Monthly Archives: May 2010
Contrary to a report that Ryan Jankowski was in the mix to become general manager of the WHL team, a source with the Regina Pats tells Point Blank that the Islanders’ assistant GM politely rejected an overture from the club.
“We reached out to Ryan,” said the source, “but what we heard back was that he was under contract to the Islanders and committed to stay with them for a long time. Despite what was written in some of the papers, he never even came in for an interview.”
The Pats hired Chad Lang yesterday as general manager.
Jankowski is the well-regarded assistant general manager/Director of Amateur Scouting for the Islanders. He spent last week managing the team’s efforts at the NHL Scouting Comine in Toronto in preparation for the draft next month. Among his recent draft picks with promise are Travis Hamonic, Kevin Poulin, Kirill Petrov, Matt Donovan, David Ullstrom, Calvin de Haan and Mikko Koskinen.
Jankowski’s rumored move to Regina was a topic of discussion this week at the Stanley Cup Final, which is why this blog reached out to Regina for clarification. Good to see reports are invented in the Western Hockey League, just as they are in the good old NHL.
Comments on Jankowski.
Game 1 Notebook (Islanders mention!)
Chicago wins highest scoring Final game in 18 years
Niemi says, “I never felt good”
Kopecky exits press box, scores GWG
The Michael Jordan Statue, Toews-ered
Lightning could strike twice for Peter Laviolette
Chris Botta on Twitter
Everyone knows where Lorne Henning, John Tonelli, Bobby Nystrom and the rest of the 1979-80 Stanley Cup champions were thirty years ago today Monday.
Where were you?
In a conversation with Point Blank on Monday, Henning wanted Islanders Country to be reassured that after he passed the puck to John Tonelli, he was trailing the play if Nystrom happened to miss his Cup-winning shot.
“Of course, I probably would have shot the puck into the Coliseum rafters,” Henning said with a laugh.
Thirty years later, he still can’t believe he passed the puck back to Tonelli in the neutral zone. “Al Arbour would have killed me for that when I got back to the bench,” said Henning, now a VP with the Vancouver Canucks. “Good thing I never got back to the bench.”
He reminded me that an injury to Wayne Merrick forced a shuffling of the lines. “Turns out I was near the end of my playing days, but getting the chance to play with Johnny T and Bobby Ny…well, that made me a younger, quicker, better player for a few shifts,” said Henning. Of his pass to Tonelli, Henning said he didn’t have to think twice. “Getting the puck to JT anywhere on the rink was always a good idea.”
*
With each year, the details get a little hazier for me. Of course, I remember watching the Islanders beat the Flyers in overtime in Game 6 on May 24, 1980 at my family’s home in Hicksville. I’ll always recall some guy named John Paddock sending the game to overtime when the Flyers scored twice in the third to tie it. (Coincidentally, Paddock scouted the Western Conference Final for the Flyers in Chicago when I was there last weekend).
More than anything, I remember what it was like to go to school two days later and celebrate with my fellow Islanders fans and aggressively rub it in the noses of the Rangers fans. They had been feeling good about their team just a year earlier.
On Saturdays in my early adolescence, I delivered the Pennysaver. My hope is that the 30 years distance provides a statute of limitations for me with anyone on Cliff Drive and the neighboring blocks who missed all their coupons that week. Somehow around “delivering” the paper, I caught every second of the game.
How about you?
*
Think about the NHL franchises that have moved over the last 30 years. To name a few:
Winnipeg Jets
Hartford Whalers
Colorado Rockies
Quebec Nordiques
Atlanta Flames
Minnesota North Stars
What do they all have in common? They failed to capture an NHL title before they were re-located.
If the Islanders do not win one, let alone four Stanley Cups, do you think the franchise would still be around to fight for its survival?
If you were around way back when, tell us what you remember about the Islanders winning their first Stanley Cup on May 24, 1980. And if you weren’t, you’re welcome to discuss what the Islanders’ championship teams mean to you.
May 27, 1:00 pm: The deal is done.
May 25, 5:45 pm: The agent for Islanders prospect Travis Hamonic tells Point Blank that a deal between the team and his client will be finalized this week.
“For all intents and purposes, we’re there,” said agent Craig Oster of a three-year, Entry Level contract with Garth Snow for the impressive defense prospect. “We completed some of the work before the Memorial Cup and then took a break. We didn’t want there to be any distractions for Travis. Now we’re back at it and you should hear something in the next few days.”
The Islanders have until the end of May to sign Hamonic, whom they selected with their third pick in the second round of the 2008 draft.
Although some signs have pointed to the Islanders throwing Hamonic directly into the NHL in 2010-11, Oster was wisely more cautious.
“He’s a great kid and a great prospect who you can be confident will get the most out of his talent. He cares so much and has that drive to succeed,” said Oster. “I just don’t know if he’s a guy anyone expects to play right away. Travis will be the first to admit he still has a lot to learn.”
Comments on Hamonic.
In the first trade made by the teams in 37 years, the Islanders have traded defenseman Jyri Niemi to the Rangers for a sixth round pick in the 2010 draft. The Rangers immediately signed Niemi to an Entry Level contract and he will report to their prospect camp.
From just about everyone we have spoken to for this blog over the last years, Niemi – the NYI’s 3rd round pick in 2008 who had to be signed by the end of this month – was not considered an NHL prospect. However, all it takes is one scout to believe in a player, and obviously Gordie Clark at the Rangers employs someone who thought the 6-3 Finn was worth a shot.
For Garth Snow, instead of losing a player for nothing, he gets another dart in the sixth round. Since the Islanders don’t think Niemi is anything significant, the deal was a no-brainer.
*
I’ll be on with Jeff Marek on Hockey Night in Canada Radio tonight at 6:00 pm. There is no chance we will be discussing this blockbuster deal.
Comments
