Life in the Islanders Lane

If you've been inside a New York City taxi lately, you may have seen a short preview of the NBC police drama Life playing on your in-flight personal entertainment screen. If you watched closely, you might have caught a very brief glimpse of the Islanders logo in the background of one of the scenes.

A few months ago, Isles VP of Communications Josh Bernstein told us in this space that such a product placement had been engineered by the organization as part of a campaign to increase the visibility of the Islanders brand.

Having been reminded of the Life deal by a recent taxi trip, I paid a visit to the show's web site to see if there was any additional video evidence available. Sure enough, nbc.com has video clips from the upcoming season available. And as you can see from the following screen cap, the Islanders presence is unmistakable.



You can find this specific clip here. The second season of Life premieres this Monday night, September 29, at 10 PM Eastern before settling into its regular Friday night time slot.

Training Camp Quotes: Buying In from the Beginning?

I'm really enjoying some of the quotes that have come out of training camp so far. Players can either say nothing, say something but mean nothing, or say something and really mean something. The line between the latter two can be hard to distinguish, but I think some of the quotes that have been gathered by Greg Logan from the veterans about Scott Gordon are exactly what you want to be hearing at this point.

Brendan Witt:

"I think hockey is pretty basic, but everyone has a different way of looking at it. I see his perspective, and I’m trying to learn some things here about the way he wants it done."

Doug Weight:

"You can still learn at our age, and you can still practice things to get better throughout the season."

Bill Guerin:

"I think everybody is impressed and happy. There's no doubt who's in charge and how we're going to play. I think that's something we desperately needed. We needed more structure in our game, and we're getting it."

That certainly sounds like a group of veteran players that is open to change and buying into what the new coach is demanding. I would question whether overspeed requires too much physical and mental commitment over an 82-game season, but that didn't seem to be the case with Gordon's Providence teams.

I thought Islander Frontier had a good response to the outcry for an enforcer to be in the lineup at all times after the Bruins banged up Chris Campoli and Kurtis MacLean last night (and I'm also glad the quotes I zoned in on above weren't the exact same ones Dominik used in his previous post!). Dominik wrote:

Amusingly, this ignited calls on the Newsday comment forum (already!) that the Islanders must have a full-time enforcer. Because without one, the thinking goes, other teams will run roughshod over the Isles. Nice theory and all ... except that one of the candidates for Isles enforcer, Mitchel Fritz, was in the lineup!

While there is a deterrent value to dressing enforcers -- which is why GM Garth Snow has implied they will use them on a game-by-game basis this season -- the equation that Enforcer Present = No One Runs Your Players is a gross exaggeration, a falsehood. Some intimidation and policing built up over a season can be a deterrent, sure (even in today's NHL), but come on: Fritz's presence in the lineup obviously kept no one from taking their licks to earn a spot on the Bruins.

Just to expand on this idea a little bit, there are plenty of fearless players in the NHL that go out in search of the big hit regardless of who is on the other bench. And if doing so means that they are inviting reprisal, well, most of them are more than happy to take that on as well.

Islanders Film Festival

Coverage of NHL training camps has never been better. Still, with two and half weeks remaining until the season actually starts, you may find yourself with some free time and a hankering for some hockey entertainment. Why not head down to your local NHL Powered by RBK Cineplex and check out the latest from the big screen?

Cinema 1—Speed 3: Overspeed
A sadistic former hockey coach and his henchmen kidnap an NHL team and force the players to drill endlessly with explosives attached to their skates. If they don't keep moving their feet at least 20 MPH, their skates will explode. Starring Sandra Bullock as Annie Porter, the unlucky beat reporter who gets caught up in the dastardly plot—and shackled to the team's captain—and Dwayne Johnson as a former Navy Seal who just happens to be skating with the team that day. PG-13

Cinema 2—Richard XXXIX
A headstrong, young prince ascends to England's throne at the age of 18 and refuses to get off it for 82 straight days. Starring Shia LaBeouf as the newly crowned king and Hilary Duff as Lady Comrie, the young noblewoman who will one day be his queen. PG-13

Cinema 3—Band of Mothers
A group of underappreciated hockey moms goes on strike and an entire youth hockey league grinds to a halt. Hilarity ensues as the hockey moms successfully run for city council and the council's former members are forced to pick up the slack at the local arena. Starring Joan Cusack, Neve Campbell, Amy Poehler, Julianna Margulies, and Jack Black, as the former councilman who finally gets it. PG-13

Cinema 4—Black Rubber
Two overweight, twentysomething slackers fail out of a Sumo wrestling academy and attempt to market themselves to an NHL team as goalies. When they encounter resistance, the dreamers take their scheme a step further by posing as Siamese Sumo twins who can revolutionize the goaltender position. Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill star in the latest tour de farce from Judd Apatow. Special appearances by the Hanson Brothers and Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear. R

Cinema 5—The Mighty Ducks: E-4
When the fabled Disney-sponsored junior hockey team is accidentally wiped out by a massive, errant stick during a clinic with Anaheim Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger, a Long Island-based independent minor league baseball team also bearing the Ducks name is called on to repopulate the roster. What follows is a comedy of errors as the ballplayers whiff on slapshots, watch pucks slide through their legs, and generally fall all over themselves. Starring Charlie Sheen as Charlie Bombay, the brother of deceased Mighty Ducks coach Gordon Bombay, who whips the new Ducks into shape by delivering stirring speeches about old Scandinavian skate sharpeners and bringing in a ringer with a calming presence named Ernie Banks. Co-starring Bud Harrelson as Uncle Frans. PG

Islanders Illustrated, Episode IV (A New Hope?)

On the day the Islanders arrive in Moncton for training camp, we bring you the latest sampling of goings-on in Isles World...

Islanders Illustrated, Episode IV (A New Hope?)

I suppose we could play the "Who is Eric Cartman's Father?" game. Based on Episode IV of Islanders Illustrated, who is the Islanders' new hope? Is it Doug Weight? (Dramatic music.) Is it Josh Bailey? (More dramatic music.) Is it Corey Trivino? (Oh, the suspense!)

Well, truth be told, the episode didn't really make issue of that. It is, however, an easy way to segue into the topic of last night's show on MSG+. All three did in fact appear. Here are some highlights, meant to inform out-of-market readers and entice yet-to-view local ones.

Chris King had a sit-down with Doug Weight (#93 on your scoresheet, #39 in your DiPietropedoed hearts). The more I see of Weight, the more I want to see of Weight. This guy needs a big number to fit his personality. His comments about Bill Guerin's eyes and learning the ropes of the Islander-Ranger rivalry way back when were scene-stealers. What's 1940? What did Potvin do?

Next up was a look back at the prospect paintball tournament held earlier this summer. Two observations: 1) The slow-motion depiction of players diving for cover, while probably intended to comically invoke dramatic war movie scenes, struck me as a little loose in a time of actual war. 2) All of the prospects that were interviewed came across as impressively comfortable with themselves, their surroundings, and speaking on camera.

This episode's FYIslanders segment took place near the shoreline at Jones Beach (in fact, the whole episode was hosted from there by Shawna Ryan) with Steve Mears moderating discussion for Chris King and Billy Jaffe under a hot, summer sun (though with a strong, summer wind).

Mears is very good in this role; his speaking style and cadence are well suited for it. My ear is still adjusting to Steve's play-by-play, but I like the idea of a young announcer getting his start and having his voice become part of the team's history. I hope Steve turns out to be one of those guys. Of course, I'll be hearing him far less often now.

Speaking of announcers and history, it was only a little jarring when the prospects video montage that concluded Islanders Illustrated featured a clip of Joey MacDonald that was called by Jiggs McDonald. What an odd, coincidental juxtaposition of the old and the new. It did remind me that I hope we get a few more appearances by Jiggs this season.

It's also worth mentioning that Brendan Witt took the Professor baton from Kyle Okposo and gave a slightly sadistic, but informative, lesson on checking like only Brendan Witt could. He likes body checking.

The Islander Mania Moment featured Isleschick (Lisa) discussing the board's discussion of Jeff Tambellini. Ah, see, I knew I forgot one. Cue the dramatic music! Is it Jeff Tambellini?! (More dramatic music!)

Now to a few other things...

Islanders Point Blank

If Chris Botta's new Islanders Point Blank blog (site not yet active) is as promised, 24/7 coverage (and I have no reason to believe otherwise), then the Islanders community is in for a treat. Botta can do for the Islanders what Matt Cerrone has done for the Mets, but with the credibility and contacts in place from the very start.

The particulars of the arrangement—site sponsored by the team, full control to Chris, but is this a full-time paid job?—still seem a little fuzzy right now, but I'll leave the business arrangements up to them. It certainly sounds as if this blog will be Chris's main focus, though I imagine he will take on additional writing gigs. One thing's for certain—a plethora of high quality Islanders content is forthcoming. (I still maintain that ¡Three Amigos! ruined that word.)

Puck Daddy Preview

The Islanders got the Puck Daddy treatment today, with Sean Leahy of Going Five Hole doing the honors in Wyshynski's den. I like the high school yearbook format that Greg has implemented for these season previews, which are as comprehensive as any you'll find.

Sean's treatment of the Isles contains a lot of the same pessimism that you'll see in virtually every preview. He does recognize, though, that there are reasons for optimism and thinks they'll just take time to become potent. Of course, anyone who dares to do an overly optimistic preview of the Islanders risks ridicule or, worse, being completely ignored by the blogging community forever.

I'm not going to delve deeply into analyzing this preview—it is more thorough and informative than most and you can read it for yourself. However, I will say that I thought some of the report card grades were too harsh, particularly for defense, goaltending, and management.

Also, congrats to Islanders bloggers B.D. Gallof, Dee Karl, Michael Schuerlein, and Kevin Murphy for making it into the Puck Daddy preview!

Ned Harkness

Finally, I cannot conclude without mentioning the passing today of legendary college hockey coach Ned Harkness at the age of 89, on his birthday. Harkess coached RPI to the NCAA Championship in 1954 and led Cornell to titles in 1967 and 1970. I had the privilege of seeing Coach Harkness honored by 18,000 college hockey fans and the current Cornell and BU teams last fall during the Red Hot Hockey game held at Madison Square Garden.

Are You Out There, Can You Hear Me?

I'm afraid that's what Steve Mears and Chris King may be asking this hockey season as the radio voices of the New York Islanders.

The Islanders today announced the formation of the New York Islanders Radio Network. The press release issued by the team describes the venture as a "Multi-Media Radio Network" whose purpose is to provide "Comprehensive Distribution" of Islanders radio broadcasts.

The cross-platform network includes terrestrial, satellite, and Internet radio delivery. It certainly sounds like comprehensive distribution. But consider that the satellite and Internet options are not new, and the terrestrial portion of the network is being carried by two stations from the Long Island Radio Group, the largest radio group on Long Island. Specifically, WMJC 94.3 FM will handle the night games and WHLI 1100 AM will take care of the afternoon affairs.

No offense to these stations—they know the strength of their signals—but this is a step back in the development of the organization's tri-state-area media presence. Below are maps of the approximate coverage areas for each of these stations, as charted by Radio-Locator. You can read more detailed definitions of the colored lines on their site, but here's a summary legend:

Red lines (Local Coverage) = good to very good reception on almost any radio
Purple lines (Distant Coverage) = weak reception without a good radio with a good antenna
Blue lines (Fringe Coverage) = very weak reception without a good radio, possibly no reception

WMJC 94.3 FM Coverage Map

























WHLI 1100 AM Coverage Map


I tried to tune into both stations from Manhattan today. 94.3 FM was static and WMJC was nowhere to be found. The area around 1100 on the AM dial was dominated by the signal from 1130 AM Bloomberg Radio, the previous radio home of the Islanders. Below that, the most discernable signal was from 1050 ESPN Radio, another former home of Islanders radio broadcasts.

I understand that the Bloomberg signal was not strong for some on Long Island, and the team's presence on the station apart from the games was minimal at best. And if Bloomberg was unable to sell what it thought was sufficient advertising for the games, then that relationship was not ideal for either side.

I never feared that the Islanders wouldn't be on the radio this year, but I hoped they would remain on a powerful station, both for the good of the perception of the team and for those fans who live and/or travel in other parts of the tri-state area. Apparently finding such a partner was just not possible.

As it appears now, fans without satellite radios likely won't able to hear the Islanders anywhere in New York City or in most of Westchester and Connecticut when they drive. And the Islanders are the only major league franchise in the area that doesn't have a presence on one of the major AM stations.

On the plus side, the Long Island Radio Group encompasses six stations and will enable the Islanders to reach deeper into the demographics of Long Island with promotions and advertising.

We've been through this before. Hopefully the team's performance over the next several years will make it more marketable. Pushing out the geographic borders of the fan base is in the Islanders' best interest. Having their radio broadcasts limited to satellite and the Internet outside of portions of Long Island is not.

And thanks to Dar Williams for another lyrical reference.

Two-Minute Minors for 9/2/08

A few things kicking around the old bag of pucks...

Corey Witt revealed the uniform numbers for a number of Islanders prospects on his blog today. He also noted that Jeremy Colliton is switching back to 27 from 72. That low, but poignant, noise you hear is the collective rumble of John Tonelli fans spinning in their blogs. Sorry, Mike. Bailey did lose that number (now wearing 12), but you'll still have to see it out there on someone else's back.

Kyle Okposo got a nice mention last week, albeit packaged in a harsh assessment of the Maple Leafs' roster and system from a fantasy perspective. From Darryl Dobbs of Dobber Hockey, hat tip to Puck Daddy:

Now the negatives. Luke Schenn will be a great defenseman…but from a fantasy standpoint he’ll be lucky to ever hit 40 points. On the current roster, other than Grabovski (who is a bit of a long shot) and perhaps Jiri Tlusty, no player has 80-point ability. In the system, no player has 80-point potential. There are no Bryan Littles and no Kyle Okposos.

Also from Puck Daddy, Wyshynski tempts us to attach ourselves for rooting purposes to a KHL team. He points us to Jeff Z. Klein's KHL preview in Slap Shot and correctly predicts that many fans will align themselves with familiar North American names now toiling abroad. Indeed, I shall throw my support behind Wade Dubielewicz and Ak Bars Kazan. What I find odd is that Klein doesn't list Dubielewicz as one of the club's top players, while just above, Andy Chiodo makes the cut for Dinamo Minsk. Perhaps the shadow of Robert Esche, the other half of the Ak Bars Kazan tandem, simply looms too large for Dubie.

In an interview with the St. Petersburg Times, Barry Melrose had this to say about the NHL's attempts to curb fighting (hat tip to Kukla's Korner):

I think toughness is leaving our game, and I hope that people realize it’s wrong. I hate to mention this, but the fastest growing sport in the world is ultimate fighting. We’ve got that as part of our game. To act ashamed of that has been wrong of the NHL for a lot of years. You can say you don’t like fighting or you love fighting, but it creates conversation. It creates energy and excitement.

I don't know if Melrose is the first to make the ultimate fighting/MMA comparison, but from a pure marketing perspective, it actually makes a lot of sense. The quick rise of MMA as a legitimate form of entertainment and competition should make the possibility of marketing fighting in the NHL more palatable, and maybe even advantageous. I don't sense the current regime wants any part of that, but Melrose's comments certainly gave me a new perspective to think about. I wonder what current and future NHL TV rights holders would think because that's what ultimately matters.

Rick DiPietro is making an appearance at the NHL Store in Manhattan tomorrow. This would be the perfect opportunity for me to cover an off-season Islanders event without having to fight my way to Long Island in rush hour traffic. Unfortunately, the appearance is scheduled from 4:00-5:00 and I won't be able to follow the Islanders' suggestion to "call it a day a little early, or take a late lunch break." Maybe I can stop by after 5:00 and pick up some table scraps.

Recap: Islanders Illustrated, Episode 3

The third episode of Islanders Illustrated made its debut on MSG+ last night. For those of you who missed it, here's a recap, the length of which would make the folks at Television Without Pity proud. Now I just have to work on the snark.

The lead story was the hiring of Scott Gordon as head coach of the Islanders. The segment included a rundown of his coaching history with video and photos from his previous coaching stops, clips from the introductory press conference, and a sitdown with Chris King.

One video showed footage of Gordon during a practice. The coach was down on his knees in the goal crease, seemingly explaining something to the goalie about playing angles or, perhaps, directing rebounds away from the front of the net. Regardless, it was interesting to note the former goalie putting his playing experience into action in that manner as a coach.

To King, Gordon described himself as a bit of a player's coach, but one who also knows there are times when it's necessary to send a message. Gordon said that his coaching style is not influenced by any one person in particular. He also mentioned that he's willing to consider doing things to help his team that he's seen coaches in other sports do.

Gordon had an anecdote about his one experience as a player at Nassau Coliseum. He was on the bench when a puck was shot over the boards in his direction. In trying to avoid the puck, he banged heads with the trainer, and still got hit with the puck. So if Gordon is never seen around the Coliseum without a catching glove, you'll know why.

Islanders Illustrated put up a graphic showing that the 2007-08 Providence Bruins ranked first in the AHL in average shots against per game. That's the kind of statistic that both the team and its fans hope will translate into a lighter workload for Rick DiPietro this season.

Stan Fischler appeared briefly and mentioned that the coaches who interviewed with Stanley Cups on their resumes may have egos that are too large for this position. Let's hope Gordon deservedly develops one of those egos. I am looking forward to seeing him become more comfortable speaking on camera. With Islanders TV around, I imagine that will happen rather quickly.

Next up was a mic'd-up segment with Josh Bailey from the Prospects Camp, including several interactions between fellow No. 1 picks and linemates Bailey and Kyle Okposo. Bailey obviously latched onto one of Okposo's nicknames quickly, as shouts of "Okie" could be heard on the ice. The two seemed to be enjoying playing together. But things could get confusing if Adrian Aucoin ever ends up back here.

Bailey will be the cover boy of the premiere issue of Islanders Illustrated magazine. The more you see of him, the more you doubt that he'll be quietly going back to Windsor.

The crew from The 2 Man Advantage made another appearance on this episode. This time, Scotty and Nemmy hooked up for a sitdown with Chris Campoli at Newbridge Park. The boys fully threw themselves into the roles of kids, conducting the interview on the playground's sand shovels and swings. I used to love those sand shovels. Campoli accidentally gave himself a shortsload of sand in an attempt to fling the stuff across the sandbox and bury Scotty.

When asked to predict his output for the upcoming season, Campoli offered 12 goals and 28 assists. He also agreed that Bruno Gervais's new contract funds should be put to good use.

C.J. Papa interviewed Andy Hilbert about his experience playing for Gordon at Providence. The forward anticipates the team having strong systems that they should stick to and noted that Gordon prepares for opponents very well. Hilbert is excited to get things underway this season.

Professor Okposo had a shooting lesson for the kids in which he provided the definition of a shot on goal and demonstrated the backhander, wrist shot, and slap shot. The bit was filmed (filtered) in the style of old educational films, which is probably lost on the kids at which it was aimed. Schools probably don't even have film projectors anymore. I'm trying to picture a tech-savvy 24-year-old teacher having to thread a film.

In the Islander Mania Moment, BP provided results from a poll on the hiring of Gordon. 85% of those who responded supported Garth Snow's choice of Gordon. That's some approval rating.

The show concluded with a look back at the Islanders' run to the 1993 Eastern Conference Final. A montage of the greatest moments from the series victories over the Capitals and Penguins was a great reminder of what a fun team that was to watch. It's hard to imagine a star of Mario Lemieux's magnitude being picked on so in this era of the NHL.

The next episode of Islanders Illustrated airs on September 18th. It will feature an interview with Doug Weight, as well as coverage of the paintball adventure during Prospects Camp. If you missed this episode and would still like to see it, check the schedule of reruns for dates and times.


Notes: I added an Islanders trivia widget to the sidebar. So far it doesn't seem to be functioning properly in Firefox. I'm waiting for some feedback from the creator and hopefully we can get it figured out.

Five-Minute Major and a Double-Minor for 8/19/08

All-Time Athletes Named Michael Update

It seems this was not the only New York sports blog to catch yesterday's SportsCenter list of All-Time Athletes Named Michael. While searching for the complete list, I came across a post on the subject in the forums over at Big Blue Interactive. The writer of the post was dismayed that ESPN did not include Michael Strahan on the list. Fair enough.

The funny thing, though, is that I still don't have the complete rundown. A respondent to the post on Big Blue Interactive tried to reproduce the top ten to the best of his recollection, and it went like this:

Jordan
Phelps
Tyson
Schmidt
Johnson
Some fisher
An Islander
Coach K
Dikta
A [sic] forgot the other one

At least the fact that there was an Islander was memorable.

A second respondent noted that F-1 driver Michael Schumacher has to be included. The thing is, now that I think about it, Schumacher may in fact have been on the list, ranked one rung higher than Mike Bossy. So maybe this particular Giants fan equated racing with fishing and replaced Schumacher with "Some fisher?"

So I think we are left with just one name in our noble pursuit of those who join Michael Dean Bossy at the Round Table of Mikeness.

Other nominees from the Giants faithful included Piazza, Spinks, Modano, Richter, Singletary, and Webster.


Have You Been Looking for Dominik?

I've been meaning to give a quick plug to a great Islanders blogger who recently changed hosts. If you're wondering what happened to Islander Frontier, both the preceding link and the link in the sidebar are updated. Dominik tells us that this new home for his blog may only be a temporary bridge to his eventual destination, but I thought it worth a mention in case any of his readers haven't found the current location. If you haven't read Islander Frontier previously, Dominik has a very engaging writing style and consistently interesting perspectives on all things Islanders.


Third Jersey in November?

Over at Icethetics, a reader has provided a schedule for the rollout of third jerseys, including dates for their on-ice debuts and availability to retailers. If the information is correct (and there's no way to corroborate it at this point), the Islanders will wear their new third jerseys for the first time on Saturday, November 1, against Montreal.

Surprisingly, retailers would not get the new sweaters until Thursday, November 6. This is not consistent with what I was told at the NHL Store. We'll have to see, but those of you who were looking forward to a late August/early September purchase may have to wait a couple of months. I'll be sure to pass along any new information as soon as I can.

Bossy an All-Time Mike

I just flipped on SportsCenter to find them showing highlight clips of Mike Bossy. So stunned was I to see this that I immediately and melodramatically assumed that something terrible had happened. Why else would ESPN be talking about Mike Bossy? In the middle of August?

To my great relief, SportsCenter was simply featuring Boss as part of its Top Ten All-Time Athletes Named Michael. No. 22 ranked No. 9 on the list. I missed No. 10 and haven't yet found the list online, but I will try to add it later for your viewing pleasure.

Among the other great Michaels were Schmidt (another favorite of mine), Ditka, Krzyzewski, Tyson, Phelps, Johnson (I believe) and, at the top of the list, Jordan.

As much as I admire Krzyzewski's coaching career, I quibble with his inclusion on a list of great athletes. Coach K's playing career didn't advance beyond being captain of the basketball team at Army. Is there that much of a dearth of athletes named Michael that they had to include a coach? We'll have to think about that.

If I can procure the rest of the list we can debate the inclusions, exclusions, and order. But for now, a hearty "good job" to ESPN (did I just say that?) for not overlooking Mr. Bossy.

I know, not the most exciting news. But we have a full roster and a full coaching staff, and it's the middle of August.

Garth Snow Sets a New Course with Scott Gordon Behind the Bench

Last Year's AHL Coach of the Year Named Head Coach of the Islanders

Anointing Scott Gordon "The People's Choice" in the previous post was not the result of a scientific survey but a logical conclusion based on digesting hundreds of message board and blog posts. Ladies and gentlemen, we have harmony.

At least, it seems, that by choosing Gordon to lead the Islanders, the front office has acted in concert with the wishes of the majority of fans. (I know, not everyone is thrilled.)

And, if the early returns are to be believed, many of those in the fan base who preferred Bob Hartley or Paul Maurice admit that Gordon is a reasonable choice and deserves the opportunity to prove himself.

Personally, I am very pleased with the decision. I buy into the idea of bringing in someone with a fresh perspective on the NHL. Gordon has paid his dues as a hockey coach. He is not, at the age of 45 and with 12 seasons of coaching experience in the professional ranks, wet behind the ears. All NHL coaches have to break into the league sometime.

As I said previously, at this point Gordon has all the potential in the world. He is in a position to create something rather than live up to something. And based on his reputation and Garth Snow's comments, he is poised to harness the team's current strengths and give the Islanders their best chance to win with what they have now and in the future.

My only advice to those who would have preferred someone else is this: We may all have to start thinking like goalies for a while.

Who Will Coach the Islanders?

Will it be...

Bob Hartley: The Dangerous Choice

Paul Maurice: The Safe Choice

Scott Gordon: The People's Choice


Fairly or unfairly, Hartley is saddled with the notion that he lost a team in Atlanta. Having won a Stanley Cup with veterans and superstars in Colorado, he seems like a questionable fit for a team with few players in their prime. Fairly or unfairly, Garth Snow would be criticized for hiring the familiar choice. All of these points make for good discussion when there is little hard news. None of them were likely keys to Snow's decision.

Maurice has the benefit of a reputation for effectively developing young talent. He also has 10 seasons of NHL heading coaching experience under his belt. And he's still only 41. It's difficult to form a convincing argument against his candidacy, but Snow wants to hit a home run with this hire. Is that how he sees Maurice?

Gordon's candidacy benefits from the fact that he has never lost an NHL game. That is, as an NHL coach, he has all the potential in the world and virtually none of the baggage that tinges perceptions of everyone already in the league. If you want to grab the brass ring of expectations, he would implement a system that would protect Rick DiPietro while giving the goalie and the team their best chance to be successful.

By the time you read this, the choice may have already been made public. Then we can rehash all these perceptions for another two months until the real picture starts to form.

I think we will find that the Islanders are in good hands.

How Long Should the List Be?

One aspect of the Islanders' search for a new Head Coach has fascinated me since the day that Garth Snow and Ted Nolan parted. How does the team come up with its list of interviewees? It would have been so interesting to be in that room on the day, or days, when Snow settled on a pool of candidates.

The thing is, starting the list is easy. What team in the Islanders' situation wouldn't immediately write down the names Bob Hartley, Joel Quenneville, John Tortorella, Paul Maurice, and Marc Crawford?

But you know that in order to do due diligence, you have to stretch the search a little more. You don't want to overlook the next quality coaching talent simply because there are big names available.

That's how you get to names like Mike Sullivan (barely stretching) and Scott Gordon (sensibly stretching).

The hard part is knowing where to finish the list. How do you know when to stop? At what point does Snow decide that he's comfortable with the reach of his search?

Let me give you a name: Brian McCutcheon.

I choose him only because he's someone with whom I happen to be familiar and he's a good example of why I think this is an important question.

McCutcheon is building himself a textbook coaching resume. Over the last 20 years he has progressed from being Head Coach at Cornell University, to an Assistant gig in the IHL, and then to Head Coach positions in the ECHL and AHL.

After serving as head coach of the Rochester Americans for three seasons from 1997-2000, McCutcheon was promoted to Assistant Coach under Lindy Ruff with the parent Buffalo Sabres for the 2001-02 season. In 2006, McCutcheon's title was elevated to Associate Coach.

I don't know what Ruff's intentions are, but it's not crazy to wonder if McCutcheon is being groomed to replace Ruff whenever he decides to step aside (the Sabres recently allowed Randy Cunneyworth, the well regarded most recent coach of the Amerks, to take an Assistant's job with the Thrashers).

If there is no such progression in place, then you'd have to think a guy like McCutcheon would begin throwing his hat into the ring for other NHL head coaching vacancies soon. He has put himself through the appropriate paces to get a shot.

I want to emphasize that McCutcheon has not interviewed with the Islanders, is not rumored to be interviewing with the Islanders, nor has he to my knowledge expressed any interest in interviewing. This is neither an evaluation of his coaching skills nor how well he would fit as the leader of this Islanders team.

But it just makes me wonder how many Brian McCutcheons are out there?

Once you're willing to interview last season's AHL Coach of the Year in addition to the big names, you owe it to yourself to see where else you should stretch.

Certainly there are time restrictions. Furthermore, part of due diligence is using your connections to create a clear picture of who the most well regarded candidates are. Perhaps that's why some of the lesser-knowns stay lesser known. Whether that picture comes from a depth of opinions or from the thoughts of a few trusted individuals is up to the General Manager.

Either way, we are left to assume that Snow has a comfort level with the scope of his search. If given the chance, I'd like to ask him how he got there.

In the meantime, if this goes on too much longer I'll have to start coming up with lists of Wildest Wildcard Candidates. Anybody check in with Mark Messier lately?

And all of New York cringes.

Gone Fishing

We'll be back after this important breaker...please stay tuned.

Two-Minute Minors for 7/24/08

The Ducks have rewarded coach Randy Carlyle, who was entering the final year of his contract, with a two-year extension. So that's how that works. (See, if Ted had just won a Stanley Cup there would have been no problem!)

I stopped into the NHL Store on Sixth Avenue yesterday to see if there was any news about the arrival of third jerseys. A very friendly and enthusiastic salesperson told me that they should arrive in late August or early September with the rest of the fall line merchandise. I was not aware that the NHL had a fall line. Look out, Giorgio Armani.

Really, though, it's no shock that the league would refresh its merchandise in preparation for the new season. It was just funny to hear it put that way.

The salesperson also told me that the NHL Store staff is hoping that it gets to sell the new third jerseys at all. It seems that the league prefers to keep specialty items like third jerseys in the domain of individual team stores so that the teams benefit directly from the revenue. I was surprised to learn that the league's flagship merchandise store might not carry such highly anticipated products. However, it does make sense, especially for a team like the Islanders whose fan base is so concentrated geographically. Most Islanders fans will purchase the new third at the arena, at the team store at the Broadway Mall, or online. But if you were hoping to pick one up in Manhattan, you might be out of luck.

Speaking of Manhattan, I recently spotted a kid wearing a yellow Islanders baseball hat on W. 72nd Street. That pushes my ratio of Manhattan Islanders gear sightings per year over the 1.0 mark—4 sightings in three years! We now have three baseball hats and one ski cap.

In case you haven't adjusted your browsing habits to include the NYI Voices blog yet, Steve Mears reminds us that the Islanders are opening the season on the road once again. Someone should check the NHL bylaws for the rule that prohibits the Islanders from playing their season opener on home ice. I would have gotten around to posting this as the season drew closer, but since Steve brought it up already, let's update the numbers.

In 2008 the Islanders will open their season on the road for the 32nd time in 36 seasons. And just for emphasis, let's repeat another fact stated by Mears: the Islanders have opened the season in Los Angeles more times than they have opened it on Long Island.

Mariusz Czerkawski announced his retirement from hockey today. Hat Tip: Mirtle (1), (Lowtide, Polskie Radio), 12:17. Somehow that didn't hit me quite as hard in a "Wow, I'm old" sort of way as when Claudio Reyna announced his retirement from soccer recently. But Mariusz is only 36 and was playing to the tune of a point per game in the Swiss-A league the last two seasons.

It's hard to remember Czerkawski as anything more than the leading scorer on some horrible Islanders teams. At least he was the one guy you could look to for a little offensive excitement during those painful years. He did manage to stick around long enough to see the team turn a corner and reach the playoffs in 2001-02. Anyway, happy retirement, young man.

I'd review the second episode of Islanders Illustrated, but it's 7:57 and writing this has caused me to forget that it was on. I'll have to catch it next time around.

Snow Adds Stability to the Youth Movement

Perhaps I should have held onto the previous post title a little longer.

Some observers have questioned the accuracy of calling Garth Snow's direction a youth movement. With several aging veterans slated to play key roles on the 2008-09 Islanders, it is a valid question.

Unless Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, Blake Comeau, Sean Bergenheim, and Frans Nielsen are all playing significant minutes, then the youth movement looks half-hearted.

At least, it did until the last several days.

With the signings of Tambellini, Bergenheim, and Nielsen to multi-year, one-way contracts, Snow has added a new dimension to his youth strategy by:

• Making a quantifiable commitment to the young players
• Demonstrating confidence in the abilities of these players
• Giving them reassurance that their roles belong to them
• Adding stability to the roster

Of course it remains to be seen if Snow has made commitments to the right players. But under the terms to which they agreed, it's certainly worth finding out.

The Nielsen contract is unusual. Rarely do you see an organization commit four years to an unproven player unless he is a can't-miss prospect. It's not as though large offer sheets were in his near future.

But with an average salary of $525,000, the cap structure is hardly at peril. You could even argue that Nielsen is taking the bigger gamble. While he may be limited to fourth-line duty this coming season, his position on the depth chart promises to improve in the coming years. If he produces at all, he will be underpaid. So credit Frans for making a commitment to being an Islander as well.

In a matter of a few days, Snow changed the perception of the youth movement from being about who plays where next year to who is an Islander for the next couple of years.

It would have been very interesting to see how all of this would have unfolded with Ted Nolan as the head coach. That being said, it's even easier to figure out why he's no longer at the helm. Imagine the conversation last Monday went something like this:

Snow: We're making commitments to Tambellini, Bergenheim, and Nielsen.

Nolan: I can't guarantee them lineup spots or ice time.

Snow: They will be Islanders. They won't be going down to Bridgeport and they'll be around for the next few years at least.

Nolan: Then I need security beyond this year.

Snow: I'm not prepared to do that right now.

THE END

Anyone who now takes over as coach of the Islanders will know exactly what he's getting into. One of Snow's most important tasks is to figure out which of the candidates pay lip service his to plan and which are prepared to execute it.

Let's dismiss the notion that no one wants to coach the Islanders. There are only 30 of these jobs in existence. Way more than 30 people are interested in having them. Only the very best can afford to turn their noses up to an NHL head coaching vacancy. And most of those guys already have jobs.