Ah the sad existence that is being a fan of the New York Islanders.

It’s really tough when the only thing (and I mean ONLY thing) to get excited about regarding the upcoming season is the signing of 2 players who can fight (Zenon Konopka and Jeremy Yablonsky) in addition to fighter Trevor Gilles (who can be seen in that previous clip fighting Yablonsky).  This turn of physical events is exciting to me because I’m tired of seeing players smaller than I am constantly getting tossed around on the ice like a bunch of wimpy Canadian rag dolls lol – I’d love to see a 4th line of Konopka between Yablonsky and Gilles, and apparently so does Konopka.  This will make Islander Rangers games what they are supposed to be – tough – physical – and once again entertaining.

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Let’s say – in some magical way – I was in control of everything that could possibly happen on Long Island . . . no democracy . . . just a Tomocrazy.

If I ran Long Island I would:

1. Take over Oheka Castle as my official residence.  Naturally, I would build fences of garlic around the entire estate.  How else do you keep out vampires?
2. Install a black light in the Montauk Lighthouse (dude!  You’ve got white lint ALL over your shirt!)
3. Replace all parkways and expressways with canals.  We’ll be the Venice of the West, except we won’t sink.
4. Replace the Nassau Coliseum with an actual, over-sized barn.  When someone says, “I love watching hockey in that old barn” I want them to truly mean it.
5. Give police the right to stop any person they feel may be a Ranger fan and send them back to Manhattan.  Cops will have no other purpose on my Island, expect to send Ranger fans back to the city.
6. NO BLOWOUT HAIRCUTS ALLOWED!!
7. No Lohan’s allowed!
8. Install cages/bars/fences/cement – anything strong and virtually unbreakable – over all Cemeteries/Graveyards.  Zombie outbreak my ass!!  Not on MY Island!
9. Whenever someone leaves the Island, Harrison Ford’s voice angrily plays on a loudspeaker, “Get off my Island . . . .”

My birthday was months ago, but yesterday sure as hell felt like it (without the cake, unfortunately!), with both the New York Rangers and New York Islanders losing, I was on cloud nine.  Why would I, an Islander fan, be happy they lost!? Because it gives us a better position in the draft – and yes, it puts us in the 5th and final spot of the lottery, but that’s huge – sure, the chances of winning the lottery and moving to slot #1 are slim at best, being that the chance is 8.1% !!  But even if they don’t win the lottery (saying it’s a long-shot would be an understatement) they are going to get a solid prospect to help them along with their “rebuild” (which I hope gets some sort of Free Agent Injection come July).

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One might think that because I’m an Islander fan I instantly must hate anything the Devils do.  Well, the Devils have done nothing but win, win, and win since as long as I’ve been a fan of hockey (since Martin Brodeur’s rookie year) and I can see how that would be annoying to nearby fans of the Flyers, Rangers, and the Islanders.  I’m a little different though.  The Devils don’t annoy me.  They never have.  In fact, I remember the 1st game I saw on TV (the old SportsChannel!) was actually a New Jersey Devils game (I totally remember their nasty green and red Christmas jerseys!).  And by the time I became a die-hard Islander fan I already knew who I was supposed to hate . . . the dirty Rangers!  The Devils were harmless, at least to me!

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How a 23 win team that is in the midst of a 5 game losing streak can still be in great playoff positioning on February 3rd is beyond my realm of belief.  So it goes in the “New NHL.”  I’ve always been against “loser points” that award a team that loses in overtime a point in the standings, as well as losing in a shoot-out (skills-competition).  I’m sorry, this isn’t kindergarten . . . you shouldn’t get anything for losing in a professional sport (except an earful from the coaching staff).  However, as an Islander fan, it is the loser point that has actually given this team some hope early on in their rebuild process (for those that think Tavares was anything close to the final piece, get real – the rebuilding is far from done).  Besides the loser point, however, and maybe more importantly, is that the teams directly around the Islanders in the Eastern Conference standings simply aren’t that good (that’s right, I’m talking about YOU New York Rangers!  YOU SUCK!).

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Clearly, I’m biased because I am an Islander fan.  But bias aside, the fact that I’m an Islander fan means that I get to see Kyle Okposo play night in and night out.  Apparently, Brian Burke hasn’t seen Kyle Okposo play, because Burke decided to leave Okposo off the 2010 Team U.S.A Olympic roster.  I mean, what other explanation is there!?  Instead, for example, Burke found it better to choose Ryan Callahan, of the New York Rangers.   Now, once again, you’re going to say, “but Tom, you’re an Islander fan, of course you’re going to be mad a Ranger got on the team over an Islander.”  It’s not that simple.  I actually like Callahan’s game, but compare his stats for the season against Okposo’s and I defy you not to scratch your head in wonder.  Burke stated that Callahan’s high number of hits was a big determining factor, but is that really important in international play?  At least what I’m trying to say is, is it more important than Okposo’s 21 assists?  More important than Okposo’s defensive play, in particular his great puck control which comes in pretty handy for both special teams?  I highly doubt it.  Perhaps Burke is still sour about the Islanders not “bowing down to all mighty Toronto” and making a terrible trade to help Burke obtain his “golden boy” John Tavares, the Islanders’ number one pick from last summer’s draft who Burke publicly obsessed over.  Nothing surprises me in matters like this.

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Unfortunately, I haven’t written much lately about my favorite hockey team, the New York Islanders. Come to think of it, I haven’t written much about hockey at all lately.  I am a “die-hard” Islander fan, I have been since 1992 when I was a wee lad, but this is what happens to me during the long 82 game season of the NHL (don’t even talk to me about 162 games in baseball – I understand it’s an entirely different animal, but whew!  That’s a lot!) – I get really excited in October when hockey returns, then my “fire” kind of dies down a little around Christmas time, and then I get riled up again somewhere around the All-Star break, or something like that – it’s a roller-coaster of interest when it comes to me.  Now, some might ask, “well what kind of die-hard fan are you then!?”  My answer is this:  A die-hard fan with other things going on in his life!  But throughout my life as a hockey fan I’ve never totally given up interest – that’s just impossible and an utterly ridiculous notion to consider!

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• Alexander Ovechkin is GOD.
• The Rangers HAVE to lose sometime, right!?
• The Calgary Flames blew a monumental 5-0 lead last night to the Chicago Blackhawks and ended up losing the game 6-5 in overtime. Hey. At least they got a point, right!? (stupid system) – Now I’m waiting for the Islanders to better that Calgary effort!
• The Los Angeles Kings’ goalie, Jonathan Quick, has what could be the best last name ever for a goalie.  (He also has a 4 game winning streak under his belt!)
• The New York Islanders could possibly end the season without a regulation win.  (My personal and angry prediction! lol)
• When Martin Brodeur retires, do the New Jersey Devils cease to exist?  What happens “Post-Marty” ??
• I didn’t want to believe in most of the “Hockey-experts” predictions saying the Flyers will be in the Cup Final this year (I still have no faith in Ray Emery), but other than in goal, the Flyers look for real.
• I understand the NY Islanders situation, and why they don’t compete for much, but what’s the Toronto Maple Leafs excuse?  What’s is the Montreal Canadiens excuse?  These teams play in the “Vatican Cities” of hockey, yet find ways to either miss the playoffs, or fail miserably in the playoffs.  At least Brian Burke appears to have some semblance of a plan (usually to build up on muscle and beat everyone else up), but what the hell kind of plan does Bob Gainey have in Montreal?  To me, it seems there isn’t much of a plan, and that shocks me when it comes to teams with money and support.  Maybe the Leafs and Habs still think teams are built on free agency?  Who the hell knows!?
• If Alexander Ovechkin is GOD, what does that make Alexander Semin?
• Tim Thomas is human.
• Zedeno Chara is still very, very tall.
• Dwayne Roloson loves regulation.  Dwayne Roloson hates shootouts.
• Shootouts still suck.
• Panthers to make the playoffs this year?
• Stamkos already “breaking out” in Tampa?

Bottom (red) line: Even though the Islanders haven’t won a game yet, I’m very impressed with them (do people forget that this team was DEAD LAST last season!?) – Josh Bailey needs some more muscle (or maybe a few more years to simply “grow up”), and there are other things that clearly need to fall in place, but looking at the league as a whole – It’s good to see the Kings “figure it out” and build from within and put together a team that can compete night in and night out.  I think that team will surprise many.  If they don’t make it to the playoffs this year (which I think they will) they will definitely make some noise in the next couple of seasons.  Good for Phoenix to come out swinging and remind people that an actual hockey team DOES EXIST in the desert, and that it’s not just some piece of property divorced parents are fighting over.  They are allowing their off-ice issues to remain off-ice, and might surprise some teams in the west (but not enough to make the playoffs).  For some reason, I couldn’t care less about the Dallas Stars – they bore me.  The St. Louis Blues are another team (much like L.A.) who are adapting to “The New NHL” very well, and have already proven that you don’t need to overpay for free agents to be a force in the NHL.  Finally, I’m convinced the Detroit Red Wings will be in every Cup Final for the rest of time.  The End!

Here is an update on a post I wrote a while back.  Lately on my blog, although it wasn’t planned, there has been a theme of “second chances” – and a while back I wrote a post about whether or not Theoren Fleury should be reinstated into the NHL so he can attempt a comeback.  I pretty much concluded that although it’s a great thing that Fleury is sober and has his life back on track, it would be a bad thing for the NHL to go back on its suspension of Fleury for violating the league’s substance abuse policies.  My  main point was that Fleury had already been given numerous chances, so how many more does he deserve?  My point also included that lifting the ban would send a bad message to the younger players in the league.  Weeks have gone by, and I totally forgot about the story, and then this news came out at TSN.com/nhl – which has actually led me to sing another tune.  I like this story.  I like that the NHL has lifted the ban so that Fleury can attempt a comeback.  I like that the Flames, Theo’s original team, is the team that is giving Fleury the opportunity to try out and potentially end his career on a high note.  I’m singing a different tune now because it’s a good story about a person, and not just about a hockey player.  YES – I hated the guy when he was with the New York Rangers, but that was when his problems seemed to be the most intense.  Addiction is not something to take lightly, and if people can prove themselves able to get over problems and move on in a more positive way, then why not afford them one more chance?

Bottom Line: Even if Fleury doesn’t crack the Flames’ lineup, this is a feel good story about a guy who simply wants to make up for an unfortunate end to his career.  I’ve got no problems with that!

I was quite surprised last night when I went on toTSN.CA/nhl and read this article about Theo Fleury preparing for a return to the NHL.  Now, please allow me to put the Islander fan bias aside for a minute, while I attempt to seriously talk about Fleury’s attempt at a return to the NHL.  Of course, as an Islander fan, I remember his terrible antics during his tumultuous days with the rival New York Rangers, so it’s understandable that I don’t really like the guy.  In reality though (and being a sports fan isn’t ALWAYS about reality), I don’t know Theo Fleury “the guy” – I only SAW Theo Fleury the troubled hockey player who allowed his off-ice addictions and problems to affect his on-ice persona.  I’m very ready and willing to give a guy who’s been sober for 4 years a much needed break, but I don’t know how many breaks Fleury has left.

When I first got turned onto hockey in the early 90′s, Theo Fleury was a Calgary Flame, in fact – Theo Fleury WAS the Calgary Flames.  

Since I grew up on the east coast, I didn’t get to see the Flames all that often, but whenever I thought of the Flames I was forced to think of their pesky, little, fast, hard-working, tenacious forward who despite his small stature found a way to put the puck in the net and be a force in a very BIG and tough NHL.  The NHL “back in the day” was much different from the game we see today, where referees are mandated by the league to whistle down the slightest infractions as interference or hooking.  I’m confident in saying that in today’s NHL it’s easier than it was in the 90′s for a small player to thrive.  This point makes what Fleury was able to accomplish throughout his career all the more impressive.

I admire Fleury for trying to make a comeback at the age of 41, and I think it’s a great thing that he’s been sober for so long, but I’m afraid to say it seems like his NHL days are way in the past.  The TSN article states that sources close to Fleury say he didn’t leave the NHL the way he wanted (well DUH!) and that it’s this fact that is “fueling his desire to return.”  Look, clearly he didn’t leave the league like he wanted, who wants to live their life knowing they left their career in this manner?  I sure as hell wouldn’t want to go out that way!  His NHL career ended sooner than it probably should’ve because of his substance abuse problems, so I can’t blame the guy for wanting at least one more year to atone for what happened.  However, at the risk of sounding insensitive, I must ask this question:  Whose fault is it that his career didn’t end the way he wanted?  I ask this question because the league has an indefinite suspension placed on Fleury, and Fleury sent a letter of request to lift the suspension, which would have to be approved both by the NHL and the NHLPA (players’ association) – THEN a team would have to be willing to give Fleury a chance.  It wasn’t the NHL’s fault, nor was it the NHLPA’s fault for having substance abuse policies in place, it was all on Fleury.  Now, I’m not trying to belittle the negative stranglehold addiction can have on people, andI’m all for second chances, but I believe Fleury got a number of “2nd chances” back in the early 2000′s.  Why now, does the league, along with the players’ association, need to be bothered once again with this?  How many times can one person break the substance abuse rules and then come back?  What kind of message does this send to younger players?  So, although I believe people should be given 2nd chances, I feel the statement made by honoring the suspension is more important than giving Fleury yet another chance.  Sounds harsh, but players need to see that messing around with the substance abuse rules can ruin their career.

Bottom Line:  I remember Theo Fleury’s 2 year stint with the New York Rangers and I remember how troubled he really seemed.  I also remember Islander fans taunting Theo with chants of “Crackhead Theo!!” – which is about as classless as a college dropout by the way – but it was his actions on the ice that pretty much begged for fans to hate him.  Unfortunately, that’s how I remember Fleury, and I’m sure it bothers him that there are people who will remember him that way.  On a better note, however, I’ve been reading positive comments about Fleury online that lead me to believe that more fans will remember him for his hard-working gritty days with the Calgary Flames – that not all people will hold his personal problems against him – and that even if he doesn’t make a comeback to the NHL, he will be (and should be) rememberedfondly as one of the better players in the 90′s.  So even though I don’t think the NHL should lift his suspension, I still wish Fleury the best.  What do you think?  How many chances should the NHL give a player?  Is it different for athletes?  Would a “regular” person be given as many chances to keep his/her job (or return to the highest level of their job) after a long absence?  What do you think – let me know!