SNY ISLANDERS POINT BLANK TV: BILL DALY
Deputy Commisioner on the plight of the franchise
POINT BLANK HOLIDAY PARTY, Dec. 23
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly on Charles Wang, revenue sharing and what the league can and cannot do about the current state of the Islanders.
Comments regarding the content of this interview only are welcomed.
63 Responses to SNY ISLANDERS POINT BLANK TV: BILL DALY
Deputy Commisioner on the plight of the franchise
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kcNYI says:
Same old “let me give you an answer you already know that is so gray and can be determined any way you want it to”.
His information was pretty much useless as he’s not going to spread any words. Don’t blame him, but it makes for a bad interview.
Thank god we won last night. DP played pretty well – have to give it to the guy for his hard work and determination to return to being #1. AMac played exceptional. Can’t wait for deHann, Hamonic, and MacDonald to be a part of our top 4 over the next couple of years.
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hockeytime says:
He fakes left…he fakes right…and dodges another one. I am sick of people defending Charles Wang. If he cared about this team he would publicly address the situation himself. He seems to have gone into hiding though, the wimp.
You are telling me he gets 20 million from cablevision and he is still looks money… That’s a load of BS.
Get this clown out of town!! Sell the team!!! Sell the team!! -
AJAX says:
I like Bill, seems like a pretty up front guy.
Good job with that interview Botts. -
streit02 says:
Obviously, you cant expect these guys to come on and just start opening up cans of worms on every subject. The good thing about this interview is that it helps to raise more awareness about the franchise’s issues. The more these guys hear about the Isles the harder it will be for them to ignore the situation (not to say its being ignored now). Wang and the Islanders are not breaking any rules so you cant have someone start making demands on the franchise because the team is playing poorly on the ice. If the future doesnt change from the present and it becomes apparent that the Isles are just treading water until the lease expires then i think the league might step in and say something. But a team that isnt performing well who was pretty much predicted to have another bad season, who lossed their two best players before it even started and had 4 of its top 6 dmen out is not going to make the league step in and say something. Again, Im not agreeing with moves that the Isles make, im just saying its way too early for the league to step in.
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Bob Bassen says:
Great interview, CB. Well done!
With assistance from the NHL, the taxpayers in Phoenix got FLEECED and will now be subsidizing the Coyotes for decades. This is a team that had WAYNE GRETZKY AS A HEAD COACH and still had poor attendance and interest. My only point being that you have to wonder about the veracity and direction of NHL headquarters. Who besides a few thousand fans are REALLY going to put up a big stink if the Isles threaten to move? Phoenix was going to have a brand new arena without a team if the Coyotes relocated so they more or less had to succumb to the NHL.
Wang is not a business genius or at least an ethical one. I just don’t see what leverage he has on Long Island especially considering the way he and Snow have completely disrespected fans and others. -
Mike from Sarasota says:
Also sick and tired of the defending of one Charles Wang. It’s insulting to anyone who has taken two minutes to read about Computer Associates to call Charles honorable or say he abides by the law. And can someone tell me what exactly the Coliseum has to do with the fact that the Isles do not have a team President, competent GM, Director of Amateur Scouting etc..
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Kaszycki's Krew says:
This is one interview Chris, where I wish that a select group of Point Blank readers could ask people like Bill Daly about things Mike in post 6 mentioned –
“Charles, why have you stripped this team to the bone”….At least Bill had the guts to come on the show – but- these guys are not in sync with their customers. -
John says:
Chris – Can you explain the the salray cap in relation to trading players and the cap floor. If the Isles are juuuuust above the floor (with the Streit/KO injuries and Witt/Yash buyouts included), would they not be below the floor if they moved Wiz, Rollie, mightmatt and NOT get salray back in return. They could not just trade those guys for picks, right? They need to stay above the floor the entire year. How would that work out? Thanks man!
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The biggest problem with the Isles is their communication. They make awkward and unconventional decisions all the time and never explain why they do them. Basically, the “team policy” sucks. Garth tries to emulate Lou Lamiorello, but that only works when you win. The Devils have been one of the best teams in the leauge for the past 10 yrs. Once this team stats making the playoffs garth, you can sit behind your closed door all you want, but for now you must realize you need to be made more available to explain the direction of the franchise, especially in times like these. As for Wang, if it werent for him this team probably wouldnt be here. There is absolutely no one who would buy this team right now. He is committed to keeping the team where they are. Dont completely blame wang for the town of hempstead BS that they are pulling. Sure, Wang wants more than just a new arena, but find anyone else out there who would take this team and lose millions and millions of dollars for the next 5 years while at the same time spending money on big name players to play for the team. Its not going to happen. It once again boils down to communication. Everyone is panicking and pissed off because nobody knows what the hell is going on.
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hollywood says:
Great job getting Daly on but give me a break already. I’m shocked he came on and basically gave us nothing new. Bottom line for Charlie is move to Queens or Bklyn! Tell Nassau to stick it!We all know that behind the scenes Charles has a plan, just share it with us!!!
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gazaroog says:
At Kaszycki:
I actually pointed it out to Daly last night on XM that Wang can not continue to operate this way without having a Team President, a Dir. of Scouting and him meddling into hockey decisions. Unfortunately he did not address that part of my question. The couple of things you can get out of the call is that it has been verified that the LHP is dead and Wang IS trying to work something out with Nassau on a new rink, but how that could happen is beyond me considering Nassau is broke. Only hope is if they can tap into Federal stimulus funds IMHO.
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joey bagodonuts says:
good listen, but there’s one disconnect here. daly said it himself that the future of the islanders is tied into a state-of-the-art arena. the town of hempstead has offered that right to the islanders, but wang is refusing. if the be-all-end-all is that arena, why isn’t the nhl trying to push the islanders to refurbish the coliseum, so at least there is a long term viable option here? then any additional development at the site is gravy, and a revenue stream most nhl owners don’t even have a chance of seeing?
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dose says:
‘joey bagodonuts’ asks a good question. The league is acknowledging that everything hinges on a new arena, sees it isn’t happening, but isn’t stepping in to prevent complete abandonment of the team by the owner, and then by the fanbase?
Something doesn’t add up with that. Could it be that the league either knows something in the works and can’t say anything, or they want the team to die a slow death and then relocate? -
Don says:
Its amazing tome that CB can talk to everyone in hockey about the Islanders, but is not a reporter and cannot talk to the Islanders about the Islanders.
With the Gordon firing, the management non-existent, and the CB fiasco, I am actually embarassed by this team. They will not see me out at the Coliseum any time soon.
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marc says:
I have no real data but it seems that whenever the Islanders run a promotion either on the ice or in the stands (during the games) the fans selected are from Suffolk County, more often than not. I don’t see fans from Hauppauge or Centereach driving to Brooklyn or Queens to see the games. I think a move to one of the 5 boroughs cuts off that fan base and doesn’t add any fans, since (IMO) there are many more Rangers fans in NYC than Islanders fans. Just my 2 cents.
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Mike R. says:
Great Vid. Thanks CB. It keeps the Isles a topic of converstaion. Maybe its because they won last night….but I feel better about the situation already and it sounds like (just based on the tone of the conversation and some of your questions and his answers) perhaps even the idea of a Lighthouse type development project near the Coliseum is not really dead yet. I had more or less dismissed that idea at this point but hey…maybe they are still negotiating behind the scenes. lets hope so. Happy Holidays!!!
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I am with #12. I don’t doubt Wang cares about this team, the problem is that all his hockey advice is coming from non-hockey people. Wang may have decent intentions, but man is he stubborn! Look at Lombardi in L.A, look at Pheonix, all of them were in much worse shape than us a few short years ago. Hiring competent, dare I say it, maybe even good hockey professionals to fill positions in media, scouting, management, coaching, the list goes on, and although this would cost Wang some money at first, the winning team we would have would more than pay for it. E-A-S-Y concept Mr. Wang. Success makes money. For God’s sake, why are you alienating the most loyal customers? You must realize that we feel like a battered wife, abused and neglected! Just say something, throw us a bone, it’s Christmas!
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Brian G says:
The sad thing is we could have had a NEW arena a few years ago but Wang doesn’t want that…he wants a “MINI CITY” with a Refurbished arena or nothing…he doesn’t care…don’t tell me he does. He only cares about one thing…$$$$$$
Can’t wait to hear the excuse from Wang & the NHL next year when The Isles can’t get even 500 season tickets.Phoenix is getting a new owner that cares about the actual team and product on the ice….and said he will be hiring a team president and staying out of hockey decisions.
NO one is going to the games b/c of the product on the ice not the arena…I went to the game last night and it seemed the actual attendence was 6,000 – there were multiple sections that were empty. Wang should be giving tickets away to schools & youth groups to fill some of the empty seats – not even thathe should sell tickets for $10 to the next 2 games to get some real fans back.
Start doing things right Wang!
Happy holidays to all, except Wang the Scrooge….
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Chris18 says:
A few folks have said the County is at fault. They aren’t. The County employees/reps have tried to help the Lighthouse. It’s the Town of Hempstead that is the roadblock. And it’s not like they are doing anything wrong. People wanted them to ram-rod the EA through- you CAN’T! 90 public comment period is the law. And what Wang wanted to do was ridiculous. I want the team to stay in NY. But the Lighthouse was beyond overdone.
As for Wang losing millions- to a guy like him who makes more than any of us can dream of, it’s a nice write-off. If he’d made smarter decisions along the way, advised by hockey people, he wouldn’t be paying Yashin to sit in Russia… He’s made a lot of goofs along the way. But I agree- he loved the team at first, and tried hard. But now he’s fed up and doesn’t care.
CB- During Wang’s ownership there have been many rumors of questionable firings/trades, etc. List of folks I’d like to see interviews with: Campoli (supposedly demanded a trade?), Weimer (cut from team mid-season, caused 6 game skid- which is minor comparitively), Neil Smith (fired after 40 days), Nolan (what direction did he want to take the team? Playoffs?), Laviolette (fired for ___?), Peca & Blake (were rumored to have gotten Laviolette fired), Milbury (how did he keep his job so long? This also goes for Howie Rose)…
Thanks. -
Ryan says:
Good interview by CB, but as expected, Daly can’t really say that much. He is in a high ranking position at the NHL, so all of his answers are going to be pretty vanilla. I was disappointed in his answer about using Yashin and Witt’s contracts to reach the salary cap floor. Just because its within the rules, it doesn’t mean that a fan base will be happy with it. If we were winning games, we wouldn’t care about being at the cap floor…in fact, we would probably be happy to have the flexibility to add payroll while putting a good team on the ice. However, the fact remains that this is by far the worst team in hockey, is headed for a historically bad season, and has the numerous off-ice issues that we have discussed a thousand times. When all of this is going on, a fan base is going to be pretty annoyed that the team is using CBA negotiated rules to simply get them to the cap floor. Mr. Daly probably understands this, but again, he isn’t going to bash the team.
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jimbones says:
Chris18 very good suggestion on the interviews that will give us the REAL story “Behind the Music” CB the question to you is: Are you man enough to get these people on for a interview and are they man enouigh to oblige?
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Petey Pete says:
Chris18 (#20) makes a terrific suggestion…although if Botta or some writer pursues that type of “expose” they’d be persona-non-grata permanently by Islanders Brass.
Would be a terrific read though, imagine finding out the truth about the Peca/Yashin fallout, the Lavy firing, and Neil Smith resignation, etc. There’s just too much sketchy stuff surrounding the decision-making of this franchise and someone needs to shed some light on this, hopefully some enterprising national sports writer at SI, ESPN, AOL, etc.
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Dan says:
If fans will not spend money to get tickets why should Wang use “excess” money above the cap floor on free agents? At the end of the day it’s a business and he has been losing money for years.
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Brooklyn George says:
Well, there’s your answer we wanted the nhl to listen and do something, and they are not. Plain and simple. They back Wang for now. Sometimes I think how do these players get on the ice and try to perform for us when there is no us at the coliseum, or when or if they read all our negative remarks on this blog and you know they do about themselves that they can play to expectations. They are frustrated and we are not helping it either. Don’t get me wrong I do agree that we need solid veteran help for our youngsters, but after a 20 game skid and no action, unbelievable no other team would allow this. I see Wang doing something negative with this team and he will turn around and say well I had to take this route because even the fans are not interested anymore.
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IslesHostage says:
Thank you NHL! Side with the owner rather than the fanbase who will lose this team due to the Wonger. He is no different than Milstein save for the fact that Milstein has more money and will have much more money after CA nabs the $600M from the lying thief. Oh, And Milstein didn’t have a CAP FLOOR. Wang would be spending $6-10M if there was no cap.
The arena was done and approved before he was even owner. Pickett could have built one. Wang was too busy destroying our hopes, hurting our kids with his antics and destructive impulses and now he’s hurt no one wanted their neighborhood impacted by a crowded maze of clutter.
So in essence, Bill Daly and the league are serving the best interests of the NHL teams OWNERS.
And Dan, if fans see what Wang is doing, why should they spend their good money on him? He’s about to turn a profit (well, not anymore with this roster!) so it’s the fans fault no one is going to games?
“Build a better mouse trap” beats Wang’s business model 10/10. -
sign guy says:
Maybe we should be more patient with Charles Wang. Bill Daly seems to think Wang is very commited to Long Island and will honor his contract till 1215.
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Shoeless Joe Jackson says:
Maybe….just maybe….because the league understands the inner workings of a hockey team better than fans on a blogger site, and to #1…to think the league needs to get involved with this situation with Botta and the Isles is laughable. Don’t you think they have bigger things to think about? There is nobody that is going to buy this team just to lose money…which they will…so get used to your owner.
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valentino says:
I dont deny Wangs committment to the islanders and the island…I just dont understand why he doesnt put a traditional management team in place that sets his team up for success
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Because he is loony, nuts, bonkers, a control freak and delusional? Or he truly doesn’t care, but I don’t buy that for sure. Botta has told us he does care to some extent, so I’ll buy that. Ford cared when they made the Pinto.
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Lean Cugine says:
Wow-Thanks for nothing Mr. Daly. Let’s just continue to kiss Wang’s behind. Well not me.
Who in their right mind is still going to games and giving Wang money?!?! -
Perry Card says:
More spin – defending Wang
Wants to build $3,000,000,000 project-
Town approves half of it.
Project does not included a new NVMC but a
refurbished one
Gets $20,000,000 a yearin Cablevision (Ranger $)
So he can’t make money with a 1.5 Billion project together with $20,000,000 a year in TV revenue while only refurbishing the NVMC? Makes no sense to me -
UIF says:
Dan, if history is any indicator, fans WILL come out in droves when there is the slightest reason to believe this team is honestly trying to ice a competitive team. I can’t believe there’s even a line of thought out there that places this mess at the fans’ feet. Question, if company A puts out a defective product that does not work, has half the options of its competitors’ products, and the company never responds to the deafening customer complaints, should the owners of that company expect people to spend on that product? Should the consumers be blamed for that company not pulling any money in on sales?
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gary9-19-22 says:
Not sure what Wang will do the day after the contract expires in 2015…
I do know one thing for sure.. It will be what ever puts REAL money in his pocket. LI, Bkln, Queens, KC, Quebec, etc or maybe sell the team? I doesn’t matter.
All that matters for the next few years is that we will run bare bones until some real money roles in. So sit back and enjoy the losing.
I guess my best hope is that when I turn 50 the Isles will still be the Isles (no matter where in NY they play) and not the Nordiques or KC Scouts….
Just thinking about it… IF the Isles stay in NY I may be able to enjoy a Stanley Cup winning team with my grand kids… btw my kids are only 15 and 12….
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Derek A says:
Like Wang, Like Bill, Like CB, Like the Islanders
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My grown up Christmas List:#1 – Billy Joel buys the Islanders, #2-Donald Trump buys-he seems to love Long Island
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Dr Phil says:
Wang’s plan is to drive the Islanders into the ground; then sell the franchise at a big loss and take a large capital loss to offset his capital gains from his other businesses. Therefore he lowers his tax liability and pays little or no taxes.
Smart, but unethical. Rage on Islander fans! -
#28 Valentino. That to me bothers me more than their win-loss record. A top 3 pick is probably exactly what they need, but who is going to develop them properly?
None of what is going on makes any sense.
There is an answer that is out there that not too many people know. I think Mr. Wang is in serious financial trouble as rumors heat up he is about to be sued for $500 million by his ex CA employees.
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Cold Spring Harbor says:
Finished watching 24/7 Penguins/Capitals on HBO and fondly remembered what real organizations look and feel like. My guess is we are trying to rent the Chiefs deluxe motor coach for the balance of the year since our western trips end in early January and why fly. If DJT is interested in buying the team, maybe he will move them to Jones Beach and feature them as his restaurant’s floor show as long as they can play on roller blades instead.
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Nick in NYC says:
Chris,
Buying the Islanders is not the same as saving it. Someone can take in a foster child but if they beat him is that really saving the child? That’s what Wang has done. Beat this child. This team is and always has been about the Light House Project. A means to an end. If he cared about the team first we would have a new arena already.
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Just build a new arena Wang and put a good team on the Ice and people will come! No other team needs a big project to bring people to the games! It all has to start with the product on the ice and the rest will fall into place!
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Jim Clark says: Was Daly part of the investigation that certified Spano as fit to own an NHL franchise?
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There are so many examples of how poorly run this organization is. For one, if we really want to build a winner we would have hired a veteran NHL coach not a babysitter like Gordon. How is hiring a coach that never coached a day in the NHL going to help produce NHL players? Gordon was a rookie himslef. It’s the blind leading the blind.
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Bill says:
Christ, there’s so much passive aggressiveness surrounding this team it makes me sick. Can people just say what they think? What’s the harm in that? This goes for ALL sides of this situation.
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Billy the Kid says:
What most tend to overlook or disregard is that no one ever wants to lose money, wealthy or not. The tax write off concept is silly. Tax loss benefits only value is deferred until you make a profit (15 year look back) that the loss can be applied to so the liability can be mitigated with the carry back loss. But, first you Have to make a profit to use it.
Second, the County owns NVMC, not the TOH. It is NC’s building, but the surrounding property belongs to TOH or private landowners. If NC wanted to rebuild the NVMC or refurbish the phyocal building for use by the leaseholder (NYI) then they can do that without TOH approval other than building or contruction permits. If they do not do this, NC will one day find themselves without a venue for sport or entertainment. But it seems that the County will not invest public money in the facility.
Wang is not interested in investing his own money in renovating a building he does not own (and would never want to own) just for the sake of having his hockey franchise play their games there. It would not be a profitable investment of over $200MM as a lease-hold improvement. So his way around it all was to build a multi-use project that would pay for the renovation, and then he could re-up the lease on a new building and the $200MM cost would be more than covered. I do not blame him. He is not just going to front $200MM for a building he does not own so his team has a place to play hockey and still probably lose $5MM per year.
His only option is for him to get development rights elsewhere, but it has to be economically viable. It wouldnt work in Suffolk. The other option is for a public sports authority to build an arena elsewhere with the express purpose of leasing it to the NYI because they want a sports destination at the site. Highly unlikely with the NYI.
The third option (and sadly the most probable one) is to eventually sell the club to someone who wants to take it to another area, Quebec, KC etc.
A long shot is a combination Shinnicock casino & hockey arena. But that is tough to see working out. -
Chazd says:
Really boring interview. Kinda disappointed in the wishy washy nature of it. Oh well.
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GlenS says:
Can someone palese explain why everyone kisses this guy’s backside. Mr Daly if he’s truly trying to build a WINNER then why in year three or four or is it year 15 why are they at the CAP floor. Most team’s at this point would be in the middle of the pack in regard to salary.
I don’t think that his HEART is in it any longer, especially since the LHP got cut in 1/2. Here you have an owner how if he doesn’t like what you say he ban’s you whether it’s from the coliseum or from ICEWORK’S. It’s his way or the highway,what a joke this team has become the one tat I’ve rooted for since 1972.
But anyway, LETS GO ISLANDERS….. -
If I watched this interview with no prior knowledge of the situation, my conclusion would be that Charles Wang is a great owner who spends money on the team and loves the New York Islanders so much that only their best interests are in his heart and on his mind. Furthermore, fans are merely overreacting because of a losing streak
I hardly think this sums up the state of the NY Islanders.
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Spittin'chicklets says:
Bottom line, no matter what anyone thinks. Wong OWNS the Isles.. he has till 2015 before the lease runs out at the Mausoleum.. he can sit on his hands till then if he sees fit. I mean we all know he will get no help from local Nassau County gov’t to making anything else happen to the contrary so.. why move the team now to Osh kosh, or Quebec?? This man also OWNS a good portion of Oyster bay.. the man IS a Long Islander by nature since he left China so, why do you think he would willingly move the team somewhere else just because Kate Murray is a douche? He is going to hang on and exhaust every other possibility to get this down on Long Island including riding this thing out to the bitter end in 2015. Happy Holidays folks, stop complaining and get used to it.. GO ISLES !!
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Jack says:
Why does it have to be a 4billion dollar project or nothing??? The size seems to be excessive when compared to other arena projects or teams that are attempting to build projects to help subsidize an arena. Wang needs to settle for less than a Grand Slam on this if he cares about this team.
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StevieL says:
I really think the situation is this. Wang doesn’t know himself if he will own this team past 2015. I think he wants to, but without an arena or a partner who will work with him, he has nowhere to go! Only option then is move or sell> I don’t think Wang would hold on to a team that played in Quebec so he sells!So he is saying to himself, why would I put any money into a team that I probably will be selling at a loss in 3 years! hard to argue with that!
Honestly I think everything (obviously!) rides on an agreement to build the new arena. If it happens I think Wang becomes a whole different animal. Without the agreement the NY Islanders cease to exist!That simple! Sad! -
AngryPete says:
#44 … You’re 100% correct and I constantly find myself asking the SAME thing. Nothing is ever answered on the Island.
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Stumpy32 says:
It’s unfortunate, but because of CB’s exile, every message board after each blog ends up in the same place. We suck, there’s a never-ending abyss of suck to this organization, and this time, if the organization doesn’t care, neither do we.
I agree with all those sentiments. But can’t we just talk about the weather, or favorite colors? I used to enjoy my time on IPB. Now it makes me sick.
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19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
Good stuff CB!
I think Daly giving you a good honest open interview should set an example for the Islanders. Him granting an interview alone shows the NHL your credibility … and once again the Isles going against the grain show they’re out of touch.
After hearing Daly explain why the Islanders weren’t considered a small market team I can see that end of the arguement more. They are also in a unique situation where they’re kind of locked out of the market more in general b/c of MSG’s exile of the Islanders to MSG2+ more often than not. They aren’t on HD as much as the Rangers due to this … which from MSG’s POV makes complete sense.
As well as the Isles do with their Cable contract their other revenue streams are severely muted by their Small Market mentality, and Small Market arena. That also needs to be taken into account. The fact that they also have to reach into a Major Market (NYC) of a well established orignal 6 team is also a unique problem for them. Not to mention this same team reaches into their Small Market.
As far as Daly mentioning how whether or not the Isles have success building from the draft as other teams have proven successful in doing, the difference is those teams have or just got new arenas recently … were lucky enough to land generational talent, supported by top notch blue chip talent. The Isles have not …
I was following up on DeHann’s and Cizikas being selected to Team Canada for the WJC … When I read stories like that I go in depth … I love development hockey … I guess as an Islander fan I’ve been following amateur hockey a lot the last 10 + years.
In doing so I read lots of endorsements of coaching styles and development of stud NHL players … all talented naturally in their own right … but they also share a common theme. Coaching … The coaching they received in Juniors, The A and in the NHL during their early years were critical to their development … without the proper coaching to specifically focus on their strengths and weaknesses they may not develop to their full potential. This is what scares me about the skillfully drafted top prospects for the Islanders. Without the right coaching in the AHL or NHL … these prospects may not reach their full top shelf potential.
It takes a special coach to develop players … sometimes soft on some players and sometimes hard on others. Sometimes hard on the whole team even if one player is the cause for problems … CB … I’d love an interview with a retired NHL coach (Bowman? Arbour?) … an explanation of their methodology, and how besides hard work … mentally preparing young players to become successful in the mean ole NHL is sooo critical.
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IslanderJerseyMike says:
Is it just me or has no one pondered these thoughts. With all the major Suckage around every aspect of this team we get a boring vanilla public, (scripted), Q and A with Snow on the state of suckage posted on Islanders.com. Now we have Bill Daly (NHL) answering for the state of suckage of the Islanders. Where the heck is the owner that cares so much for his rescued Islander fans? If I were the NHL I would be embaressed to be answering questions on behalf of the team. This really sucks!!!! This team is Bipolar We go from the Do Anything Say Anything of Milbury to the Do Nothing Say Nothing of Garth. All under our Savior Charles Wang. Geez!!
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Strummmer's Army says:
I have never made the amount of money that Wang has but saying that, there are things he could do to immediatley improve his situation.
1)Hire a top notch team President. Hiring a vet sports president that has successfully guided one or more franchise in a variety of sports organizations and areas will do so much for the Isles. Bringing in someone that has gotten an arean built and build concensous is the type of hire Charles need. Not to mention Snow could use some guidance and support. If he had a President he’d probably have had an arena already because he has not gotten the guidance he needed yet to be successful.
2) Start negotiations with everyone and anyone that is serious. Puts a ton of pressure on TOH and protects Wangs interest should TOH never come to their senses. Worst thing that could happen to the Isles is for 2015 to come around and they still have no where to go or they waited so long that the new arena won’t be completed in time and they have to continue on at NVMC.
3) Fill out hockey departemnt. Assistant GM who is well respected, highly respected player development coach and at least 2 new scouts. Bringing in professionals respected around the NHL will make is much easier to hire a better coach and attract FA’s. It will also be a huge boost of hope for us fans who are suffering. Isles don’t get FA’s not because of the building but because people think Snow and Wang are wierd.
4) Trade for a Regher type d-man and a Gustaud type forward. Not going to break the bank but would add much needed leadership, size, skill, and toughness. They’d also help cut down on the GAA. Comeau could go for Regher and Schremp for Gaustaud.
5) Trade everyone not part of the core at the deadline or summer.
6) Make peace with Botta.
7) Rehire Jaffe.
These things would all improve perception, ticket sales, and merchandise sales.
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I can not believe how many gullible fans there are. This team is D-O-N-E. Wang will make the minimum commitment to the team until 2015 and get the team the hell out of NY. Wang used to care but no more. Ha has written it off and is looking to unload. It’s like beaten Wife (Fan) syndrome, you keep going back for more punishment. Give it up!
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LouD says:
They could build the biggest and best arena in the entire world and it won’t make a lick of a difference and you know why? Because Charles Wang still believes that he has enough experience and know how to have the final say on all personnel matters. Wang has no experience but basically made himself the head of hockey operations by having final say on everything. That is not how you run a successful TEAM. You can run an organization that way but when it comes to signing players, drafting, and hiring coaches/trainers the owner should let the hockey people take over. In every salary cap sport the teams with meddling owners never get it right. My only wish in all of this is that Wang is visited by the ghosts of Islanders past, present, and future next Friday night and he sees that hiring a head guy with experience to run the entire TEAM side of the franchise is the only way to avoid disaster.
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D in BIG D says:
I agree w/ all comments stating this team is done!!
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You are 100% correct LouD. That is why I am no longer as emotionally invested in the team as I once was. And I will not be until Wang sells the team or hires a competent front office and gets out of the way.
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Andre says:
The fact that Wang is hiding is all you need to know. This situation started to freefall and spiral out of control last year when Wang went out and told the press that he regretted buying the team and would not do it again if he had the opportunity. For Bill Daly to say Wang is so emotionally invested in the team is complete nonsense. He is a few a years behind. Wang WAS emotionally invested. He no longer is. Otherwise he would have communicated something to the fans. He would have held Garth Snow accountable. I understand the injuries have killed this team but this team is a joke, the infrastructure and management of this organization is a joke. The owner is a joke. This is not about the arena. Coyotes who were bankrupt and run by league are better run. Bottom line is Bettman and Daly work for the owners. Bottom line is that Bettman and Daly can’t get involved because Wang has not broken league rules or CBA. Bottom line whether Bettman and Daly want to admit it or not, the league will eventually have to get involved. It is time Wang disappears once and for all by selling this team. Even if it means selling and moving the franchise. I guarantee you this won’t continue for another 4 years.
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4theisles says:
WE have had interviews with Snow. Daly. Bettman, comments by Brooks and pros like you CB, but we need the interview that really counts and that is a press conference with Wang. Until then the speculation continues and the hopes of retaining our young talent and recruiting veterans remains in jepordy because of the uncertain status of a new building and the viability of the franchise.
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PotvinRocks says:
“Stick by this team because Charles is trying to build a winner” I believe that has been the problem all along. Less Charles, More hockey minds.
So Bill Daly will do your SNY show but does nothing to help mediate the situation between you and the Islanders, I don’t get it….you promote the team and keep interest in them. The League should step in and at least do that – Give me a break!