Monthly Archives: February 2010
Thanks to the incredible generosity of Point Blank readers, young patients at six New York hospitals now can enjoy Xbox mobile kiosks at their bedsides.
Earlier this season, Point Blank ran a fundraising drive that raised $25,000 for Pat LaFontaine’s Companions in Courage Foundation, which partners with Microsoft to build “Lion’s Den” rooms and place one-of-a-kind digital game kiosks in pediatric wards across North America.
The Xbox units have been in place for weeks and enjoyed by thousands of young patients. On the strength of Islanders fan donors, four mobile kiosks were delivered to each of six area hospitals:
Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow
Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola
St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital, Bayside
Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn
Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, New York
Huntington Hospital, Huntington
I had the privilege of taking a tour last week of the pediatric unit of Nassau University Medical Center with CiC executive director Jim Johnson. It was easy to see the impact your donation had on the children there. The spirits of one young girl were immediately lifted when she was able to play a game based on her favorite movie, Up, right from her bed.
Linda Walsh (pictured above), the recreational therapist at NUMC, said your game kiosk donations “make all the difference in the world” at the hospital.
“If you’ve ever been through an experience where your child or loved one has had to spend an extended time in the hospital, you know how scary that can be,” said LaFontaine. “To know that your child can have even a little bit of normalcy during a stressful time like that means the world to every parent. Thank you to all the Point Blank readers who gave so generously.”
The Point Blank/CiC Donor Roll
Adler, Mark
Andrew, Sean
Arkin, Josh
Aurigemma, Daniel
Avaltroni, Rob
Ayoub, Chad
Baiser, Dennis
Barbieri, John
Baum, Benjamin
Bedell, Michael
Bier, Rebecca
Birkenfeld, Glenn
Blake, Ken
Bockstein, Andrew
Botta, Jane
Brackenridge, Craig
Brady, David
Bravo, Jose
Brophy, John
Brown, Will
Bruce, Richard
Butler, Nancy
Byrnes, Kristie
Canevari, Ernest
Caporuscio, Kathryn
Caprio, Andrew
Carey, Brian
Carey, Joseph
Carey, Michael
Carlberg, Donald
Cavanagh,Jim
Chacko, Matthew
Chaffer, Eric
Chereskin, Richard
Clark, Jim
Cibelli, Garret
Cimons, Wayne
Cohen, Steven
Conte, Joseph
Corsarie, Robert
Cosimano, Patrick
Criscitelli, Michael
Criscuolo, Eric
Curley, Gregory
Cusack, Timothy
Cuthbert, Sean
DePierro, Jason
Desiderio, Joseph
DiDonna, Dominic
Dixon, Ann Marie
Doyle, Sean
Dugan, Jason
Dulberg, Bill
Dunbar, Michael
Efstathiou, Bob
Epstein, Gary
Ereshena, Barbara
Faust, Frederick
Federmann, Joshua
Fishbach, Raphael
Filiberto, Christian
Fleming, Ron
Franco, Patrick
Frazee, Brian
Froessel, Timothy
Frumento, Michael
Gallof, Brian
Gelman, Jonathan
Gimbel, Cory
Goerke, Robert
Goldberg, Mitchell
Gormley, Shannon
Greenberg, Adam
Greer, Richard
Gressler, Brian
Grzancic, Christian
Gurtman, Scott
Gusman, Philip
Guzzo, John
Hanrahan, Michael
Hasnas, Dan
Heberer, William
Heiser, John
Hemley, Robert
Henderson, Gary
Herbst, Brandon
Herms, Robert
Hesse, Richard
Hoenigmann, Ryan
Honig, William
Hornick, Eric
Holleran, Kevin
Isserlis, Michael
Jantz, Stephen
Jaycoff, Joshua
Jezykowski, Richard
Jordan, John-Michael
Kalontarov, Michael
Kantor, Benjamin
Kaplan, Joseph
Kasper, Thomas
Kicinski, Robert
Kirsch, Christopher
Krebs, Jeff
Krupa, Dan
Levy, Lawrence
Lieber, Marc
Litvinsky, David
Lorenzo, Daniel
Lotto, Bryan
Maginness, Ron
Mallon, Rob
Mancusi, Thomas
Manos, Jason
Manuszak, Ellen
Manzo, Steven
Marshall, Peter
Martinez, Paul
Mather, Brian
McBride, Kevin
McCarthy, Bill
McDonald, Andrew
McGlynn, Jim
Meehan, Thomas
Meinck, Christopher
Melnyk, Tedd
Miller, Michael
Monaco, Kevin
Monahan, James
Moore, Philip
Moore, Steven
Moran, Louis
Morrison, Gregory
Nass, Eric
Navaro, Ray
Nelson, George
Nolan, Robert
Okeefe, Brian
Ong, Aaron
Overmeyer, James
Palmieri, John
Palmieri, Jon
Pasquarosa, Joseph
Philippides, Nicholas
Pignataro, George
Plant, David
Powell, Jason
Prendergast, Carey
Priest, Mike
Primosch, Chris
Profit, Ricky
Ragone, Valentino
Raimondi, Michael
Rannin, Rob
Rappaport, Scott
Reba, Alan
Reiter, Dennis
Resnick, Nate
Rhein, Robert
Rice, William
Ring, Peter
Rizzo, Richard
Romanelli, John
Romano, Paul
Rosenbaum, Roy
Rosenblum, Daniel
Rudegeair, Thomas
Rusowicz, Ed
Russin, Adam
Ryan, James
Rylott, Paul
Sachs, Steven
Schlauch, Ed
Schlechter, Justin
Schmier, Steven
Schniebolk, Seth
Schultz, Kevin
Schwab, James
Schwartz, Brad
Schwarz, Mike
Scordato, Matthew
Scrobe, Stephen
Shainman, Andrew
Shapiro, Ted
Sherman, Brett
Sherwood, Bob
Sinacori, Joseph
Smith, Scott
Smith, Spencer
Smyth, Raymond
Speight, Jeff
Sposato, Daniel
Steffens, James
Style, Christopher
Tag, Don
Tang, Michael
Tavani, Richard
Tendrup, Ryan
Terrasi, Michael
Terrasi, Michael
Thaw, Brian
Timlin, Marty
Tracey, Patrick
Tricarico, Michael
Trofimov, Aleksandr
Turner, Elliot
Uchman, Gregory
Undersinger, Paul
Visconti, Vincent
Vollmer, Eric
Von Arx, Philip
Votinelli, Tom
Walters, Scott
Ward, Andrew
Weiner, Rick
Weinstein, Jeffrey
Weinstein, Rick
Weiss, Lane
Weiss, Michael
Wessinger, Adam
Wichern, Jason
Wojtusiak, Mark
Young, Patrick
Donations of every amount will continue to be accepted and are greatly appreciated. Donors can send checks to CiC Foundation, P.O. Box 768, Huntington, NY 11743 (ATT: PB). If you have any other questions about donating to Companions in Courage, please send an email to Jim Johnson at jjohnson@CiC16.org
The Islanders are off today. The weather is brutal. The USA-Swiss game drew a big audience here. Let’s do it again. See you in Comments…CB
Off an impressive 38-game stretch this season, Andrew MacDonald has been given a four-year contract. As they did two years ago with a similar deal for Frans Nielsen, the Islanders have identified a young player they believe is worth locking up early with a low-cost, long-term deal. The 23-year-old MacDonald has a goal and four assists in 2009-10. In the last ten games, he averaged more than 24 minutes.
Chris Botta on Twitter
As the Olympic trade moratorium ends on Sunday night, Garth Snow’s options in the market for Dwayne Roloson and Andy Sutton remain strong. The Islanders general manager will have 63 hours between the end of the Olympics and Wednesday’s 3:00 pm EST trade deadline to make a major move…or two.
The Philadelphia Flyers were, like the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals and several others, a team considering the addition of a goaltender. With Ray Emery’s status still uncertain – “He’s not better, he’s not worse,” said Flyers GM Paul Holmgren – Philadelphia is now a team desperately in search of a proven veteran goalie. While Michael Leighton has been solid, backup Brian Boucher has not played since Jan. 3.
When you consider Roloson’s strong play for the first two-thirds of this season, his low-cost contract and 2006 Cup Final resume, the 40-year-old fits the Flyers’ bill.
The Blackhawks continue to consider upgrades in goal. If the Islanders would agree to absorb the talented Cristobal Huet’s $5.6 million owed over each of the next two seasons, Snow could give his rebuilding program a major boost by adding a first round pick and a top prospect.
Although there were some whispers that Snow and agent Pat Morris might begin discussions on a new contract for Andy Sutton during the Olympic break, there have been none. Even if Sutton and the Islanders work out a reunion in the summer, it’s now hard to believe Snow won’t bring back a significant asset for the big defenseman.
Especially with so many buyers looking for a low-risk, well-rested, second-pair defenseman like Sutton, Snow should get at least one offer he cannot refuse.
There is some interest in other veterans such as Martin Biron, Richard Park and Jon Sim, but the potential return is only third-fifth round picks.
Sutton and Roloson are the prizes. The trade deadline is Wednesday. The Islanders host Chicago on Tuesday.
Point Blank Take: Since there is a lot of interest in Sutton and he is unsigned beyond this season, the defenseman has to and will go to the highest bidder before the trade deadline. As for Roloson, don’t be surprised if Snow doesn’t pull the trigger.
Sometimes you have to look at history. Since the Ryan Smyth deal, three years ago Saturday, Snow has made few player-for-player deals of any consequence. The biggest was the heist of a year ago when he essentially traded Chris Campoli to Ottawa for a first round pick. The trade also involved free-agents-to-be Mike Comrie and Dean McAmmond.
Mark Streit played 29 exhausting minutes. Point Blank hosted open commentary. Thanks for participating…CB
THN FUTURE WATCH: NYI B+, de Hann 28, Hamonic 61
Plus: Point Blank’s list of the team’s top prospects
Chris Botta on Twitter
The Hockey News has completed polling for its upcoming Future Watch issue, and the news is good for the Islanders.
The hockey bible has awarded a grade of B+ to the Islanders, the best the Islanders have fared since the early days of Charles Wang’s ownership. The B+ places the Islanders in the top ten of the league 30′s teams in prospect development, according to The Hockey News. This includes all players 21 and younger, such as John Tavares and Josh Bailey.
Although the Islanders may not have any blue-chippers, two defense prospects cracked the NHL’s top 100 list of youngsters not in the NHL. Calvin de Haan is ranked 28th and Travis Hamonic is No. 61.
The Hockey News obtains its information by interviewing 23 NHL scouts or directors of player personnel. The magazine’s rankings are consistent with our Islanders prospect list of two months ago when we ranked de Haan and Hamonic 1-2.
Since THN will not unveil their Islanders’ top 10 until the issue is published March 8, here is our list – for the first time, combining all Islanders prospects whether they are in Bridgeport, college, Canadian juniors or Europe.
Point Blank’s Top 10 12 NYI Prospects
10. Mark Katic, Aaron Ness (undersized dmen tie!)
9. David Ullstrom
8. Matt Donovan
7. Jesse Joensuu
6. Rhett Rakhshani
5. Matt Martin
4. Mikko Koskinen, Kevin Poulin (goalie tie!)
3. Kirill Petrov
2. Travis Hamonic
1. Calvin de Haan
As you can see, the Islanders have accumulated strong prospect depth since the start of the rebuilding period. With their 2008 and 2009 first picks already on the roster with mixed results, what the franchise still needs is an A+ prospect or two.
St. Louis defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is the Hockey News’ No. 1 player for Prospect Watch 2010. The rest of the top ten, in alphabetical order, are: John Carlsson (Capitals), Jordan Eberle (Oilers), Nikita Filatov (Blue Jackets), Cody Hodgson (Canucks), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Coyotes), Jacob Markstrom (Panthers), Luca Sbisa (Ducks), Brayden Schenn (Kings) and Colin Wilson (Predators).
Discuss this story and prospects in Comments.
Chris Botta on Twitter
Very early in the first year of my tenure with the Islanders, I was given the assignment of putting together a special section of Islander News for the retirement of Denis Potvin. The year was 1988, I was a lot younger and didn’t know any better, so I went in search of Bobby Orr to see if he would talk about the great Islanders defenseman.
When I contacted the legendary Orr at his business office, he was incredibly gracious. “Talk about Denis”? Orr said. “How much time do you have”?
The Islander News article was found last week by reader Ed Kelle. I cannot thank him enough for downloading the 22-year-old interview and sending it over…CB
*
From the June, 1988 edition of Islander News:
The comparisons are inevitable. As the Islander defenseman once said, “Sometimes, I felt like my middle name should’ve been Bobby.”
Denis Potvin and Bobby Orr. The comparisons started in the mid- Seventies when Potvin came into his own, and they continued to haunt him for the rest of his career. When he announced his retirement shortly before the start of the 1987-88 season, Potvin was asked by a reporter if he thought he was better than Orr. In a burst of spontaneous pride, he answered, “Yes, I think so.”
Instead of speculating over who was a better player, Islander News decided to go straight to the other horse’s mouth for his reflections on Potvin’s fabulous career. When contacted in his Boston-area business office, Orr seemed delighted to be given the opportunity to share his views.
Islander News: As we’re sure you’re aware, drawing comparisons between you and Denis Potvin has for a long time been the “in” thing to do in the New York newspapers. Do you find the comparisons legitimate?
Orr: I’ve always found it one of the highest honors I could get when someone – Denis or some other young star – comes around and they start sizing him up to me. But you’ll never get a definitive answer as to who’s better from me. Those judgments should be left to those on the outside.
IN: Okay, so if you won’t say who’s better, could you share some memories of when you played against Potvin?
Orr: When the Bruins played the Islanders, it was understood throughout our team than it was mandatory to shut Denis down. If we let him carry the puck at will, the Islanders could beat us. That’s not to say they were a one-man team, but Denis was definitely the dominating player for New York, and one of the best in the league.
Offensively, he was incredible. He was such a big guy who could skate like the wind. One of the reasons I think it’s ridiculous to try and decide who was better between the two of us is because we played under drastically different systems. In Al Arbour’s scheme, there was no way Denis was allowed the freedom to roam with the puck the way I did in Boston. If he could, who knows how many more points he might have had? Defensively, he was underrated. Potvin more than held his own.
IN: How about Denis as a person? Did you know him very well?
Orr: Of course, since we were on rival teams, we couldn’t get that close. But, when we played together on the 1976 Canada Cup, I got to know him and we became friendly. Denis is an extremely smart and personable guy. I was happy we got the opportunity to be teammates, if only for a couple of weeks.
IN: What do you think of Potvin’s decision to retire, although it appeared he still had a few good seasons left in him?
Orr: I admire it, and I marvel at it. He was able to leave the game while still playing very well and before he suffered any severe type of injury that could hold him back from leading a normal life. I’m sure he’s got a lot of bumps and bruises, but nothing too serious.
IN: Will the transition from the spotlight of the National Hockey League to his new role as a real estate company Vice-President be tough for him?
Orr: That’s really hard to say, since it depends on the personality. I’m sure what Denis brought with him and learned from the Islander organization will carry on into his future. My one question is this: because he left while he still was performing very well, will hockey be on his mind when next season starts? Will he be telling himself, “Well, maybe I could’ve played another year?” Those thoughts go through the mind of everyone who retires from the game they love.
IN: That aside, what do you see in his future?
Orr: I’m no psychic, but I can be sure of this: Denis Potvin will be in the Hall of Fame very soon and he will be tremendously successful in business. The brains and character he showed on the ice will serve him well off it. I wish him the best.
Your thoughts on Denis Potvin and Bobby Orr and this article are welcomed in Comments.
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