profile of Anze Kopitar of the Kings. Asking yet another personal favor, please check it out and let AOL know you’re reading. The Islanders make their move: trading non-prospect Rob Hennigar – a brutally misguided signing in the first place – to Carolina for fringe prospect Bobby Hughes, a 5-11 center who played in the AHL and ECHL last season.
I just posted on Twitter, “Islanders’ Oct. 3 deadline for Lighthouse “certainty” won’t be met. NHLPA gasses another chief. Being a hockey fan is often not very easy.” Gosh, it would be so much easier to have an obsession with the NFL. More on Lighthouse later in this space, more on Paul Kelly (plus a feature on Anze Kopitar) in my new home at Fanhouse. And here I thought I could ease in to my first day on the NHL beat…
Did anyone buy one of those Hawaiian vacations? A little domain issue blacked out PB for 12 hours on Saturday. We should be okay now. In other news, Alex Tanguay finally gets a contract…with Tampa Bay. Unless the Islanders decide to capitalize on their space with a trade that alleviates another team’s cap problems, as we have forecasted for a while the offseason roster moves are over. To summarize: John Tavares and a pair of solid goalies.
With change comes opportunity. Beginning next week, I’m joining AOL as national hockey writer for NHL Fanhouse. I’m very excited to be taking my act on the road and to have no boundaries in the beautiful game of hockey. Based out of New York, my assignments will include features, columns, opinion pieces, podcasts and live coverage. AOL has given me a tremendous opportunity and I plan on running with it.
My goal to find a full-time home for Point Blank remains. Time is running out on my personal deadline of Labor Day weekend, but possibilities exist. If the posts slow down over the next week, please know it’s because I’m working on my first Fanhouse pieces and attempting to finalize a deal to keep Point Blank alive and thriving.
Can I do both? Absolutely. Do I want to do both? Absolutely. In this business and in this economy, sports writers and bloggers have multiple affiliations. If I’m fortunate enough to have two, that’s nothing. Look around. One of my new colleagues at Fanhouse has five sites listed under his email signature. My editors at AOL support my wish to continue Point Blank and I’m very grateful for that.
Everything I may accomplish in this end of the business going forward is a result of the off-the-charts support I received from Islanders fans during the first year of this blog. Everything.
Even my invite to the AOL offices in Virginia was because of a reader – a transplanted Long Islander, a business executive at AOL who asked me if it was okay if he told some of the editors about my work. The kindness of strangers is astounding. Thank you to all of the PB readers, and also to the Islanders for the chance to start a writing career.
Four people in my life know about the Fanhouse gig as I post this. (I need to call my mom now). There’s a strong likelihood you’ll see my byline attached to stories on some of your least favorite teams in the next few weeks, so I wanted to give your hearts fair warning. Hopefully, you’ll recall the dozens of positive Islanders stories I wrote despite their record last season and not hold a grudge against me.
As soon as I have news one way or the other about Point Blank, you will be next to know. I’d really like to continue covering the Islanders, and I’m still hopeful. Thank you.
CB
For the Islanders’ home opener of the 2007-08 season, Pierre Turgeon was suggested as a popular choice to drop the ceremonial faceoff. The season would be the 15th anniversary of the 1992-93 Islanders’ uplifting upset of the two-time defending Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. It would be 15 years since Pierre’s remarkable 58-goal, 132-point season. He had also just retired in the summer of 2007.
Turgeon was passed over in favor of legendary left wing Christie Brinkley, who walked to center ice to applause from about 50 of the 16,000-plus fans in attendance. Ms. Brinkley’s appearance did get the team some coverage for a day on “Access: Hollywood” which, of course, led to tremendous awareness of the Islanders brand and big leaps in tickets and merchandise sales. (I’m just kidding about the ex-supermodel’s impact, but that’s what marketing experts get paid to convince you to believe).
Bringing Sneaky Pete back for an elegant encore would have been the right thing to do because…simply put, it would have been the right thing to do. Just as real old-time Yankees fans may not understand my generation’s infatuation with Don Mattingly, some folks around Islanders Country fail to grasp what Turgeon, Thomas, Flatley, Kasparaitis and the 1992-93 Islanders represent to a large section of the fanbase.
The ’92-93 Islanders are not just the last version to win two playoff series in the same year, they are last to win one. But even if the franchise had been more successful since, that team would still linger in the hearts of anyone who cares about this team.
Kasparaitis driving Mario Lemieux completely bonkers. Rich Pilon scaring opponents out of the Islanders’ end. Tommy Fitzgerald scoring two shorthanded goals within the same Penguins’ power play. Ray Ferraro scoring seemingly every shift in the first round against Washington. Turgeon – not a fast skater, not a hard shooter, not a big hitter – just an exceptional hockey player.
Glenn Healy winning games 7-5 and 6-5 because he came up big in the third period. (Claire Arbour always tells me the Islanders were never the same after Don Maloney “let that Glenn Healy go”). The Kid Line. For one season, Al Arbour getting the most out of Vladimir Malakhov, Jeff Norton, Uwe Krupp and Tom Kurvers. Mick Vukota not always winning his fights, but keeping the peace and lifting the other heavyweights and slamming them to the ice for the takedown. Foot soldiers Marty McInnis (he could skate), Claude Loiselle (guts and smarts) and ”Flats” (60 points and no one better along the boards)
And then the exasperating David Volek – a scoring wing who scored all of 8 goals in the regular season – scoring the last playoff-winning goal in franchise history.
I certainly don’t mean to focus on Christie Brinkley, a Long Islander of dignity, a humanitarian and great mom who became an Islanders fan because her son asked her if they could go to a game. But the home opener is supposed to be a celebration for the fans, a time when Al Arbour and Denis Potvin walk to center ice to a thunderous, roof-raising response.
I also hate making too big a deal of the Alumni thing. Understand this: sports franchises that win consistently rarely hear complaints about whether they honor their tradition enough. And when you haven’t won a playoff round in 16 years, cynics call it “living in the past.” Funny, I never hear that said about the Yankees or the Canadiens.
Marketing executives appear so much smarter when their teams win. Best proof: when the Devils won their three Stanley Cups, they didn’t do a lot of marketing in New Jersey.
Fans would give up every bobblehead night and trip down dynasty lane to see Tavares and Okposo win a few playoff rounds soon. Bobby Nystrom himself would trade his 23 banner in exchange for watching this generation of Islanders become a consistent contender.
Or how’s this for a novelty: honoring the past and winning in the present. Too much to ask? Not really. The greatest emotion from the Coliseum stands for a number retirement ceremony was for Bryan Trottier’s day on Oct. 20, 2001. The fans love Trots, but they felt especially proud that the current team was 6-0-0-1.
During the Core of the Four weekend in March of 2008, the Islanders announced grand plans to annually acknowledge their storied past. (Read the “TRADITION REIGNS” press release, still posted on the official team website). You may have missed it during last season’s last-place Campaign For Tavares, but despite the March 08 press release, the Islanders didn’t host a major alumni event last season. There was one weekend when a few ex-Isles like Brad Dalgarno and Gerry Hart were interviewed on the scoreboard. To say the least, it wasn’t anything special.
A cross-section of fans – including regular readers of this blog – will reject all this as “nostalgia” and say they are done with nights to remember. But really now: is 10 minutes before one game a year too much when you’re talking about a franchise with this rich a history and deep connection to its community?
I’ll refrain for now from writing a column called “Whatever Happened to the NYI Hall of Fame After the Islanders Inducted Bob Bourne“? Although Bourne was the first inductee in 2006 and there hasn’t been another one since, let’s wait until this season’s promotional schedule comes out. Maybe one is finally in the planning stages.
Embracing tradition and building a winner do not have to be mutually exclusive. Taking a brief moment to salute players like Turgeon – and Westfall and Jonsson and Goring and Tonelli and Palffy and LaFontaine – would simply be the right thing to do. And let’s remember, the Islanders have a history before 1980 and after 1983.
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Mike Sillinger made his retirement official today. He will “take a step back.” He will not be working for the NYI. Check out Katie Strang’s excellent new Islanders blog for more details. We’re sorry two hip surgeries finally did in the effective, big-hearted Silli. Here’s my thoughts on the man when the writing was on the wall back in January. Tributes to Mike welcomed here.
Kevin Connolly, who plays Eric in “Entourage,” doesn’t just find ways to get Islanders logos featured in at least one “ep” of the hit HBO show each season. Now he’s offering advice to 2009 first overall pick John Tavares on where to live and what to do on Long Island.
“John and I went out to lunch last week,” Connolly told Point Blank in a telephone interview. “I’m friends with his agent (Pat Brisson), and he set it up. John’s an impressive young guy. I was telling him, ‘You should really check out this place,’ but I had to remind myself the guy is only going to turn 19 during training camp. He can’t get into some of the places I suggested!
“You can tell he’s mature, ready to handle whatever’s ahead. He’s already been a big deal in Canada. He’s prepared for stardom. I’m really excited about him being on our team for a long time.”
The actor, a Long Island native and dedicated Islanders fan for all of his 35 years, shows his undying loyalty by getting permission from “Entourage” producers to place a team logo in at least a few key shots each season.
There was the Islanders T-shirt he wore while exercising in the first season (that was his own). There was the Islanders cap he wore throughout the making of Medellin (Garth Snow gave him that one). There was the Islanders banner conveniently hanging next to his table in the bar when Vince and the boys returned to Queens last season (the set designers, knowing Kevin, were prepared that time).
On the episode that debuted last Sunday, the screensaver on the computer in his new office was a giant Islanders logo. That was all Connolly’s doing.
“I thought about the screensaver kind of at the last second,” Connolly said. “I just thought it would be great for my desktop to have the Islanders logo. I challenged the tech guy on our set to see if he could make it work. I said, ‘C’mon buddy, this is what you do! Please make this happen for me’! He pulled it off and I was so happy. I actually still haven’t seen the episode yet, but I got a bunch of texts from friends who said it really popped on screen.”
Connolly said he’ll be back on Long Island for the Islanders’ opener on Oct. 3 against Pittsburgh and that he’s a big proponent of his team’s rebuilding program. “I think Tavares will be great and I’m a big fan of (Kyle) Okposo,” said Connolly, who was a guest at Rick DiPietro’s wedding last month. “I’m concerned about Ricky, but Garth (Snow) did a good job getting Marty Biron and Dwayne Roloson here. Those guys are top NHL goalies and now Ricky can come back when he’s completely ready. I can’t wait to see him back at the top of his form.
“I think it’s going to take a little while, but it’s time this season for our young players to shine. Besides John and Kyle, we’ve got Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen, Bruno (Gervais). I think our prospects are stronger than they’ve been in a long time. I’m being patient, because I know the whole idea is to one day challenge for the Stanley Cup. The wait will be worth it.”
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