Bleacher Report - Articles by Dee Karl

NY Islanders And Lighthouse Project Featured at Republican Roundtable

Dee Karl — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:25:47 -0400

It was billed as the Republican Roundtable on Economic Development, Sports and Tourism on Long Island. It may as well have been called, “How Can the Lighthouse Project Help YOUR Business?”

When they coined the term “Government for the people, by the people” I hardly think they had any idea there would be THAT many people to govern. Surely, you can never make everyone happy. However, the amount of industries and small businesses that could benefit from the proposed Lighthouse Project development and all it entails is remarkable and something I would have never thought of.

While this discussion was based on the sports industries, tourism and performing arts were also on the table for discussion.

As the NY Islanders are the only major sports franchise based within Nassau or Suffolk County, we are not in any financial position to lose them. The smart thing to do would be to bring in MORE sports franchises and events. That is what Assemblyman Rob Walker (R,C,I,WF-Hicksville) and Assemblyman Robert D. Barra (R,C,I-14^th Assembly District) are trying to do.

A good portion of this meeting was about formulating a new bill to legalize Mixed Martial Arts in the State of NY. I didn’t know it was illegal here, but there are states where it is legal, and it is bringing not only fans, but tax revenue.

Marc Ratner, Vice President for Regulatory Affairs, Ultimate Fighting Championship, stated emphatically that they did not want to bring the UFC to any area that would not regulate it.

“We want to be regulated and pay taxes. This sport is on regional, national and cable TV. You’re not protecting people on Long Island. We’ll do big business.”

It’s a growing industry. There are 44 states that have an athletic committee. Thirty-seven of them have now approved Mixed Martial Arts. “I’m disappointed that New York State is holding people hostage.”

“We do a good job of that.” Mr. Walker quipped.

The six annual UFC shows generate $50 million dollars in revenue. This will bring a windfall in both state and local taxes, which the UFC is willing and EAGER to pay. But where can they have these events? If the current coliseum loses its main tenant, the county will not be able to afford to renovate it, and therefore it will not be profitable. As a matter of fact, one of the assemblymen stated he believed that right now the I.D.E.A. (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) can come in and condemn the building.

In addition to the renovated Coliseum, the Lighthouse Project includes a convention center facility. Think hard. When was the last time you saw a major convention being held on Long Island? You haven’t.

They are all held in Manhattan because Long Island has no facility that can host one. This fact was reinforced by Joan LaRosa, Director of Sales, Long Island Convention & Visitors' Bureau and Sports Commission.

“We have no place for a convention. We’ve actually had to turn away meetings and conventions,” he said.

Turning them away is turning away their revenue, not only for the local governments but for the small business owners as well.

Rich Giuardino from Hofstra University said “The Lighthouse Project is important for this region. We hosted a Presidential debate (at Hofstra). This area can handle a large scale event. It’s important to Nassau County and the Island. We have to create our own stimulus plan. We want to lend our voice to the support of this project.”

Another voice of support for the project, although absent from this meeting, is Frank Boulton of the very successful Long Island Ducks. He would love to have a second minor league baseball team on Long Island, especially in a brand new stadium in the center of Nassau if the County would approve a request for proposal.

Think of the employment as well as the entertainment value. What a perfect marriage since the last remnants of the hockey season is the first week of June. Another baseball stadium would keep that area busy and profitable all summer long.

Michael Picker, President of the Lighthouse Project, addressed the panel. “We’re looking for answers and trying to get to the finish line. Our principal has set a deadline of October. After that, all bets are off. We’re trying to get approval and we are struggling a little. The project brings significant benefits. With it come issues, which we will deal with.”

Mr. Picker was asked what were some of the obstacles he felt they are facing. Mr. Picker answered “The SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act) process: Is it doing what it should be doing?”

I didn’t realize that the developer pays a consultant to review the documents for completeness for the town. The SEQRA process also identifies a maximum time frame, but it doesn’t identify a minimum. Is that really fair while the developer pays for the process?

“They have a maximum of 45 days to review the SEQRA. It doesn’t mean they can’t take less. It’s an important project,” he said.

It seems that the first pass is supposed to be for completeness and not for debate on the conclusions. “There were 179 comments on the first round. Nineteen were valid. That means 89 percent of the first round were not questions they should be asking now.”

Politics as usual as the town passes the “puck” to the County and so on. But We as Long Island need to decide what we WANT for Long Island.

Assemblyman Fred Thiele, who has had experience with SEQRA, chimed in. “SEQRA can be used as a tool or a weapon.”Mr. Thiele is a representative from the East End of Long Island. “You can have a good law and bad officials, or a bad law and good officials. We need to do everything we can to keep you [the Islanders] here. It is of critical importance.”

Mr. Picker continued, “No one wants to skip steps. Just don’t let politics get in the way. We get a battle between the Republicans and the Democrats. How do we get it done?”

This is an age old question. How do you get the parties to agree on something – anything—that will benefit everyone?

“There are bathrooms OUTSIDE the Coliseum.” This is indeed embarrassing. “We are so far behind the times. The county loses money on the Coliseum today. Without your major tenant, this building just goes away.”

Meanwhile, the Islander's organization is being courted by many areas in North America and Canada. “We have told everyone, we’re not interested. But once the time comes, we may have to think differently,” Mr. Picker said. He was not issuing an ultimatum, just stating facts.

Sports franchises are different from other businesses. Retail can pack up and move in a blink. They can pull a truck up in the middle of the night and be up and running in a different spot 24 hours later. You can’t do that with a hockey team. Time is of the essence here. You can’t wait until 2012 to think about where it’s going to be.

The assemblymen listened as Mr. Picker detailed what they already knew; how much tax revenue the county will lose if the Islanders have to relocate and how much tax revenue could be garnered if their development is approved.

Some detractors may say the Lighthouse Project has overestimated the potential revenue stream. Just take HALF our numbers and tell me if you think they’re good. In a cash-strapped economy, even half is staggering.

But if two prominent, highly visible Long Islander's can’t get a project done on Long Island, what does that say to anyone else who may want to develop and improve our economy? Charles wants to create a new industry, creating good paying jobs that marry sports and technology. He is willing to invest in our economy. Is there anyone else on this short line?

“What permits do you need?” Mr. Picker was asked. I thought he would be able to recite them in alphabetical or numeric order. But he answered “Our application is for 150 acres. We own eight acres of land. We put forth an application for 300 five-star hotel rooms, a conference center to do mid-level conferences, 2300 residential units, 20 percent of which are next generation, 500,000 sq. ft. of retail space, which would be complimentary. This is a mix-use, SMART-use development. We’ve spent $15,000,000 on this entitlement process. We need answers. We need the P.D.P. (Planned Development Permit) approved, the lease done with the County (which they have already begun working on), Sub-division approval and DEC and DOT signoffs.”

Mr. Picker said something very important that I hope didn‘t fall on deaf ears. “If we don‘t work sequentially we can‘t do it. We‘re surrounded by a lot of communities with varying view points. We can‘t please ALL of them.”

One of these groups that were identified in Newsday is the veterans. While the veterans organizations showed up to the 180^th Community Outreach meeting and endorsed the project, a follow-up article cited complaints regarding the naming of the arena.

What was not covered in that article was the fact that the Lighthouse group had worked with the veterans in order to come up with a compromise to properly recognize them. By changing the name of the roadway where the development will be built, that would assure that the words “Veterans Memorial” would not be dropped from the Nassau Coliseum vocabulary.

In all seriousness, how many of us actually call it “The Nassau County Veterans Memorial Coliseum”? Find me one.

Certainly traffic concerns are at the top of the list. Considering how much money, time and effort have been expended studying the traffic situation, Mr. Picker made an obvious statement. “If we create an unbearable traffic situation, we hurt ourselves.”

There were 279 intersections covered in the DGIS. Some would need to be configured right away, and others as the project develops. Traffic is a wide spread problem. Even Ron Foley, Regional Director for Long Island, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, admitted the annual air show over Jones Beach creates is a problem. Does anyone say “don’t do it”?

As one of the assemblymen took a trip down memory lane, he said something I never thought about. Years ago, on a Saturday night when Roosevelt Raceway was open with 30,000 patrons and the Islanders were playing with 12,000 patrons, and Hofstra may have had a basketball game, the roadways clogged, but they were not at a standstill.

It’s not as big a problem as people think.

There are ways to ease traffic problems: staggered work hours, traffic pattern changes during high volume egress of events, among others. The problems are not insurmountable.

“The peak hours are only part of the day.” Mr. Picker reasoned.

We have an opportunity to create a world-class leisure and recreational destination. We have the opportunity to create our own stimulus bill. We don’t have what the Lighthouse Project has to offer anywhere on Long Island. It can be a catalyst for change, or it can be a parking lot.

The people have to choose. The people have to be heard. The people have to tell their political representatives what they want. And they have to tell them NOW.

Scott Gordon and the New York Islanders: Playing for Pride...and Next Season

Dee Karl — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 09:07:23 -0400

There is no "tanking" in Uniondale.

The team that suits up for coach Scott Gordon plays to the best of their ability.

After all, they want Gordon to see them as a perfect fit for his team next season.

They also play for each other. Whether Islander or Sound Tiger, they are a team.

The newest promotion last night on the Jumbotron was something to the effect of each prominent Islanders player who had spent time on the Sound Tigers saying something like "I was born in Bridgeport."

It made a statement. The call ups you see now can very well be the Islander stars of tomorrow. Providing "tomorrow" ever comes.

Scott Gordon spent at least 90 seconds of the four-minute post game interview smiling at some of the questions that were asked. Winning always makes him smile. Even if it does mean possibly changing the Islanders' rank in the draft lottery.

Scott Gordon spends so much time teaching and coaching that he doesn't have time for stat watching. "Until you told me we were a game over 500, I didn't know." He told C.J. Papa with a broad smile. "It's important we do well in the second half." (Which is now down to a number of games you can count on one hand.)

He had some nice things to say about Jesse Joensuu: "He used his speed, he was physical. His positioning was good all night. Obviously he's a guy we are excited about for the future. I was really happy with Jesse. I thought he played well."

I think Jesse would be happy to hear that, as he said in the locker room, "The biggest thing on my mind when I get here is always that I'm living my dream. When you get points, it pumps up your confidence. When I got to the locker room and saw that I would play with Doug Weight and Richard Park, I just thought that, I can't think about it, because if I think about my line mates I'm going to be somewhere except on the ice. So I just tried to forget who I played with." Yep, Jesse is living his dream.

The future also is looking brighter for Josh Bailey, who did have a slow start coming directly from Juniors. "For Josh, the offensive for him is going to build as he gets stronger. The biggest take away for me is the skating part of it, and that will improve. But the fact that he is moving his feet, he's getting more opportunities because of it. He's around the puck more often. As a result, he gets that goal because he was in stride."

Gordon has been working with Josh...a lot: "It's identifying, showing him on video and in practice that once you move the puck there's someplace to go. That's the biggest thing. In juniors he's probably so accustomed to slowing the play down, timing his options and standing still.

"When you're at a standstill, it's easy to get locked in. Now when he moves the puck, he's moving his spots and whether it's to be part of a fore check on an unsuccessful pass or to be part of a tag on a successful pass, it leads to opportunities offered to him."

Josh is a good student, as he told the reporters, "The system is second nature now. When you see plays like that work out, it gives you some satisfaction. I think the part of the first year is adapting to the league and learning stuff that you have to do and get away with. I think as of late I feel as if I've grown more as a player."

Gordon would tend to agree with you, Josh.

With Yann Danis in net following his previous high-scoring loss, Gordon once again touted his faith in the young goaltender. "One of the things I was talking to Yann about before the game was, I want to see that sort of response I saw tonight. He had three goals go off of sticks, kind of flukey type and then he had the one that came down the middle of the ice and they scored on, which I didn't think there was a whole lot he could do on.

"That being said, he even said he felt pretty good. It was just one of those games that you don't get the bounces and for me tonight I thought he was really good."

Notice something here—Scott Gordon remembers every play from every game. I know I've said it before, but I will say it again. From a tactical standpoint, this man just amazes me. Granted, he may lose me completely from time to time with his technical explanations. When that happens, I just focus on what he's wearing. I don't think we've ever had a GQ model coach before. Have we?

Yann Danis feels the same way about bad losses as ex-goalie Scott Gordon, "It's part of the game. All goalies have to go through it. All you have to do is battle through it and stay positive and eventually things will get better. I hate losing."

I was snapped back into the post game by the next question regarding the five Bridgeport call-ups. The answer was simple. He knew not to completely devastate Jack's team when they are playing today at 1 pm and are headed for the postseason at a time when the Islanders are heading for the golf course.

He admitted that calling Mitch Fritz up was because Tampa had come down hard last time on Jackman. Fritz was just a little added protection along with Rechlichz.

In the end, Joel beat Fritz on the stat sheet in every column. More shifts, more ice time, more penalty minutes and more love from the crowd. (Although Fritz did take a face off and won helping to bring the Islanders face off percentage to a whopping 59 percent.)

Not to leave out his veteran players, Gordon said "I thought Marty and Witter were solid. I don't know what the final total was for scoring chances on their top line, but those guys did a great job."

They did such a great job that the Islanders walked away with three goals and free chili for their fans from Wendy's. Everyone please remember to ask for it today. And don't look at the lottery standings. Gordon doesn't.

Islanders Joel Rechlicz: Making TOI Count

Dee Karl — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:00:52 -0400

Saturday morning I was listening to an interview with Islanders ex-captain, Bill Guerin, on XM Home Ice.

Although, he is doing well with the “guins” (as I actually heard their radio announcer call them), he spoke of how his ice time has been significantly reduced with his new team.

It was the first time I had heard a player discuss a reduction in TOI in a positive manner. He said he understood "his role" and is there to make the most of it, but the truth is, TOI and event summary stats don’t always tell you an NHLer’s true worth.

This is the case with Islanders Sound Tiger call up, Joel Rechlicz.

The summary sheet for Saturday’s game against the Flyers listed a total TOI of 5:25 with 11 shifts, averaging 29 seconds. He also had five penalty minutes, one blocked shot and one shot on goal…

What are not on the stat sheet are the intangibles he brings to the game—the intangibles that coach Scott Gordon is looking for.

As fans, we’ve chanted others’ names many times in the Coliseum: Cairns, Godard, Asham and a personal favorite of mine, Steve Webb. They were the guys who brought the crowd back into the game when it was slipping away; the ones that made you stand up and hold your breath with every check or hit and then cheer wildly whether they won or lost a battle.

At times, the skating ability of Cairns and Godard were a liability.

Steve Webb was a pinball that knew his limited role. Asham was the only one that could actually score occasionally. They were all crowd pleasers. They were all loved.

Earlier this season, many of those in Islanders Country complained about the lack of toughness on this team—too soft, too small and too often, run over—none of that was present in Saturday’s game.

From returning veteran, Doug Weight's uncharacteristic dropping the gloves to stand up for a teammate to Nate Thompson, to Tim Jackman to Brendan Witt, this team has come to the point where they “stick up for each other and that’s a good sign that our team is coming together.”

This development makes Scott Gordon very happy as he smiled for the press in the post game.

Joel Rechlicz dropped the gloves with Riley Cote for what seemed like forever. I held my breath as the two men went at it on open ice then hit the glass to continue. I struggled to watch as everyone in the arena was on their feet, cheering them on…both of them!

Mind you, there were six busloads of Flyers fans in attendance and you could hear their chants throughout the game. It was a verbal battle in the stands.

“He did a good job,” Scott Gordon said about Joel when asked in the post game. "He’s a high energy guy. He steps on the ice and he leaves everything out there.” Gordon appreciates his play as well as his ability to drop the gloves when he has too. He also appreciates what he brings on the bench. “And he’s only 20-years-old.” Gordon smiled.

Although, I think "the Recker" is actually legal drinking age of 21, but we’ll let Gordon slide on this since he has so many youngsters on his bench.

I had the opportunity to stop Joel in the locker room before the media descended on him like locusts.

I introduced myself and even with a gashed cheek and swollen right eye, he returned a warm, genuine smile. He started out by asking ME a question, the one that every NHLer wants to know. “How’d you like the game?”

We chatted about the fight and about my UNH jersey.

He said he was fine with the fighting and thought the Flyer fans being so loud added something extra to the game. I had previously asked him if his hands were sore from his previous fight, he admitted "a little,” but I think that right eye will be a little more painful than his hands come Sunday.

When Newsday's Greg Logan and the others crowded around him to ask questions, I backed away two steps and just listened.

I was very impressed when he said “I’m going to do everything possible to keep learning.” Joel has had plenty of learning experiences since 2004. He's been on more than a handful of teams in several leagues.

He seems to be a very eager student.

Much like Doug Weight, he said he is happy with this team the way it is right now. “The guys are great. Real supportive.” He was very patient, articulate and engaging with the media as he adjusted the ice pack beneath his under armor. I think he’s got this interview process down pat.

Keep an eye out for him.

If this is the team that we will be seeing next season on the Coliseum ice, then Joel Rechlicz is making a strong case to be on it. Even with only 5:25 of ice time, he's making the best possible use of it.

I can see a packed coliseum chanting "Reck-Er! Reck-Er!" just as they have done in Bridgeport…and it will be exactly what the fans need.

New York Islanders: The Journey of Sean Bergenheim

Dee Karl — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:44:21 -0500

The Islanders drafted 18-year-old, Finnish Left Winger Sean Bergenheim in the 2002 Entry Draft with the 22nd pick. He was the face of the franchise’s future for about a nano-second.

With everything else that went on in the Islanders organization, Sean was somewhat lost in the shuffle. But he was a happy, fresh-faced kid about to start his career in the NHL. And I was there to see it.

He was wearing No. 47 when he hit the ice for a preseason game in Bridgeport in October of 2003 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Legendary hockey icon Mario Lemieux played in that game.

I watched this tenacious little boy battle one of hockey’s greats. He never backed down. He never gave up. He skated as if he was in overdrive the entire time he was on the ice.

He stood out in an otherwise pointless preseason game. I knew he’d be a star. So did he.

I met him at the airport that year and asked him to sign my daughter’s jersey. He was surprised I wanted his autograph. I told him I knew he’d make it in this league. He smiled and thanked me. And that’s how it started, when he became known as "My boy Sean."

Sean spent a lot of time being a yo-yo between teams and countries. Bridgeport, Jokerit, Uniondale, Russia, Sweden and even his Finnish National team for competitions.

But he always had his eye on the NHL. That was and is his only goal.

He played well for the Sound Tigers, making a name for himself with the fans and his opponents.

He made the AHL All-Star team the year of the work stoppage and was the only one to smile for the cameras when his name was called. He is exceptionally fan-friendly and good natured.

Unless you’re in a competitor’s sweater and you have the puck. Then he will hunt you down like a heat-seeking missile and run you over.

He played with wild abandon. This also meant he spent a lot of time in the box.

This didn’t sit well with his coaches. Every time he was brought back to Uniondale, he’d be disappointed at being sent back to Bridgeport.

Sean doesn’t know how to play fourth-line minutes. That was all they had for him to play.

Both Steve Stirling and Brad Shaw told me that having him relegated to that role was wasting him. Sean didn’t want to hear that. In all honesty, I didn’t either.

In January of 2006, he was on the bench during a horrific Islanders loss while I was on the jumbo-tron, being interviewed by then-Islanders in-arena announcer CJ Papa in recognition for my 2004 NHL 7th Man competition win.

I had 15 seconds before the in-arena microphone shorted out. CJ asked me who my favorite Islander was and why. I answered adamantly, “Jason Blake because of his work ethic.”

The crowd began to applaud so I spoke louder and continued “and Sean Bergenheim is right behind him.”

The microphone went dead and CJ, who dealt with that most nights, apologized.

The next day the Islanders held their annual STH Autograph Party. It had snowed over night, but I went anyway.

The lines were long, and there was no way I was going to be able to get many autographs.

I kept one eye on my daughter as she was on another line while I waited to get to the front of the table where Sean and two of the Islanders other younger players were signing. I was shocked when he stopped me.

“You! You’re the lady on the jumbo-tron! I have to say thank you!” He was only half smiling and I sensed something was not right.

I leaned over the table to speak to him. “Sean, I’ve told you since the first time I watched you play, you’re going to make it in this league. I’ve always known that.”

I watched his eyes as he looked down to sign my media guide. He responded softly, “I wish others would see it as well.”

He couldn’t hide his disappointment.

I gently grabbed his arm, and in my best motherly tone, looked him in the eyes. “They will Sean. They will. I promise.” The boyish smile returned to his face. “I hope so. Thank you.”

They didn’t that January as Sean was placed back on the ferry to Bridgeport. He struggled, he pouted, he brooded; he gained 20 lbs of muscle and fought like a raging bull.

He took bad advice from an agent and walked away from Garth Snow’s first contract offer of $500,000 and headed to Russia in October of 2006.

That didn’t last long. He signed with Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League where I managed to keep an eye on his progress through message board friends in Sweden.

On the Island, they gave his number to Richard Park. I have photos of Sean looking like a billboard in those ads-laden Swedish sweaters.

He played 36 games, garnered 33 points and 80 penalty minutes. As well as he did there, he knew he wanted to be back in the NHL.

In June of 2007, he signed a one-year deal with the Islanders. I was happy to see him at the STH event in September of ‘07 with a new number on his jersey.

Once again, he thanked me for all the support I had given him. It made me wonder if he was on the Internet Goggling his own name and finding my entries.

As part of the Blog Box experiment, I was able to see his year on the Islanders roster first hand. It was disappointing for both of us.

He played 78 games and only had 22 points. Hearing those I truly respected in this business tell me “Your boy has no hockey sense,” pained me a great deal.

Even though I never had a problem chastising his play in print, I never gave up on him. I knew the player he could be.

Bergenheim would always have flashes of brilliance followed by lapses of intelligence.

One minute Scotty Bowman would be wondering out loud where the Islanders had been hiding him, and the next minute his late game mistakes would cause the loss of two points. It has been a roller-coaster ride for everyone.

When contract time rolled around again this summer, I worried if his agent would once again battle with GM Garth Snow. Having had to do it once, I feared another round of negotiations would ship Bergenheim off to Europe or worse.

The agent was fired, the deal was done, and Garth Snow had managed to sign Sean to a two-year contract. I must have thanked him a dozen times.

Certain changes seem to have done wonders for Sean who now has 18 points in 50 games. He still has 58 penalty minutes, but his play these last few games has improved considerably and he is more disciplined.

No doubt, the biggest change in Bergenheim's game is due to first-year NHL coach Scott Gordon.

Recently, Stan Fischler asked Sean, “What has come over you that you’re playing like a superstar?”

Sean chuckled, “Thank you. I don’t really know. It feels good out there right now. The whole game feels much better. I really don’t know what it is.”

Sean was reminded about Scott Gordon’s movie meetings with him. Perhaps he didn’t want to discuss it with the media. Or perhaps he didn’t know that Gordon had already explained these power-point training sessions.

"One of the things I talked about with him to get back in the line-up was his approach in the offensive zone and the things that he could do better with the puck and things I had seen other offensive players do.

We sat down today and I showed him some clips of Kyle and why he's having success in the offensive zone and why he's getting more second and third opportunities. Bergie's done a great job at taking that to heart and going out there and doing it."

Sean's answer to Stan Fischler's question was, “We had a few talks. Things weren’t going the way I wanted or the way he wanted. But I think we’ve turned a page here. Things are much better right now. It was a good conversation.”

Perhaps these conversations were the catalyst for his two goals, in the first star of the night game on the last day of Feb., against the Buffalo Sabres.

This is Scott Gordon’s strongest asset; his ability to teach and explain in painful detail what is expected and what needs to be done.

Sean Bergenheim may end up being his best pupil to date.

Garth Snow & Scott Gordon Discuss Comrie, Campoli Trade

Dee Karl — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:24:21 -0500

I'm masquerading today as a reporter. I made my way to the morning skate and Garth Snow's press conference at 10:30 a.m.

I felt I needed to be there. I haven't seen Snow in weeks, so I wanted to see how he was fairing during these troubled times. Trade deadline time is always stressful for everyone. But even more so for the general managers who have to make these deals and the men who have to pack quickly.

"The last week to ten days, there have been lots of conversations and lots of talk, Snow said. "I compare it to fishing. You drop your lines in the water and see what unfolds. We're obviously in a situation where we're going with younger players and giving them an opportunity to play significant minutes. Our younger players have made great strides. But I don't think that happens without the proper leadership."

It had been mentioned that Chris Campoli had asked for a trade. As a gentleman, Snow was reluctant to give the details of those closed door conversations. He reiterated his admiration for Campoli as both a player and a person. If nothing else, the Islanders are a room full of quality, character players.

"Chris Campoli is a good, young defenseman and a great skater, he can move the puck and he has an element of offense. We gave up a good young player for a first round draft pick," Snow said. Snow was sincere and quiet in his tone. I'm sure this wasn't the easiest thing for him to do.

"We have a significant amount of draft picks in the first and second round and we're going to build this the right way." His determination to stick to the plan is apparent.

"A first round draft pick is big. As you see around the league, teams are holding onto those draft picks. It's a situation that falls into our criteria of what we have planned for the future and it's up to us to draft a good hockey player" (You hear that, Ryan Jankowski? Make it so). This draft will be huge for the Islanders.

Snow continued, "We need to build this team through the draft, and then once we draft the players we have to develop them. That's the way I see us at getting to where we want to be."

Speaking of developing young players, the development of Jack Hillen may have factored into the equation of being able to part with the likes of Campoli.

"He's come up and played extremely well, in his own right, he's a good puck moving defenseman and he can skate," Snow said. "(He is) a very smart defenseman who is a couple of years younger (than Campoli)."

Hillen will certainly get his chances to continue his development on this team.

In return for Mike Comrie and Campoli, Bryan Murray (who was the first to make a trade LAST season) sends Dean McAmmond. Basically he's a fourth-line, 15-year veteran center who has been said to have blinding speed and a propensity for injury. Wow! Could there be a better fit for the Islanders? Additionally, what is left on his contract is only a drop in the bucket compared to what the Islanders dispensed by trading off Mike Comrie.

"We're happy to have Dean in our locker room and we hope he will be a great influence on our young players," Snow said smiling.

When asked, Snow did not hesitate to praise Comrie and his time on the Islanders. "He's been first and foremost a great person. Very productive, especially last year, until he got injured. It's a situation where it will be good (for him) to go to Ottawa. It's familiar to him and we wish Mike all the best. He's a first class person."

Of course, in today's economy, we were wondering how reluctant teams would be to trade for the higher-salaried players. The Islanders don't seem to be in that boat right now to worry about salary considerations.

"The number one priority for me is to make this a championship caliber team. Any deal we make in the future will have that mindset. We know where we're going and we have a plan to get there. And this is just another example of us following through with our plan."

Translation: "I ain't done yet."

Bottom line: "Draft & Develop."

We waited around for quite awhile before Scott Gordon returned after practice for his turn in front of the tape recorders. Tom Liodice and I were joking that he was taking as long as possible so he wouldn't have to answer the "So, what did you tell Campoli that made him ask for a trade?"

The questions started with his thoughts on Hillen instead of his thoughts on losing Campy.

"Well obviously, Jack's come up and he's shown that his time he spent in Bridgeport was good for him," Gordon said. "He's stepped up his play and we're comfortable knowing he can play significant minutes and be able to compete at this level consistently."

As a first-year NHL coach going through trade time, Scott said he was holding his breath knowing that he would be losing a player. When it came to the problem with Campoli, Gordon stated in a fatherly manner, "I wanted Chris to want more from himself. And since we sat down, I thought he was going in the right direction. Like I told him, it's a tough situation when you have an All-Star defenseman in front of you that is as good as (Mark Streit) he is."

"Defense is something that you can get better at, and for me, he was. His compete level was higher. I had no problems with Chris." All he told him was, 'I want you to want more from yourself.'

It is obvious that Gordon is a good coach for the younger players. He is an excellent coach for the younger players. He wants to bring the best out in each of them, and wants them to reach their highest potential. As any good teacher, sometimes he may be looked at as wanting too much. But it's obvious that he may know what a player is capable of, even when that player doesn't see it in himself.

Good luck, Campoli. We will miss you in the community. We wish you all the best.

New York Islanders Launch Mobile Service; Updates Sent to Cell Phones

Dee Karl — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:51:43 -0500

The New York Islanders have launched their new Mobile Squad text messaging service this week, and fan reactions have run the gamut.

For some, this type of instant messaging is looked at as just another way to get information they would normally be getting off the Internet, but delivered to their hands like a Big Mac. For others, they look at it as an invasion of privacy and intrusion on their time.

You have to sign up for the service, but you can also stop it at any time. As this is brand new, the type of information which will be broadcast is breaking news, game recaps, and ticket sale information. Contests will be run and winners selected based off this Mobile Squad database.

I give the Islanders credit for trying to reach out to their fans and their market through new venues. Things are tough all over, and those who do not change with the times will remain stagnant.

So, if you'd like to try the service, text the word "JOIN" to 66856. Your phone plan's standard text messaging rates will apply. I don't think they will be sending out too many texts per day where they will become a nuisance, but you can always stop the service by texting STOP to the same number.

Give it a try and see how it works for you.

Why Can't the New York Isles "Build It"?

Dee Karl — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:26:05 -0500

Spotlight on the Lighthouse

It was a crisp clear day Thursday when I ventured to the EAB Plaza. I passed that lovely skating rink that was sadly closed and entered the beautiful Manhattan style office complex that is truly a wonder on this uninteresting stretch of Hempstead Turnpike. It glistens on the outside and it is captivating on the inside.

I needed help finding the elevator and the right floor. I was a tourist and they knew it. But once staring out of the 30 feet of windows in a contemporary conference room, I finally saw it. You can't really see the landscape from the ground. I drive that stretch of Hempstead Turnpike more times than I want to admit to my husband and my Dodge dealer, but I've never seen it until that Thursday.

It is empty. It is bleak. It is vast expanses of nothingness and overgrown, untended land. Oh yes, there are steam stacks from that plant that has been there since my childhood. And for miles on the horizon there is really nothing to see.

Mind you, I am a woman who marvels at the majesty of the Mount Washington Valley with its National treasure mountains rising over crystal lakes. I have been mesmerized at the Twin Cities towering over the Mississippi river and the colorful beauty of San Juan Puerto Rico from an ancient fort. There are landscapes in this country that will take your breath away.

And then there is this large, flat lot of grey nothing with what looks like a squished sugar cookie in the middle of it. This is the site of what could be THE landmark of Nassau County, or even this Island. IF only...IF only...

For nine long years Charles Wang and associates have been working on getting the Lighthouse project started. Not completed, just STARTED. Nine years is a long time to wait for anything. In those nine years much has changed, except this landscape.

Businesses on Long Island are hurting, and our population has actually DECREASED along with our standard of living. Our unemployment rate is higher than it has been in a very long time. We are losing jobs and even though Long Island's unemployment rate (5.8 percent in December) is lower than the national average, it still represents a lot of taxpayers without jobs. Every day a major employer announces more cutbacks, more jobs lost.

So answer me this: then why continue to keep people out of work when a green light for this project would generate jobs immediately? Our new President is looking for economic stimulus. Wouldn't a project of this magnitude be classified as "stimulus"?

What are the drawbacks here? Traffic? I'm sorry, this is an Island that has had traffic for years (There's even a joke in my family. As every State and County line has a "Welcome To" sign, we've always laughed that ours should actually say "Welcome To Long Island, We've got Traffic."). This is nothing new.

The Coliseum already exists and 16,000 people exit and spew out onto our roadways many days or nights during the year (Onto roadways that currently need renovation in most places should nothing else be developed at all!). Actually, patrons LEAVE all at once because there is not much to keep them in the area after the event.

If there were a few more restaurants right there, they would not be leaving en-mass. They would be staying for that night cap or that coffee and cheese cake. They would also be arriving earlier for that pre-event dinner. So, the development would actually CHANGE the traffic pattern which could minimize its impact.

Are you thinking water is the problem? Nope. Luckily Long Island does not have a water shortage and there is plenty for commercial use and a new well for protected potable water would be easy. So that's not it.

Power? It must be a power problem, right? Not quite. If you've been following our local newspapers, our little Island's thirst for energy is being met and then some (and we're already paying for it, although it wouldn't hurt to conserve a little at home).

Garbage and sewage? Being surrounded by water with very few exits out and a thirst for consumable goods, garbage and sewage are an ISLAND WIDE concern and problem (Anyone remember the garbage barge with no where to go years ago?). Again, nothing new, but there are solutions out there and engineers to explain how the solutions work, and they DO work.

It's a money problem then? This doesn't seem right to me as this project isn't looking for public funds to develop the area. And the tax revenue generated for the township and the county would have to be far higher than what they are getting now from this land in its current state of nothingness.

Attention Citizens! This is not about hockey or the Islanders. This is about working and living on Long Island. Why are we being denied this opportunity? I'd like to understand it. Not political rhetoric and finger pointing. Please no more passing the party line buck. I don't care what political party is responsible. Show me and the rest of Long Island the diagram from point "A" to point "Z" and tell me where we are—for real.

February 21 is Town Of Hempstead appreciation night at the Coliseum. Personally, I would like to see representatives from the Town Of Hempstead speak to the fans, the residents and the tax payers.

And I would like to see us, the fans from other counties, the residents of Hempstead township; it's 22 villages and 35 hamlets come together and ask why there is a delay of this project when thousands of jobs that are so desperately needed are right there—waiting.

Can you support the project by attending the game on 2/21/09?

We'll talk more as information becomes available. The spotlight is on. We're waiting for an answer. After nine years I think everyone deserves it.

Maple Leafs Practice Through the Eyes of an Islanders Fan

Dee Karl — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:01:20 -0500

And there I was again, sitting alone in the third row far away from the "real media" at the Coliseum on a Friday off from work. I had done this once before in March when Paul Maurice was running the drills and Cliff Fletcher sat quietly holding court in the stands.

I remember two things most vividly about that practice; first the ear-piercing, high-pitched whistle of Paul Maurice that blew constantly until I thought my ears would bleed. And secondly, the man I was there to see completely ignoring me. Was I in for another morning of audio abuse and emotional anguish? I hoped not.

At 11:30 a.m., new coach Ron Wilson led the Leafs onto the ice one at a time. It was quiet, too quiet. But the silence was broken by three boys running through the seats and down to the glass. Like a bad habit, ex-Islander Jason Blake skated to the bench, did his calculated number of stretches and series of quick starts and stops in the eight feet of ice directly in front of my face, all without saying a word.

There is over 250 feet of fresh ice, for six years now; he has always chosen the one area where I and my camera could not miss him. Like a shark in a tank, he darted back and forth inches from the glass, never making eye contact until just as in the Boston Aquarium; the pattern was broken by the banging on the glass of precocious children trying to get his attention.

“Blakie! Blakie!” And just like that shark in the tank, he bristled and skated away towards the bench. The children followed, not to be ignored. “Blakie!” He gave in to their demands for attention,“What’s up little Sillinger?” The exchange lasted only a few seconds and then for entertainment value, Blake slammed a fellow team mate into the boards with a loud crash that made me flinch in my seat. The boys giggled and ran off.

The melodic tone of what sounded like a train whistle broke the icy air’s silence and in an instant, the entire Leafs squad, all in their blue practice jerseys skated quickly around the ice perimeter for one lap and then stopped.

I am used to seeing practice at Iceworks and the Islanders in their different colored jerseys, I could only wonder if this monochromatic design keeps the media from determining line combinations. That is pure conjecture on my part as I never even pay attention to those things.

Watching and snapping photos, I noticed how very young some of the Leafs squad looks. The other thing most notable to me is the lack of direction they were getting and the amount of fun that some of the kids were having. Yes, I said “FUN.” There was smiling and giggles and a certain amount of horseplay. This didn’t seem like serious business, this seemed relaxed. But it was the day after a holiday and they were one enemy turf.

As I wasn’t smart enough to bring a copy of the Leafs roster with me, I jotted down the numbers on the back of the helmets; 14, 80, 41, 84, 23. My notes have a circle around 23 with the note, “Boy, can he skate!” I didn’t realize it was Ponikarovsky until later. And to be honest next to 14, Matt Stajan, I did write “really cute.” So sue me. I'm a blogger, I don't have to be 100 percent professional!

Luke Schenn, the boy who could have been an Islander, was also on the ice even though he is on their IR list. And 44, and that ridiculous porn star mustache of his, was also quite noticeable. Probably because I just can’t stand him. I mumbled under my breath every time he skated by.

By 12:01 p.m., what seemed to be a minor Christmas miracle occurred. While lined up with his teammates at the glass two feet from my eyes, Jason Blake actually stopped, made eye contact with me, waved and mouthed “Hi.” Attempting to disguise my sheer surprise at the occurrence, I waved like a two-year-old and said “Hi” back. Knowing my eyes cannot hide anything, I’m sure they were screaming, “Well it’s about freakin’ time, dumb ass.”

He hasn't acknowledged me from the ice since August of 2004 when I showed up in Columbus for the World Cup exhibition game even though my camera and I were at every home game thereafter and numerous practices. It just wasn't something he did. Whether it was out of professionalism on the ice, not understanding who I was or just being cold and obnoxious, I have no idea, and I probably never will.

I wish I knew what Jason said to the players next to him about me. I can’t read lips so I don’t know if it was good or bad, but at least it wasn’t funny as none of them looked my way and broke into hysteria. For that, I was grateful.

The seemingly robotic drills continued and I watched our ex-star closely to see how he is REALLY doing. He can still fly, and he still skates beautifully. He still misses the net A LOT the first time, but he managed to pot every rebound.

The whistle sounded once again, and in unison, the team skated quickly around the perimeter once and then stopped. Did you know there are little NHL logos on the Plexiglas in the lower corners of each pane? I didn’t until then.

Many of the veterans skated off towards the locker rooms followed by the “real media.” I sat alone in the cold watching the few players that remained take face off practice. I had never seen that before, and did find it somewhat interesting.

I began to feel a little lonely as I hadn’t seen any familiar friendly faces that I usually run into at these things; the PR guys who are usually wandering around were busy entertaining the media, my blogger buddies were working and my phone wasn’t ringing. It was just me, my camera, my note pad and some guy with a video camera that seemed somewhat lost.

I started to pack up just as one of my media friends walked out of the tunnel. “Dee! Sorry, I got your text message but I couldn’t respond. I was interviewing Jason.” Considering that was what I had really wanted to do, I stifled the desire to say “Son of a Bi***h!“ out loud. The five questions that I've carried around for four years, that I now have on my digital recorder will continue to wait to be answered by him.

“How was your Christmas?” The question brought me back to the moment. We made small talk for a few minutes and then we talked about the Islanders' 10-game losing streak.

“I say it goes to 12. I’m thinking an even dozen.” I said only half believing myself.

“Oh no. They’ll win tonight. I can guarantee it.” He said confidently.

“Guarantee? There are no guarantees in this game.” But he insisted.

Ultimately, he was right. Having not seen the Islanders practice on Friday I had no idea that Rick DiPietro was a possibility for the evening game. But with DiPietro returning to the net as the Islanders fan’s belated Christmas present, the Islanders managed to pull out a 4 - 1 victory to break a 10-game slump.

I’m glad that ear-piercing whistle of Paul Maurice’s is no longer running the Leafs’ practice. I can’t believe no one shoved it down his throat. And I’m glad that Jason Blake looked as good as he did.

As we head into the New Year, I wish our ex-Islander well and hope he can have an injury-free balance of the season with decent stats for the year. Actually I want that as much for him as I do for me, just so that I don’t have to hear Garth Snow tell me again, “See Dee, what did I tell you?”

The International Brotherhood Of Hockey

Dee Karl — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 02:21:59 -0500

It's Christmas morning and I'm living on four hours of sleep. My refrigerator is packed so tight with leftovers, you can't even see the light. Things need to be put away, and serve ware needs to be cleaned, but not before I have my coffee and cinnamon rolls, and browse through the Internet to see what I have missed since yesterday.

And What to my Wondering Eyes does appear—but an article on Richard Park being honored by NY State. Oddly, I don't remember getting THAT press release. Oh, that's right. We DIDN'T get it. Did you know that December 23rd was Richard Park day in New York State? Of course you didn't, unless you read Jason Lockhart's article on the Islanders website.

Diversity in hockey is what the state was honoring, and what the Islanders are promoting. Once again select Isles staffers are off to China for project Hope. This year sees the first tournament named after Mr. Wang.

The Nassau County Mustangs will be representing the USA as they play against teams from China and Finland. They and their families won this chance of a lifetime by selling over $78,000 in the Islanders Pucks into Bucks fund raising program.

What a splendid way to promote hockey and friendship among nations. Which brings me to my next thought.

Ex-Isles staffer Adam Sherlip, who was involved with Project Hope last season, has found a new calling. He was so touched by the experience in China that he would like to bring Hockey and all it brings with it to more far off places on the globe.

"To Adam, hockey embodies many of the virtues that we all strive to embody in our daily practice: teamwork, selflessness, loyalty, honesty and accountability."

At first, I wasn't too sure about his very lofty goal of bringing Hockey to the Himalayas. I can't even spell Himalayas without copying it from his website. But the more I talked to him, the more I realized what a truly noble cause he is attempting.

So check out Adam's website to learn more about his Hockey Volunteer program by clicking the link and realize that hockey is more than a game. It is a chance to bring people together in a world that needs far more peace and friendship.

So congratulations Richard Park and Charles Wang, and best of luck to you Adam Sherlip. Merry Christmas Hockey fans!

Islanders-Wild: A "Wild" Loss in St. Paul for the NYI Islanders

Dee Karl — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 02:36:25 -0500

This was one of my favorite photos from my brief stay in St. Paul in 2004. This was my view of the Mississippi River from my hotel room, two blocks away from the Excel Center. It may have been what the Islanders saw yesterday morning as they awoke to start a new day.

Yesterday was rife with controversy as the much-reported Newsday headline announced "Witt Blames Gordon for Defensive Woes." Story on A80.

I'm certain that's not the way Scott Gordon wanted the day to begin. There were already difficult decisions made on roster moves to accommodate Mike Comrie and Kyle Okposo returning from IR.

To add responding to comments by Brendan Witt regarding his system just had to put more pressure on an already stressed rookie NHL coach. But he did handle it as best he could. He agreed, to some extent, and then said there was nothing more to say about it.

Moreover, I enjoyed Doug Weight's comments about the system in this morning's article by Greg Logan. I did not, however, enjoy the back cover photo and the headline "System Failure." I understand it, but I don't have to like it.

"Our system is fine for what we have to do," Weight said. "It's a good system. We have to do it. That's just our fault of not doing a good job of back checking or being in position. We have to be more consistent as a team, do a lot of talking and be confident in where we're supposed to be."

In other words: DO YOUR JOB, AND DO IT RIGHT.

I watched the game in the comfort of my living room while wrapping presents last night. My husband watched the last seven minutes of it at the Fire Dept. with some of his buddies. I was greeted this morning by the following Islander fan quotes.

"We have HOPE not talent."
"We keep the guys with the 'smarts' but not the talent."
"We can't keep pace with the other teams for 60 minutes."
"We have NO pure goal scorers."
"Our lack of speed is keeping us in our own end, and our goaltender is constantly under siege."
"Our lack of skill is keeping us from scoring."
"Bailey and Okposo should not be playing with Mike Comrie. They
should have been playing with Satan."

I wanted to put Bailey's in my coffee this morning after hearing all this. But they are not wrong. They are just the disgruntled fanbase watching the eighth loss in a row and waiting for our prospects to give them something to cling to.

On the other side of the coin, I'm sure the Wild would like to thank the NY Islanders for helping to break their losing streak last night. What team will break the Islanders own slump? Will it be Nashville? How about Atlanta on Tuesday? Will it be the Leafs on Friday the 26th? Or will this be the longest slump in Islanders history?

How do they solve the defense problem now that Sutton is out with a broken foot from a blocked shot in the first period of last night's game? He was the only big body that could actually play.

Yes, everyone complained that Fritz was a spectator last night with the best seat in the house, but seriously, Fritz only has one purpose and it wasn't needed last night.

Sim was playing hard but also as if he were deaf and desperate, and couldn't hear the whistle as he tried to stuff the puck under Backstrom.

A Gillies got his first NHL goal. A Bailey is still waiting for his own.

As if karma was playing a little game with him, Witt was knocked around a little by Cal Clutterbuck on more than one occasion. And a bratty kid with a Wild tattoo on his face gave Gordon raspberries behind the bench. This made the broadcast. Like he really needed to be taunted by an eight-year-old when he has the press to do that for him.

"Turnovers and decisions not to shoot the puck." That was Gordon's only answer to the loss. "The one thing they (the Wild) don't do is beat themselves." Gordon is losing his patience, as we all are. December is never a good month for the New York Islanders. But this December has been exceptionally brutal.

But as the sun rises once again, it's a new day. And with a new day comes a new opportunity. I wonder what the sunrise looks like in Nashville.

Enjoy your Saturday people.

Vote For Your Favorite NYI Fan Blogger Of '08

Dee Karl — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:59:11 -0500

Who is the NY Islanders "best" (non-sponsored) fan blogger? We ALL are! But then again, contests are contests and people love to vote for their favorites. So here is your chance to let your Internet voice be heard.

To start, log onto www.yesislanders.com for more details on the rules of the contest. Register to vote or register your very own NYI blog. Let's show the hockey community that Islanders fans ARE the most passionate and web savvy fans in the NHL!

Voting begins tomorrow, December 1 and runs through New Years Eve. Voting is not limited to one blog per person. You can vote for as many blogs as you want, but you can only vote for each one once. But feel free to promote as many bloggers as you like. Also, if you know of any NYI bloggers out there that might want to be up for consideration, tell them to stop by the site ASAP, register, and add their own blog.

Blogs can be added at any time until the end of the voting.

This is going to be hard for me to vote on, because all my NYI Blog Box buddies are my "favorite."

And for all my NY Islander ramblings, check www.7thwoman.blogspot.com.

On the Set with CJ Papa, NY Islanders Announcer

Dee Karl — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:47:12 -0400

The hardest part about blogging is having the time to write everything I want to write. It kills me when I have such a great time doing something but don't have a chance to put it all out there until days later or even weeks.

Such is the case with an interview I had with a man that I consider one of the hardest working broadcasters in sports: CJ Papa.

I first met CJ in January of 2006 when he interviewed me during a TV time-out, part of my 7th Man promo winnings. I told Islanders Game Ops Mike Sciortino (the poor man who was stuck with me for a day) that if I had a choice as to who would interview me on camera, I'd prefer in-arena announcer CJ.

At the time, I didn’t even know he worked for TV10/55. I thought he was just part of the Islanders organization.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sick. I'll try not to cough on you."

That was the first thing he said to me. But because he is a consummate professional, as soon as the camera was on, no one could tell he was at death's door. He's hardly ever rattled during a live feed. The only exception was one on-air giggle fest this summer that got the entire news crew of TV10/55 going while they were live. (Wonder if it will ever show up on ABC Bloopers.)

I've been trying to interview CJ since May. But his schedule is so hectic and changeable that we couldn’t make it work.

"Come by the station, and I'll show you around," he said on the phone. Hell! You don’t have to ask me twice! And how convenient since TV10/55 is less than two miles from my own office. I was there in a matter of minutes.

"Have a seat. You can tell which desk is mine. Just look for the photos."

I certainly could tell which desk was his, because it looked a hell of a lot like mine—cluttered with newspaper clippings taped to the wall. The only differences were the amazing amount of TV monitors throughout this large room crowded with people, technical hardware, and reference materials.

We walked into a small office behind a glass wall that had a desk crowded with awards. CJ is most proud of this year's award from the New York State Broadcasters Association for "Outstanding Sportscast" for WLNY’s coverage of the Giants at the Super Bowl. Producer Kurt Semder and freelance sports anchor Amy McGorry share this prestigious award. I will say, the amount of awards this local station has accumulated is indeed impressive.

Thinking it would be too noisy and crowded by his desk in the newsroom, CJ walked me into the empty studio. We sat at the news desk and I giggled at the phone books on the chairs. It seems they just don't go up high enough behind the beautiful wood and Formica desk. Being all of 5' tall, I certainly understand that dilemma.

I started by asking him how he got his start in broadcasting. Perhaps it was a lifelong dream, or maybe he was an aspiring athlete who knew he just wouldn’t make it in the big leagues. I was shocked and surprised at his first answer.

"I went to NYU to be a dentist." He was serious.

"I'm sorry. What?" I had to stop. I just didn't expect it.

“It's true. I took science classes my first year and did okay and realized I was at the radio station all the time. And after my freshman year, I said, 'I think I want to do this and become some sort of broadcaster.'

"At the time, it wasn't the way it is now, where everyone has a camera and puts themselves on YouTube. So I figured I'd just be a radio guy. I was taking the TV classes and I learned a lot about writing. We totally learned how to write. Whereas now, you can be on TV and you may not be the best writer, but you can still be a great broadcaster.

"After college I got an internship at SportsChannel, and I worked for a show called NY Sports Nightly and was a font coordinator intern."

That's where he met Josh Bernstein, Islanders VP of Communications. They were both working on NY Sports Nightly when they went national.

"It's so weird. It comes in a circle. The studio at Hofstra was our studio for a professional show: Dempster Hall. And directly across the street was a little house called Hamilton House, and that’s where we did the production. Then we'd run the tape across the street into the studio and play it.

"I didn't do as much of the running because I was already in the studio writing cards for the anchors. Back then, there was no Internet. You'd read the ticker and write a card about a game, and, when the score came up, the anchor would take the card and read it. It was OK. Sometimes they'd yell at you if they couldn't read your writing. But that's how I started."

He then started his own segment called "Future Star," where he'd take a cameraman out into the field and do a story on some outstanding athlete. SportsChannel saw the segments and liked them, so they let CJ do cut-ins for The World of International Sport. They weren't quite the X-Games, but it was good enough for him to be recognized as a possible anchor.

"When the NHL went to SportsChannel and it became SportsChannel America, I filled in for Bob Papa (any relation? Nope!). And I did some in between hockey cut-ins. Then I became an anchor for Sports Nightly. And that's how I started being on the air every night."

I asked CJ what his worst interview story was, and he mentioned how Bill Parcels snapped at him years ago when he asked him a question. In Parcels' defense, he treated all the media the same way…poorly. He said his best story was going to the Super Bowl this year.

"It was a tremendous week. I flew in Wednesday and shot a story. Wednesday night it was edited, and we got it on the air. Did a live wraparound on Wednesday night. Thursday I was with the Giants and interviewed seven or eight guys at the hotel. Edited that in the field and fed it back. Friday night Amy and I did a fan's piece, 'Does the rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox equate to Giants versus Patriots?' We found tons of fans from both sides.

"And then working the Super Bowl. The best thing was being on the field when the Giants won. I'm a devout Jets fan, and I hate the Patriots, and I have no problem saying that, because if I didn't say that I'd be lying. But watching the Giants win the way they did was unbelievable. And being on the field and interviewing the players at the same time. It was tremendous."

Having seen him in action during the season, I asked him what a typical game day was like. I got dizzy.

He said he would usually go to the morning skate (in Uniondale), get the game notes, chat with Chris King and Steve Mears, then go work out the story lines for the night. He'd ask a player to be the pre-game interview victim (I mean subject) for the night so he would know to be ready immediately after the pre-game skate.

CJ then drives back to the station in Melville to look for footage to be edited before 3 p.m. He puts his rundown together and leaves by 4:30 to head back to Uniondale, bucking the L.I.E. traffic to arrive by 5:30.

"It depends on the story line of the game. The stat sheet from in-between periods. The stuff during the game is all ad-lib, off-the-cuff, based on what you've just seen. Hopefully you know what to watch for. The fans at the Coliseum are very knowledgeable. They listen to you and let you know if you're wrong. It's nice knowing you have fan feedback because you want to contribute to their experience.

"It's a long day on game days. But I'm lucky. I am so lucky. I work in sports, I work with athletes, I go to sporting events, and I work for a hockey team. People would trade places with me."

I asked him if he had a favorite Islander story, but he had to think about it. As we continued our conversation, CJ gave me a completely unprovoked opinion of the NYI Blog Box concept.

"I think the BlogBox is great because it gives the fans a chance to get a different perspective on what they see. You know, we're paid journalists, and some people don't have an attachment to the team like the bloggers do. The bloggers obviously have an attachment, and it's funny—the emotional aspect of the blogs is so different from the cold, hard sort of here-we-go-with the-game story. I think it's a nice outlet that the Islanders have. I don't know if other teams do that."

I explained that not many teams currently do, so I guess Chris Botta should start making the rounds and show them how it's done, but he seems to be quite busy 24/7 with his own blogging venture. At least we know the NHL said credentialing bloggers is perfectly fine, so why not!

Then something hit him almost mid-sentence on a different train of thought: the strangest Islanders story in his recollection. Halloween, two years ago, one of the more prominent fans, John Ballantyne from section 329 (Beaker), dressed up as CJ. They used a clip of it on TV10/55.

"He dressed up as me! He wore a jacket and tie and a press pass and made his hair salt and pepper, and he had a microphone. We put him on the board with the Islanders, and then they shot 10 seconds of the two of us standing together, and we used it in the highlights here."

CJ has been working with the Islanders for the last four years, and during that time he's been asked to do many things. One of his proudest recent moments was hosting the Scott Gordon press conference live on ITV.

"That was awesome!"

He's also been asked to do some voice work for the Islanders Illustrated MSG Plus show and several ITV features.

"I only do whatever Josh (Bernstein) asks me to do." Just like the rest of us, CJ.

I asked him what he sees for himself in the future.

"Working in sports, being a sportscaster, and seeing the Islanders raise a Stanley Cup. That would be a dream of mine. To be working for the team and to be standing by the ice when that happens."

That's every Islanders fan's dream, CJ, to see them raise the cup once again.

Thanks for the face time and good luck in your new gig! See ya 'round the rink!

CJ Papa will be moving up to MSG Plus to replace Deb Placey as the Islanders' correspondent. We wish both CJ and Deb much success in their new positions.

Scott Gordon: New York Islanders Coach, Teacher on Ice

Dee Karl — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:07:15 -0400

Okay, I'm a bad girl. I took a few hours for mental health reasons from work this morning. I went to Ice Works to watch Scott Gordon in action for the first time. I must say...

I'M DAMN IMPRESSED!!!

The NY Islanders held prospect mini-camp in Syosset from Monday to Wednesday of this week. I couldn’t get there on the first two days. But I headed out this morning for the last day.

When I pulled up, there were some players outside about to start conditioning drills. I didn’t stop to watch. It’s one thing to sit at the rink and watch. It’s another to stand by a fence in 80 degree weather and gawk and young men in shorts and t-shirts.

Uh, no. I sat with the computer in the bleachers just to watch and listen.

I was pleasantly surprised. Oh look! REAL DRILLS!! Real instruction and a whistle that doesn't stop. They huddle, they're told what to do, they get a little confused—but that's okay. They're young. He's patient. He tells them again. He stops them, tells them what they did wrong and they go back at it.

No, there was no fatherly yelling—there was coaching. Which was nice to see. The other coaches hadn't said boo yet. They were all just hanging back, waiting. They stood leaning on sticks by the benches. They included Islander greats Ken Morrow and Bryan Trottier, as well as all the Sound Tiger coaches.

Gordon reminds me a lot of Brad Shaw out there on the ice. I have a very good feeling about this. As good a coach as Ted Nolan is, he seemed far more “hands off.” He seemed to believe his players would just listen to him and do.

Scott Gordon seems to expect far more obedience to his direction. He would write on his white board, and the players would scatter. They’d perform, and then Gordon would go back to the board. Pardon me while I smile.

One by one, players I could recognize passed me on the bleachers. They would stop to sign autographs for whoever asked. On the ice, since there are no names on the back of the practice jerseys—a detail Gordon is looking to change.

I can only assume that the littlest kid in blue is LI native Vlad Nikiforov. I still can't say his name. He looks like he's 12. The same way Bruno—who passed me while I was writing—looked when he first came to prospect camp. He was a boy among men. And we know how he turned out.

Little Niki is fast, a little confused, but fast. His parents sat behind me. I didn’t speak to them. They were watching their son proudly.

So, while I was there this morning I did get one, maybe two pieces of new info from my good friend Isles VP Josh Bernstein.

Check out the NEW ITV video portal. It's the NHL.com TV portal, and it's awesome. There will be some great new content coming up that will entertain and impress all of us die-hard fans.

Also, check out CBS News for the "Tunnel to Towers" Run on (I believe) Sept. 28. CBS News is doing a feature segment on the Islanders and their contribution to this worthy cause. There are exclusive interviews with Campoli and Gervais as well as Chris Dey. Sounds like a great piece with some good exposure on network TV for the Islanders.

As the Zamboni was clearing off the ice, I sat waiting to see what was next.

“Dee! Dee!” The voice was familiar, but it took me a moment to look up from my laptop to see who was calling. GM Garth Snow had peeked out from behind the large posters covering the upper walkway to say "Hi" to me, which was very nice of him. But Garth is a consummate gentleman. Just one very BUSY gentleman.

I sat chatting with Katie Strang from Newsday, who reiterated that the hockey coverage should indeed expand with the Dolans in charge of the daily paper. I'm thinking it's a clever move on their part to keep us very vocal Islanders fans from yapping back at them all the time.

There were hockey bags crowding the doorway to the rink in preparation for Thursday’s exhibition game in CT at 1 pm. So much preparation. So little time.

My laptop battery began to fail. I figured that was the cosmos way of telling me to get my big butt back to work. I didn’t want to listen, so I looked around for an outlet. I found two behind vending machines and right outside the doorway to the upstairs catwalk. I thought twice, and then packed up.

I loved being able to just be at the rink typing. I know that it will be only a little while longer before I can see an actual hockey game since I’m not going to Moncton. (Neither is Katie—she's not in Newsday's budget.) I guess Greg Logan will have to be our only link to the daily goings on at camp.

Unless, of course, newly re-associated, ex-VP Chris Botta is planning on making the trip to Moncton too—then fans are assured of great behind-the-scenes coverage. What a perfect way to start his new—supposedly daily—blog venture, Islanders Point Blank, on Sept 25 than with a Training Camp recap. There is certainly the necessity of finding something to fill the void once occupied by the Moncton - Ted Nolan connection.

But this is the NY Islanders. There’s always SOMETHING interesting going on!

Scott Gordon Brings Less "Flash" and More "Faith" to the New York Islanders

Dee Karl — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:44:31 -0400

Tonight is just more proof that I'm far from being a real "journalist."

I can't work on deadline to save my life. It's now 7:52 pm, and I'm just sitting down to write this.

Some times I wonder why I—or any of us—write what was said, because ITV always has the entire interview posted online within hours. So you can hear and see exactly what Scott Gordon had to say at this press conference, even though you can't hear what is being asked of him by the reporters.

He seemed genuinely grateful for this opportunity—but as I said earlier, a little overwhelmed. He definitely doesn't strike me as "flashy," by any stretch of the imagination.

I will say it was a nice little touch to have that orange and blue tie. Probably a suggestion of his wife, Jennifer.

Gordon seems to be more the type who is going to do (or try to do) exactly what Garth was looking for a coach to do—inspire and motivate. He already understands how difficult it is to deal with adversity, and keeping the desire and belief in players to be able to win.

He said there's a light at the end of the tunnel and he's happy to be a part of the team. Like last year, I'm just hoping that light isn't attached to a freight train heading in his direction. Because he will get crushed. I am worried that his inexperience with the media and a rabid— and larger than he's used to—fan base.

The item I found the funniest of the presser was when Garth Snow shut Newsday's Mark Herrmann down in his questioning. The question at hand from Mr. Herrmann was "What is the 'multi-year' deal? Is it three? Is it fifteen?"

Garth gave his standard company answer—they keep those types of details in house. Then he gave the look I know all too well and have come to respect. Mr. Herrmann is a journalist, which I am not. He did not take to the "I'm not telling you, so move on." look.

Garth continued, "Does that answer your question, Mark?" Oh! There's was that glare. Don't poke the Dragon, Mark! Don't poke the Dragon!

"No." Mark answered. Duck and cover, everyone!

Snow composed himself, "Mark, I have great respect for you, so how can I put this... It's none of your damn business." The room immediately burst into laughter.

And there you have it! Garth accomplished what he set out to do. I found it funny as hell. I am not a journalist. I'm a blogger with a book in her head who likes to tell stories of what goes on that no one else is watching—like the fact that Garth is so tall and so uncomfortable at these things that I could see him kicking the curtain under the table while he was answering questions. Oh details, details, details.

According to Gordon, getting acclimated to NY, the travel schedule and the NHL may be be his hardest task at hand. "Coaching is coaching—it's the other stuff that is the hard part, and I feel that I've worked at that just as much as I've worked at anything else." Mr. Gordon, I hope you're right. But we're here for you if you need any help learning about Long Island and dealing with Islanders Country.

Okay, now for my more personal impressions of the afternoon.

This was one big work room, with one table marked "Reserved" for Gordon's family, Mr. Wang, Guerin, DiPietro, and the new kid, Bailey. His two boys were fascinated by the Islander glasses that have flashing LEDs in them. They collected and played with them on the floor.

Brad Kurtzberg and I were asked very politely to move from the seats we were in, and I immediately headed toward the back of the room. I was told. "No, right up front. Sit here." I didn't have time to protest, as Chris King had stepped up to the podium to begin. At least I was close enough to hear Garth even without the microphones.

I had actually come prepared with one question. I didn't think I'd be able to ask because I knew there were so many reporters in the room, but I figured at least I was coming prepared.

Within the first 45 seconds of Garth being up at the podium, he basically asked and answered the question I had typed out for myself. I folded the paper back up and put it back in my purse. So much for that.

I listened quietly and intently, as the cameraman sitting next to me darted up and down close to the floor trying to get a good angle for photos. More than a few times, his camera lens that could see to Mars was stretched across my lap. I wish he had introduced himself—it would have made the situation a little more comfortable.

Once the Q&A portion was over, I watched as this hoard of media literally rushed the front area. They had removed the podium and tables so that Garth and Gordon were standing against the logo backdrop. I thought they were going to get crushed.

I had never seen anything like it. There were reporters standing on chairs pointing cameras over their heads.

I watched Stan Fischler interview Snow close enough to tango with him. But he had nowhere else to go. (BTW, it's the best interview out there!) There were arms and cameras and microphones and lights everywhere. Was this a hockey press conference or a Britney Spears sighting? I couldn't tell.

I stayed back and watched CJ Papa film an interview for Channel10/TV55, probably his fifth interview on the subject in less than 12 hours. CJ has to easily be the hardest-working TV sports guy in the business. Catch him on ITV and the 11pm News.

I stopped to talk to the man in charge of merchandising. Once again, I badgered him about Bergenheim t-shirts and jerseys being available at the store or the coliseum concourse. Once again, I got the answer that the t-shirts didn't have enough sale potential at this time, but that his jersey IS available at the Team Store. He also said that since any jersey could be made in two days, he didn't see the problem.

Well, Mr. Goldstein, as I told you, I have been promoting this boy since he came here at 18, and I'm trying to watch out for him. When I mentioned that Okposo's jersey was available on the concourse the day he hit the coliseum ice, he smiled at me and said "But yes, he was our first-round pick."

I smiled back, "So was Sean, in 2002!"

"Oh, I wasn't here then." I thanked him for the information and walked away before he realized he was dealing with a mother bear trying to protect her cub. But no, I'm not done with this. Part of me thinks that Sean is still paying for the sins of Gandler.

I watched as everyone worked and ate. Lunch looked lovely, but the dental work is still making it hard to eat. I stopped to talk to Stan Fischler before I left. He told me to tell my husband to relax about this hiring move. "I had a tip on this guy long before anyone mentioned him. Everyone raves about him." Now that's a glowing review. And after everything I've read, I think I have to agree with him.

One more detail that you may not hear from anyone else is a second-hand quote from Bobby Nystrom last night to an Islanders employee, when he heard it was Scott Gordon that was chosen as head coach: "Good! Not another NHL re-tread!"

Well, if he's good enough for Bobby, he's good enough for me!

Also: Looks like once again Botta was "bang on," as they say in Canada, as he picked the day the announcement would be made. Always entertaining reading from a truly unique perspective.

Garth Snow's Big Decision: Who Gets the New York Islanders' Coaching Job?

Dee Karl — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:56:14 -0400

Wow! I didn’t really think the choice, or lack thereof, a new head coach for the New York Islanders would cause such a ruckus. But here I am on a boring Sunday in August, and I’m reading article after article and message thread upon thread about just that.

Who is Garth Snow going to pick for head coach? When is he going to tell everyone? Was he really LOOKING for a coach, or is this just a “charade”?

Today’s big “scoop” comes from an article by Islanders beat writer Greg Logan of Newsday, regarding the search being narrowed down to the final three hopefuls. Truth be told, this info was sort of filtering its way through the Internet late yesterday as well, causing quite a stir in the blogosphere.

If you really want to know, yesterday Garth announced to one fan attending the Re/Max Open House that the new coach had indeed been chosen—and was standing next to him. “She’s right here!” Garth grinned from ear to ear, and I just played along. The man with the Sam Elliot mustache didn’t seem quite as amused as I was with Garth’s little joke.

When the man finally realized that there was no way that Mr. Snow was going to give him any further information, he moved along and I continued to chat with him. “Thank you SOOOO much for not hiring John Tortorella.” I said, completely serious.

“Why? You didn’t want him?” He looked down at me quizzically, as there is about a 12-inch height difference between us, even in my exceptionally high bright orange sandals.

“Tortorella is a good coach—he’s just not good for us.” I have thought this from day one and continued, “You put two strong personalities in one room, there’s sure to be fire. No, my personal choice would have to be Paul Maurice.”

“You don’t like Bob Hartley?” He seemed genuinely interested in my opinion. Too bad, I really didn’t have one. Wouldn’t you know…?

I wouldn’t’ know Bob Hartley if I fell over him. I’ve heard the name of course, and read some of the articles, but I don’t know enough about him to make any valid comments, especially not to the Islanders GM. Thank goodness he didn’t ask me what I thought about reported third coaching prospect, Scott Gordon from the Providence AHL team. I know even less about him.

Trying to think about how I was going to get out of this conversation without looking silly, I just stated my reasoning for thinking Maurice was the best candidate.

“I live surrounded by Islander Dynasty Era Die-Hards. I know for a fact that if you chose a coach who doesn’t have enough NHL experience, and those fans will be disgruntled. They will not accept that choice. You need an NHL coach, even though we will have a young team that will struggle. Maurice is 'grace under fire' and this would be a perfect place for his redemption.”

I could see he was giving my comments serious thought and needed to get a laugh in there quickly. “As long as he swallows that whistle of his that he uses for drills. It’s like nails on a chalk board; it will drive the players crazy.” Thank God! There was that smile of his. I was out of danger.

Maybe it will be Maurice, maybe it won’t be. Maybe it will be Bob Hartley, with his long-standing friendship with Garth Snow. If it’s Scott Gordon, then that’s who it will be. Although I believe Islesblogger.com brought up that Steve Stirling also was coach of the year—and we didn’t do too well under his regime.*(internet info correction: Stirling won The Hockey News' Minor Pro Coach of the Year in 2001-2002. Details, details, details.)

But I also know Garth Snow and he just loves to surprise everyone. And as we have come to believe, it’s now HIS team and HE will make the decisions he sees fit. It wouldn’t shock me in the least if the name announced in the very near future isn’t even on this short list of candidates.

According to my 14-year old, who seems to just be repeating her father’s sentiments, she turned to me Friday night as I was driving her home and sneered “Why doesn’t Snow just appoint himself head coach?”

“He’s the GM. He can’t do both.” I said to her dismissing the idea as ludicrous.

“Why not?” she continued “Apparently, he’s ‘Superman’.” I laughed so hard, I missed our turn.

Bruno Gervais: Three-Year Extension for "Home Grown" Talent

Dee Karl — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:53:21 -0400

How sad that I had to learn this great news first thing in the morning on my NYIC message board. I would have loved to have been able to wake up and find such happy news in my own e-mail inbox. But once again, I’m left to find out from other NYIC members with insomnia who post during the wee hours of the morning.

I found out about Sean Bergenheim signing a two-year deal just a few days ago in the very same way. Where's my press release? Where's the BAT SIGNAL from Uniondale? This isn't fair! Do I have to tap Greg Logan's phone in order to get the news as it breaks?

But I digress...

I’m very happy that Garth managed to lock Bruno up for an amicable three-year contract. Bruno is one of those young players who has ingratiated himself to the fans, the media, and anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting him.

Drafted in 2003 in the sixth round at the tender age of 18, I remember when he first played on the Sound Tigers during the ‘04 season. He was nothing more than a boy who looked even younger than he actually was.

Thin and pale with pouty lips and wide eyes. His English wasn’t the best, but he was a striking presence on the ice for such a young player. Still, whenever I’d see him in street clothes, I’d always comment, “Someone please feed that boy. He needs a cheeseburger.”

Teenagers are deceptively strong, and that was Bruno. Bridgeport was his training ground even though he played only 55 games with them. Then he made his way up to Uniondale, still basically just a kid. He started to grow into his body, his English improved, and his personality began to shine.

A quick-witted comedian with a charming smile, he quickly became a favorite of ITV. So much so that Josh Bernstein and his ITV staff named what became an annual award after him for the player “Most Appreciated By Islanders TV.”

The award is called the “Bruno” as it was first presented to Gervais. In 2008, it was presented to Brendan Witt by Steve Mears. Witter was surprised that it was an ACTUAL award, engraved and everything!

Gervais not only offers so much on the ice to his teammates, but so much to the Long Island community. We always talk about “home grown” talent. Well, Gervais may have been born and raised in Longueuil, QC, Canada, but he has grown into a man within the Islanders organization.

We’re lucky to have him, and I’m sure Chris Campoli is a happy man today, too. They worked so perfectly together on the ice, they never had to wonder where the other one was. When injuries began to plague them, you could see the loss.

So welcome home, Bruno. Glad to have you. And as I said when the Blog Box had the pleasure of interviewing you last season…with that accent and that smile, you could read me a cereal box and I’d pay very, very close attention.

Olympic Dreams and Real World Fears

Dee Karl — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:39:58 -0400

We interrupt my usual NYI Hockey Talk to bring you an unusual commentary.

As I left the hotel in PA Tuesday morning, I grabbed the complimentary USA Today that was slipped under my door with the bill for almost $600. I only read USA Today when I’m traveling. It’s not a paper I seek out, but if they hand it to me, I’ll read it.

Somewhere stuck in traffic on I-83, I began to read a commentary by Mike Lopresti called “An Afghan’s Olympic joy turns to Pain.” It’s a short commentary about three young women from Afghanistan who were nothing more than teenagers when they competed in Athens in 2004.

They were the first women from that war-torn country to compete and they did it for themselves, women, and their country. The best quote I could take from this USA Today article is “This is important,” Robina Muqimyar, the track sprinter, said back then. “The women of Afghanistan will know they can do anything if there is hope in the heart.”

That’s a beautiful sentiment isn’t it? Considering that the three young women who made up that group of hopeful Olympians in 2004 were not much older than my daughter and her friends, who just walked away with 2^nd place of 24 U-14 teams in PA this weekend, I couldn’t help but be overcome with emotion for them.

It seems that since Athens, these girls have been ridiculed, threatened, beaten and one has actually had to go into hiding. Mehboba Ahdyar, at only 19, was the last women left on the Afghan Olympic team, and she has disappeared. She just vanished while training in Italy in July.

Three women, girls really, tried to promote a better world, but they cannot fight religious militants and extremists and their death threats. To beat a teenage girl because she wants to be an athlete and compete on a world stage should be inexcusable in any culture or religion. What are they beating out of this girl? Only her spirit to succeed.

I think of my daughter, I think of the mothers of these girls in Afghanistan and I think of our own NYIC member, Danny B. stationed to police their border, and I cry. Sports are the one thing that are supposed to bring the world together. That’s the purpose of the Olympics. Those three teenage girls knew that in Athens in 2004. They swallowed their fears and competed.

But this year, in Beijing, it may be more about politics and terrorism than it is about our common human bonds. I am worried. I am worried for one of our softball moms, a woman I have come to know and call friend; a prominent sports editor who will be stationed in Beijing for almost three weeks.

I know she will be thinking of her daughter too while she watches so many other young girls compete for a medal. But she won’t see Mehboba Ahdyar standing on the track with the other young women from so many other countries. And that has to break any mother’s heart.

It would be good for anyone interested in any sport to remember these names. They should not be forgotten as they represent what really is happening in our world today. We in North America take so much for granted. Sometimes we need to stop and remember how truly grateful we should be.

I'm sure there will be wonderful stories of hope and triumph to come out of this year's summer Olympics. I'm just hoping that's ALL that comes out. But I'm certainly being unrealistic.

New York Islanders: Draft Day '08 Bargain Shoppers?

Dee Karl — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:32:28 -0400

I think I finally figured it out this morning—the reaction my dynasty die-hard husband has to Friday's events.

He and his buddies whom I've heard from all feel the same way. I heard it all weekend, from the most eloquent "Arrogance and ignorance are a lethal combination when you're running a hockey team," to the simplest "Hey Dee! Can you introduce me to Garth Snow? I'd like him to trade me two $20s for a $10." Ha ha, boys.

But as no one was paying attention to Saturday's draft events, because the main focus was Friday night's first round, any and all good moves made would go unnoticed for hours.

I learned about some of the additional round picks through the good graces of Tom Liodice and Mike Schuerlein, on their cell phones from the draft floor in Ottawa. I'm certain I was the only one on a softball field in New Jersey whose phone was receiving hourly updates from Ottawa.

But Monday morning, I figured out the problem the dissapointed fans were having on Friday night, whether they were at the Coliseum or frantically hitting the refresh button on their computers. It's the same thing as I have in my household when it comes to my food shopping.

My husband and daughter both WANT Honey Nut Cheerios. You know, the REAL Honey Nut Cheerios. The one that has those cute commercials they see every hour on every channel every day. Because they are the BEST, or so they have been trained to believe.

So what happens? I go to the store and come home with Toasty O's because they're half the price and have the exact same ingredients. What do I come home to? Anger! "Why can't you just buy freakin' Cheerios? What's wrong with you?"

So I tell them, "Well, I actually got three boxes of cereal for the same price I would have paid for ONE. There's MORE for the same price and it does the same job!" They don't care. They grumble and growl at me every time they open the box. So this is life in today's world.

Islander fans were sold on Cheerios. REAL Cheerios. That's all we saw for weeks. The present PR machine at work. The Islanders organization? Well, they brought home Toasty O's and a few other boxes of cereal their "family" didn't have their heart set on.

I'll confess, though. Every now and then, I do come home with REAL Cheerios—when they're on sale. And then I get, "Oh! Finally!" No difference this weekend. Garth Snow went shopping. He did what he had to. The family will just have to deal with it. In the long run, it may be better for everyone.

Ultimately though, the big difference for me on Friday was that this time—I MYSELF WANTED THE DAMN CHEERIOS!

NY Islanders: Answering The Tough Questions

Dee Karl — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:37:03 -0400

For anyone that follows the New York Islanders, you've already heard that (ex) VP of Media Relations, Chris Botta resigned his post on May 5. This was a resignation that stunned everyone close to New York hockey.

For nine days, you could find reporters and fans alike all weighing in on this unfortunate turn of events bestowing accolades and best wishes for one of the truly "good guys" in the media.

While we of the NYI Blog Box all wrote our own entries regarding our mentor on our own blog sites, Ken Rosenblatt brought the news to the Bleacher Report in his article of May 6 entitled "Does the Beat Go On..."

For many years Chris Botta was tasked with delivering all the Islander statements to the press and making them plausible. Many times, that wasn't very easy. Trades, injuries, scandals and just bad judgment calls all had his name attached to them in print.

With 20 years of Islander experience, Chris has opened up his own blog to the public to answer the tough questions about the team or just hockey in general.

Botta is an exceptional writer, humorist and now historian, and this is a rare opportunity that's available for only a limited time. So check out www.nyipointblank.blogspot.com and ask away. But hurry! He's closing up shop come July 7.

For years no one was as open or honest with the media or the fans as this guy. He truly is one of the industry's best and there is a huge hole in the Islander heart without him there. Bigger and better things are in store for Chris Botta, and we all wish him the best.

The Stars were Not Aligned for the Rangers

Dee Karl — Mon, 05 May 2008 01:07:10 -0400

The media hype surrounding the possibility of a 3-0 comeback by the New York Rangers over the Pittsburgh Penguins was astounding.

Usually, I am the only one who brings up such celestial possibilities. After all, I’m the one who reports the Full Moon Thursday over the Coliseum theory.

But the 3-0 comeback story is what hockey lore is made of. And as of right now, the only two stories remain: 1942 Maple Leafs, 1975 NY Islanders.

This is New York, and the Ranger/Islanders rivalry never ends until the last puck is dropped. So the possibility of this year’s Ranger squad adding their name to this very short list of come-back kids didn’t sit well with Islander fans, and the media outlets fed the fire.

THIRTY THREE YEARS!!! Thirty Three years! That’s what we were told. There were 33 years between the Leafs and the Islanders performing this feat of sheer will. It’s been exactly 33 years since it was last done.

But it got better.

Other ominous signs were thrown at us too. The Rangers play on 33^rd street, and the last time it was done was in a series against the Penguins. Oooohhh…. I had chills.

Then I turned my attention to the Sharks vs. Dallas series, and they too were looking for their own signs of hope. The most humorous I found was that 1975 was also the year that a major cult classic movie came out—Jaws. The Sharks fans had their own vision of glory.

In Montreal, the papers were filled with news, "what if’s" and scenarios.

Oh, wait. That’s a normal news day in Montreal where the papers will have 27 pages of hockey coverage when there’s nothing really going on.

So three teams seemed poised to find their way into the history books by finding the will, determination and fortitude it takes to come back and win four in a row.

By Sunday night, three teams were no longer poised to join the list. The Rangers lost to the Penguins in overtime on Sunday afternoon, after coming back from a 2 -0 deficit in the early minutes o the third period. A

s I sat in the truck with the XM radio on listening intently, I thought it was actually possible. Could the Rangers win the game and force a game six? It was more than possible. I had to keep leaving the radio and running to the softball field to keep an eye on my daughter’s tournament game, but I couldn’t concentrate well enough to operate the ScoreStix. I apologized to the other parents, and headed back to the truck to find out how this game would end.

At 7:10 of overtime, Marion Hossa ended the Rangers season, and their cosmic possibilities. They were in good company with Montreal having been thrown out of the race to the History books less than 24 hours earlier.

I will admit, I had a bounce in my step as I went back to the field to give the heartbreaking news to my friend, the die-hard Ranger fan. As he stood by the fence, in his Ranger t-shirt, he took his eyes off the softball field for just a moment to see my reaction which would herald the fate of his team before I even uttered a word.

I was still 100 feet away from him when I just raised my arms to the sun, and threw my head back like a Russian gymnast who had just stuck a 10.0 landing.

He just shook his head in disappointment. Season over.

By this morning, the San Jose Sharks were also no closer to landing that third spot in history. Dallas advances and the Sharks start packing. Oh well.

The final four teams are now set. If one of them goes down early to a 3 - 0 deficit, I’m sure that this “33 year” story will find its way back onto the sports pages.

And who knows…. Maybe this IS the year it will happen again. I’ll bet there are a few sports writers in PA, Detroit and Dallas who are trying to make the connections.

This is Hockey, and every day until the final day of the Stanley Cup playoffs new stories for the history books will be made. There will be stories of strength, determination, glory and defeat. This is what they work for all season long. The chance to get closer to that sacred chalice.

And if no other team has to come back from 3 - 0 this year….well… I guess the NY Islanders record will just have to stand. Just like so many of their other records.

Enjoy Round three!

Rangers-Devils: An Islanders Fan's Absolutely MADDEN-ing! Series

Dee Karl — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:29:39 -0400

As an Islander fan, you find yourself rooting for any team that plays against the New York Rangers. It’s just the way it goes.

Maybe it’s not the same for the Ranger fans, but with their team in the playoffs right now, we just can’t help ourselves. With that being said, it’s no wonder I basically became a New Jersey Devils fan for the past few weeks, as they played the Rangers in the first round.

I wore red and black to show my support each game day they played. Mostly to annoy my Ranger fan co-workers who donned their Ranger shirts to work. They were going to poke comments at me any way about Islander tee times, so why not give them fuel for the fire. Besides, there is Islander royalty on that Devils team with Brent Sutter behind the bench and Parise in the line-up.

We know how this series ended. Not quite a sweep by the Rangers, but not the outcome Islander Country was looking for. But in all honesty, considering the way these two teams played each other during the course of the regular season, it’s no surprise.

The Devils attained the lowest number of points in the metro challenge. The Rangers just had their number. Hell, if the Islanders had played the Devils in the first round of playoffs, THEY would have advanced even with the team being essentially the Sound Tigers. They just couldn’t get it together against their tri-state rivals.

It was painful to watch a usually amazing Zach Parise have no luck whatsoever against the Rangers in this series. He couldn’t connect with the back of the net. He seemed snake bitten.

And then there was Madden; the man who will spend his summer months reliving two key moments over and over. The bounce off Marc Staal’s skate that gave the Devils their one-game win, and the penalty shot he missed that may have allowed the Devils to play another day.

I’ve been told that in the shootout situation, the odds are with the goalie. But this was a must-win, do-or-die situation for the Devils. It didn’t happen.

Lunquist was quoted in Newsday as saying "It was a close call, I try to be ready for anything when it comes to shootouts or a breakaway, just try to be patient." I think that was kind. What he really should have said was “I’m really just THAT good.”

The camera zoomed in on Madden at the bench, shaking his head and mumbling to himself. It also caught Sutter running through his own possible fate in his head as he watched the Rangers win the game and send the Devils home far earlier than he wanted.

Now you may be asking yourself (and cursing me at the same time) what does this Islander fan care about to actually be writing today? Simple. While I was watching the reaction of Sutter as the game came to an end, it struck me. If indeed there is a problem between Ted Nolan and Islanders’ management (and again, we really don’t have any concrete evidence that there is!!), then would an unemployed Brent, Islander Royalty, Sutter be a likely candidate to take his place?

After all, wasn’t the buzz before Nolan took the job that Sutter just didn’t want to leave the Red Deer Rebels at the time? One can only wonder…as there is nothing much else for us Islander fans to do for the next few months.

Oh well…I guess I’ll have to go out and get a Komisarek jersey now with the idea that Montreal will beat the Bruins and move onto round two. After all, Komisarek IS from West Islip, so even HE is actually…an ISLANDER.

Sean Avery: When "Bad Boy" Is Bad for Hockey

Dee Karl — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:24:27 -0400

Class vs. Classless—that's the perfect way to describe the Devils vs. Rangers Game Three that I witnessed Sunday night.

I’ll give Big Angry Man the credit for the tag line, as it was his impression of what we saw. This particular game was just difficult to watch, even more so than the first two Devils’ losses.

I’m just getting sick and tired of watching Zach Parise getting mugged. The kid has already lost his two front teeth by taking a stick to the mouth. The Rangers have taken every liberty with him that they can and it’s frustrating to watch.

How many times can he take a high stick to the mouth with no penalty? How many times can he be the little weeble that bounces back up every time he is knocked to the ice? How many painkillers does he need to take just to "lace 'em up!"?

Like most hockey players, he is a noble warrior.

But Sunday night, in this game that I love, I witnessed the absolute epitome of classless behavior in what agitator Sean Avery did Marty Brodeur in the second period.

Marty must have said something about Avery's mother, because Brodeur was in Avery's face all night. In the first period, Avery purposely backed into Marty at the top of the crease which earned him a penalty. Of course Avery tried to play it off as if he is perfectly innocent. “Whaatt?? What did I do? What is he doing there?” Avery knows full well that Brodeur plays further outside the net than anyone else. He knew exactly what he was doing, and the video replay only confirmed it.

But that wasn’t quite enough for Avery.

In his twisted little mind, he had to come up with something else that could throw Marty off his game, so he became creative.

In a display that can only be called, childish, rude and completely disrespectful, he stood facing Marty and taunted him with his stick and his hands. It was like watching a school yard bully relentlessly taunting the classroom brainiac. Avery waved his hands in Marty’s face, keeping him from watching the puck in play. He raised his stick and waved it like a flag in Marty’s eyes. No whistle, no call. Marty gave him a little push, and only then did that catch attention.

And there was Avery with his tiresome “What Me?” look. It seems there isn’t a specific rule for waving your hands in front of the goaltenders' eyes from three inches away. Sean’s only job was to keep Marty out of the play that was going on in front of him. I have never seen anything so despicable in my life.

In a sport that is filled with rich history and what was supposed to be professional respect, Sean Avery did everything but stick his tongue out and shake his butt yapping “Nah, nah. You can’t get me.” He is a spoiled child spitting in the face of greatness. Even more disgusting.... he scored on a subsequent shift.

To further add injury to insult, Brodeur was knocked down and his helmet sent flying late in the third period. I let out an audible gasp and held my breath waiting for him to get back up off the ice. He was uninjured but visibly shaken and took full advantage of the TV time out. He leaned on the net and tried to regain his focus.

I was just glad the Devils ended up having the last laugh as Madden bounced a puck off a Ranger skate to beat Lundquist in overtime and give the Devils’ their first win of the series.

The League must, repeat MUST look into Sean Avery’s disgusting behavior and rule on it. If you can wave your stick in a goalie’s eyes while he is trying to keep track of the puck, then what will be allowed next?

I'm afraid to find out.

Too Close for Comfort: Toronto Maple Leafs Turning into the New York Islanders?

Dee Karl — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:51:05 -0400

Even with all the parity that has been accomplished in the league today, there are teams with big problems. And while all 30 teams had some hope of making the playoffs, there are those who have glaring, well publicized shortcomings. Some teams generate constant talk of bad management and foolish contracts. Angry fans protest years without a Stanley Cup win, and more recently playoff contention failure. A lack of production from its most valuable players and some painful taunting by its fan base have become commonplace news in print and on the internet. Could I be speaking of my beloved NY Islanders; the NHL’s red-headed step-child of the Big-Apple? Nope, not today.

The guys I’m talking about today are the Toronto Maple Leafs, or as I like to call them, “The Islanders NORTH.” Seriously, on the ice, if not for the color of the jerseys, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell them apart from the vantage point of the nosebleed seats. Let’s discount for a moment that the Leafs reside in the center of the Hockey Universe, while the Islanders lie in the shadow of the mighty MSG in an aging building. If the Leafs were anywhere else but Toronto, I believe they would have the same attendance and financial woes as the NY Islanders. Let’s just look at the similarities shall we? Why? Well, I had nothing else to do because I couldn’t get my office VNC connection to work and actually WORK, and as I already wrote my NYI Blog Box entry for the day (http://islanders.nhl.com/blogbox/blog_box.htm) I did some research and came up with the following items that are oddly similar.

Management: While the Leafs are owned by a gaggle of high-powered businesses and the Islanders are owned by a single high-powered businessman, they have both been accused of some bad hockey decisions based on business reasoning instead of “hockey sense.”

Standings: This is the easiest as these two teams came in at 12^th and 13^th The Leafs ended their loser season with one more win and 4 more points than the injury plagued Islanders. Granted, their Goals for total is far higher, but at the end of the day, they are both on the outside looking in.Buyouts: While the Islanders have already had to deal with a buyout of their ex-star player, Alexi Yashin, the Leafs are now faced with the possibility of doing exactly the same thing. However, they have a list to go through to decide who should be paid for nothing, and who may end up being sent to the minors. For the Islanders there was only one decision, and it was not an easy one. The fan base called for the buyout long before the owner agreed to it. The only difference in Toronto will be the lack of personal friendship attached to the business decision of sending someone packing.

Less than perfect General Managers: What can you say about Mike Milbury that hasn’t already been said? But then you look at John Ferguson Jr. and just shake your head. Now they can sit side by side on the TSN set and compare notes on their “illustrious” careers…. And laugh I’m sure.

Insane Contracts: The large contract given to Alexi Yashin didn’t start out as a problem; it just ended as one now that the buyout will count against the Islanders salary cap while he plays in Russia. Then the unprecedented 15 year contract for young (hopefully) superstar goalie Rick DiPietro. In Leafland you have the large contracts with the added bonus of “No Trade” clauses. So not only can’t players be moved because they are overpaid, they can’t be moved if they don’t want to be.

Good Coaches deemed ineffective: Both Paul Maurice and Ted Nolan have completed the second year of their contracts. Both have not been given any indication of contract extensions as of yet. Both are exceptional gentlemen who are excellent with the media. Granted, Maurice’s media attention is far more scrutinizing than Nolan’s, but they can both handle themselves in front of a camera during the good times and bad. And of course, both will NOT be Jack Adam’s candidates this year.

Where was the “Face of the Franchise” at the end of the season?: Well, Ricky DiPietro had an early exit for hip surgery this year , and it seems Mats Sundin didn’t make the last few games either to heal a groin tear. So basically, the most recognizable player for each club wasn’t there on the ice for the final dance.

They tell me that hockey is a religion in Toronto, and yet their team, one of the original six, has spent 41 years without a Stanley Cup. I’m hoping that 41 years isn’t another similarity we end up with. It just goes to prove that while the off-season is usually a time of sheer boredom for a puck-junkie like me, watching these two teams try to fix their inadequacies will make for very interesting reading and heated conversation. And while I pray that there will be a quick fix, I know it’s a time consuming process. I just wonder which one of these two teams will do the better job, or if they will end up neck in neck in the “Loserpalooza”* again next year.

*Thank you to Lance Hornby and his article of 4/6/08 titled “A Comedy Of Errors” on SLAM.ca for a new term for failure that I just couldn’t resist repeating!

New York Islanders: Contract Extensions? Or Voting Garth Snow and Ted Nolan Off the Island?

Dee Karl — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:06:58 -0400

As the Islanders play out their last few games of the season, the talk of the town seems to have turned to the men in charge. Losing seasons always make all eyes turn to the easiest target: the Coach. Personally, I don’t really understand that philosophy, but it is the one that rules the sport.

However, if you look at what Ted Nolan had to work with, I don’t see how anyone can seriously blame him for the Islanders early playoff elimination this season. Certainly playoffs and a shot at the Cup is EVERY team’s greatest goal, as that is where the ‘real’ money is, but you need to have the tools to get there. Some of Ted’s ‘tools’ never made it out of the shed, and too many others made early trips to the shop for repair. Yet, he stayed calm and did his best. If hockey is a game of chemistry, how do you blame a coach for losing with a team that hardly knew each others names?

When Nolan came to the Island he was immediately accepted by the fan base. That was obvious by the length of his line at the STH event at the park. One by one the subscribers shook his hand, talked to him about the team, and took pictures. One by one, they walked away happy. Ted Nolan brought a certain amount of respect back to the Island even while the media was making them out to be a laughing stock. Ted was a beacon of legitimacy. He still is.

The two years he has coached this team, the media has talked of his ability to take teams that everyone believed would finish at the bottom and somehow make them rise above their own abilities. That’s what Ted does. He gets the most out of what he has. Can you imagine what he’d do if he actually had something to work with? Had this team stayed healthy, and continued the way they started the season, I think they would have been at least 6^th in the East and that would have been a monumental accomplishment. But the injuries this team endured was like a plague of locusts that just swept over the Coliseum. During the last few games, we just have to cross our fingers and hope no one else is taken off the ice on a stretcher. (I held my breath last night as Kyle Okposo went down like a rock when he was hit in the back of the leg on an early shift.)

I think Mr. Wang should give Ted at LEAST two more years, three if he sees fit. Also, give him not just his ‘bionic’ goalie with two new hips, but some legitimate goal scorer to work with. Then I believe he’ll show everyone that talk of him winning the Jack Adams trophy once again isn’t just talk, it’s a real possibility.

Now, onto Garth Snow, our ‘rookie’ GM. I had a dream last night that there was snow INSIDE the Coliseum. I woke up at 5:30 am thinking that was a sign that I should write this. (or I shouldn't have had ice cream before bed, one or the other) But, I’m going to lobby for HIS contract extension as well. Why, you ask?

I think Garth Snow has proved himself worthy in this short time. He is young enough and close enough to his playing days to know what the teams, and the game in general, need. I believe (I have to check) that he’s the youngest GM in the league and that brings a different mind set. He’s learned a lot in his short time as GM, and he can only get better. He spoke of his first few days on the job when the other GM’s were licking their chops thinking they could ‘pick his pockets’ because he was an easy mark. They were wrong. He’s very intelligent and engaging, but he’s also strong willed. I may not have always agreed with his decisions, but I respect them and I know what he does, he does in the best interest of the team.

IF Garth Snow is NOT given another term as GM of the Islanders it will only lead the talk of the town to be “See? Wang was WRONG!” NO! I don’t want to hear that. Please! Mike Milbury, the most ineffective GM in the entire NHL (but a really nice guy) seemed to have a job for life until HE actually said “I quit.” He couldn’t even walk the halls of the coliseum without a security contingent; he was so hated by the Islander faithful.

And PLEASE, no Neil Smith argument. If he was such a great GM, how come the only job he could get is as TV analyst? Or is that where all the bad General Managers find work? Hell, both Milbury and Ferguson found work in front of the cameras. I guess that’s the proper progression of events.

I say GIVE GARTH A CHANCE! One stint as GM is not enough to determine true effectiveness. We have something very special brewing on Long Island, but it will take time. I think Snow should be given the time to reap the rewards after having to live through the agony of that first year. He deserves it.

Contract extensions for both of them, I say! But that’s just my opinion. I’m sure this is something that we’ll all be talking about untill we’re blue in the face all summer long until we actually hear from the man at the top. But if he’s listening, even though this year wasn’t what everyone wanted, I hope he’s got enough faith in these two ‘members of the committee’ to keep them around.

After all… shouldn’t they be here when the Lighthouse opens? Wouldn’t they deserve that? I think so. How about you?

Rick DiPietro Hip-Hip-Hoopla

Dee Karl — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:39:04 -0400

Yesterday, it was announced that NY Islanders franchise Goalie-For-Life, Rick DiPietro, will require surgery on his OTHER hip. Thus explaining his less than stellar performance since the All-Star game. Everyone heard him say “My $$*!##%% Hip!” while he was 'mic'-ed up for the cameras. Not the best way to announce an injury to the hockey world, but that’s Ricky. Always spontaneous and never at a loss for expletives.

Having watched him since he started out in Bridgeport, I noticed there was something “not right” with him. I mistakenly had chalked it up to the ‘Curse of Sudsie’ as the returning goalie coach has been let back into the fold for the past few months. But now we find it is something far more dark and sinister: a bum hip on a 26 year-old superstar.

Time for damage control in many aspects. First there was the speculation that relationships were strained between the “face-of-the-franchise” and their “I’ve got one more year on my contract” head coach. Don Cherry said publically that no one should have faulted Ted Nolan for sitting Rick DiPietro his first game back after the death of his Grandmother. But Oh my! how gums did flap about it, especially since the Islanders lost that particular contest. But Ted was right in his decision, whether it was a popular one in the locker room or not.

Certainly, if there is a tear in the fabric of the “we rule by committee” Islander Hockey Ops, it will be Teddy who feels the pinking shears first. While I am almost certain Ted Nolan will begin next season as the Islanders head coach, I am also certain that if they do not have a winning record by December with a healthy team, his Christmas gift will be a one-way ticket back to Moncton. But that should not concern Islander Country right now. Ted CAN be a winning coach, given something “WINNING” to work with. And that’s “winning” Garth, not WHINING.

Ricky’s health and quality of play is at the forefront of everyone’s mind today. Not just because he is loved like a rock-star on Long Island, but because he’s ours for basically… FOREVER. There is already a tremendous burden on the Islanders’ salary cap as they continue paying Charles Wang’s ex tennis partner, Alexi Yashin. I have been assured though, that Rick’s contract is well structured and well insured. It better be.

Breathe easy Islander faithful, for even as DiPietro joins the ranks of the Islanders walking wounded, Kyle “The Big O” Okposo is here to spark your interest in its future. Kyle is just the newest puppy on the ice for this last bracket of games to end the season. I’m thinking of going to see a Sound Tiger game on March 30th, just so I can see who is in the ECHL club of ours. Why not? It’s still hockey. So everyone… just CHILL! EVERYTHING’S UNDER CONTROL… REALLY… IT IS… IT’S OK(poso).

New York Islanders: Can Ted Nolan Win?

Dee Karl — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:54:12 -0400

Considering the abysmal power play unit, and the inconsistent play of the NY Islanders veterans, can anyone really pin-point what’s gone terribly wrong with this team? The season started so bright, and then the light kept getting further and further away until it is now only a flicker in the tunnel as the train speeds toward the golf course.

Today I had a pointed exchange with one of my favorite hockey writers on this very subject. The email exchanges are always brief, but always leave me thinking. Considering this particular hockey pen-pal has been in the business longer than I’ve been a fan, I tend to defer to his wisdom, even when I don’t agree with it. I’ll admit; I’ve been accused of wearing rose colored glasses (or are they orange?) on more than one occasion and told that I don’t look at things objectively or as “uniquely” as I should. I hate to say it, but that is true. But those orange glasses seem to match my orange high tops, and they‘re pretty comfy.

Ok, but if I am indeed challenged to look at things from a different angle, what would I see?

At first glance I see a roster that looks quite different from the one they started out with back in September. Injury has plagued this team -- a team that prided itself on chemistry. They have chemistry now on a line or two, but it was cultivated in Bridgeport.

If I keep looking sideways I can see the game summaries I kept as I charted the amount of ice time certain players received during the course of the season. Yes, yes…I remember being disappointed about certain players not getting the opportunity to adequately prove themselves. At the time, I said nothing. Now when the chips are down, Nolan has no choice but to let them play, and still there are inequities. For the longest time, Jeff Tambellini seemed to be Ted’s personal yo-yo as he rode the ferry back and forth, sometimes without even unpacking his gear. Was that the right way to handle him? Maybe, considering Tamby was angry enough to prove himself at the AHL level for sure.

Nolan is always cool under fire, sometimes emotionless. It truly takes a lot to get him going. He has blown up at officials, but only on rare occasions. I’ve never seen him take anything out on his underachieving players. The league certainly doesn’t need another John Tortorella, but a little fear might be a good thing on the bench. The entire organization respects Nolan, but maybe the players need to fear him almost as much as they respect him.

If I turn my head the other way to look from yet another angle, maybe it’s a trust issue. Does Ted trust the players he has on that bench? Do the players trust the coaching staff? What’s the real issue here?

Perhaps Ted was too easy on them after some glaringly lackluster performances this year. There were nights that I walked away from a horrible defeat saying “I hope Ted skates them till they puke tomorrow!” only to find out that he canceled practice. I assume he felt they needed a mental health day or something. But maybe they needed more structured discipline. Check the press conferences from this week on ITV. Ted talked quite a bit about discipline; and discipline is something that CAN be taught, talent is not.

Could Herb Brooks coach this year’s Islander roster to a playoff spot? Uh, um…. Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps the veterans don’t have anything left in the tank, and the young guns don’t have the experience to get them where they would need to be. We’ve heard time and again this season, the Islanders are a team of peripheral players with no superstars, no superb talent, and no-edge-of-your-seat boy wonder. They are just GOOD, solid hockey players with a star-caliber goalie who can’t seem to find a way to be consistent… or healthy.

So while Garth Snow is looking at what the team needs in the off-season -- which is going to start the second week of April this year -- maybe Ted needs to do a little reading, a little soul searching and perhaps try a few exercises in mind control. Because although he can “….love them for who and what they are” he needs to be able to LEAD them too. No matter whom “they” end up being.

Ted: You have a tough road ahead of you and I wish you luck. The good thing is… there aren’t that many more games left this season for everyone to analyze your every move. Wait… maybe that was the BAD thing. I can’t be sure.

Trade Day Surprise: New York Islanders Sent Chris Simon to the Minnesota Wild

Dee Karl — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:04:12 -0500

Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the Coliseum at 3 PM on Tuesday and was told by my fellow Blog Box Buddy, OkposoNet Ken that it was just announced that the New York Islanders traded Chris Simon to the Minnesota Wilds.

At first, I thought they were just messing with me because I couldn’t manage to get out of work and get to the barn at 11:30 AM the time I usually did.

“What? Stop screwing with me,” I yelled as I was trying to unpack my 30 lbs of equipment onto the table. Then I heard the voice of reason that I’ve come to know so well these last few months. “No. Dee! No joke. They traded him. We’re serious.”

Tiger Track Tom Liodice and I have that unique Scorpio cosmic link since our birthdays are so close, with the exception of about 20 odd years. I spent the next five minutes stuttering and shaking my head trying to comprehend. Was I that upset about them trading Chris Simon? Was he my favorite player? Did I have some sort of affinity to him that I harbored deep in my soul? NOT ON YOUR LIFE!!

What bothered me most in the entire situation was that I personally had towed the company line for months. Basically, I drank the Kool-aide—it was Cherry—and if I mixed it with Vodka, it was fine by me. I’m learning the hard way; it’s easy to be used in this business.

The fans got what they wanted. The overwhelming response from the fan base was they didn’t want him back on their ice and in their uniform. Having had the pleasure of meeting the man behind the mess, I wasn’t as adamant about it. Surely I had my opinion, but I went with the softer approach of “give the man another chance.” Especially knowing how head coach Ted Nolan felt about him, I had to believe there was hope for him.

Ted is someone that I have the utmost respect and admiration for. As a person, there is no one nobler that I can think of and yet, no one more vulnerable and genuine. He doesn’t yell in public, the media only sees an occasional glimpse of the emotion he feels. But once out of the spotlight, his smile is wide, his eyes sparkle and his body relaxes. And he can giggle like a little kid. I found that out when I caught him sitting by my car having a smoke outside of Iceworks when I first met him.

“BUSTED!“ I yelled as he tried to hide his face. “Did you NOT notice my license plate?” It was as if I caught a high school kid smoking in the bathroom.

Once I had composed my thoughts, on Tuesday I immediately asked “Where’s Ted? Has anyone seen him?” The boys shook their heads collectively. “No, no. He’s not here.” I didn’t have time to worry, as we were immediately summoned into the press room for Garth’s announcements of the day's events.

I brought nothing into the press room except my cell phone and my woman’s intuition. We waited for 30 minutes before Garth Snow, looking a little tired, came in to address the media that were waiting to pounce on him.

The company line was repeated over and over. Not that I am positive it was scripted, but it may as well have been. Garth’s tone is strong, but quiet. He is thoughtful and imposing as he stood a full head taller than everyone else that circled him. In my opinion, Bergeron, although soon to be a great player, was a no-brainer. He didn’t fit the game plan on the Island. (I should have told him about the vodka in the Kool-aide idea, maybe he’d still be here.)

The answer to the Chris Simon question was the one everyone wanted to know, and I was surprised at how many times Garth explained it was to give the likes of Comeau and Tambellini a place in the lineup. They wished him well, said some very nice things about him, but kept coming back to needing the youth in the lineup. When Garth DOESN’T want to answer something, he will smile, and look into the reporters eyes and wait. The reporter may ask it again with another twist, and Garth will still wait. Usually someone else will jump in to break the silence with another question on a separate subject. It’s certainly interesting to watch.

The press conference went on for over a half hour, but still no Ted.

At 5 PM, he was there holding court in the corridor to a throng of media and microphones. The question of the afternoon, of course, was Simon. He too answered almost the same way as Snow did—they must have left the script for him in his office. But when the cameras were turned off, and the throng walked away, I walked with him for a moment to his office and that smile quickly swept back over his face.

“Ted, are YOU okay?” the concerned mother in me is never far away. “I’m good, I’m good,” he assured me, and his eyes didn’t lie.

So while he did the best he could for the boy he coached into manhood, he also did the best he could with keeping Simon on track. Nolan was there to get Simon the help he needed. He kept him around the team during Simon’s suspension to keep him connected to those who liked him. Nolan put him on the ice for two games to help him face the fans and the media. He did everything he possibly could to help Simon regain normalcy in his life. But the Islanders did what THEY needed to do for the fans and their franchise. It was like walking a tightrope. Miraculously, no one hit the net.

Good luck in St. Paul Chris. Oh look, is that Grape this time? Pass the vodka, please.

New Arena in Uniondale, New York? Be Careful What You Wish For, Islanders Fans...

Dee Karl — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 04:58:19 -0500

This past Saturday, my friends and I had the opportunity to venture out to the newest, shining example of what a state-of-the-art Hockey arena is supposed to be -- The Rock in Newark. Having already been lucky enough to fall in love with both the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, I was really excited to see the newest of the new in all it’s shining splendor.

Well…. Um…. Uh…. It IS big alright! Massive actually with it’s towering expanse of open air ceilings and glass walls. But to me, it seemed oddly vacant. Perhaps I’m just so used to being cramped into a 10 foot concourse at the Coliseum that this massive runway that circled the rink just felt barren. Surely there are beautiful restaurants and lounges with sponsors like Beleveder Vodka, but they are not anything the general public can enter. For these areas you need “special” tickets with “special” price tags. This was something not readily identifiable except for the uniformed employees guarding each and every entrance who perpetually ask to see your ticket.

There were plenty of food court concessions with prices that seemed well in line what I was already paying at the Coliseum. Perhaps just slightly higher on the bigger ticket items such as sushi. But the water was $4.00 in Newark too and so forth. There was beer to be had at almost every food stand, and a few beer only vendors as well. However, there wasn’t a drop of wine to be found with the exception of the restaurants, most of which I wasn’t allowed into. It seems the NJ State Liquor Authority has differing views from NY on how you can distribute wine. Having had a valid NY State Liquor license when I owned a restaurant, back in the day, I took this up with many a Prudential Center employee. They all agreed with me. It was nuts.

Needless to say, I had less than a great time yesterday for numerous reasons. The Islander 4 - 2 loss was only part of it. Feeling like I was on the Titanic and had only a Steerage pass was the bulk of it. When I returned home to the Island to tell my husband my tale of woe, he shook his head and said to me “See? Be careful what you wish for. They’ll build a new arena in Uniondale and we’ll never be able to afford the seats.”

BINGO! It was then that it struck me; he was so very right. We have purchased three seats in the 200s for a good number of years now. Our largest yearly investment in the team has been $7800.00, not easy for a struggling, middle-class family. This year, with the economy the way it is, we have had to reduce our investment in our Hockey entertainment, and if things don’t pick up with the markets and gas prices, it may have to end altogether.

How difficult will it be when there is a brand new building with all the amenities and additional seating? How will a modest family be able to afford a full season package in the equivalent of Section 200 without having to sell off body parts? How? We won’t.

I checked the website and although the Devils give the same full season discount courtesy that the Islanders do, the tickets are still almost $80 each for what would be equivalent to where I currently sit. Certainly I could move to the upper, upper tiers and pay considerably reduced rates, but the enjoyment factor for us would be greatly reduced. And by the way, as I was sitting in Section 117 yesterday, I noticed that although the seats DID include a very handy cup holder, they were no wider than the old seats I currently have at the Coliseum. The airy feeling is left out on the concourse; you are a sardine at your seat.

Additionally, although the arena is only a few months old, I managed to sit in gum at the only restaurant we were allowed into. It was a good thing I was wearing jeans, or I would have been even more livid than I was.

Here is the financial dilemma for this sport as explained to me this morning by a good friend of mine who has been in this business for almost as long as I’ve been alive. “The success or failure of The Rock hinges on the upper class coming through with the dough.” In this business, you can say that about any of the other 29 hockey dens. It’s about catering to those who can afford it. Luxury items with luxury price tags that I certainly cannot afford.

So as I look at what the rest of the Hockey universe calls “a dump,” I will enjoy it while I can afford it. I will no longer scoff at having to pay $7.00 for a red wine with a screw cap from the lady selling pretzels, when I had to pay $10 for a 6 oz glass from a bartender that looked down her nose at me in Newark. I will enjoy my crowded hallways where I can always find my friends and not have to hang onto them for dear life in the expanse that looked like LAX. (I had friends sitting one section away from me and I never saw them.)

The day will come when a shining new state-of-the-art arena will grace Nassau County. I can only hope that the atmosphere will not be the same money structured caste system as I witnessed yesterday. Or at least, if it has to be -- I hope I can afford to still get in.

Islanders-Capitals: Isles Eclipse Washington

Dee Karl — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:59:19 -0500

Was it the lunar eclipse? Did Ted channel Herb Brooks? Did Mike Comrie sell his soul to the Devil? What happened last night?

Well it seems like the moon and Alexander the Great both were eclipsed at once, and I’m still shaking my head.

For months I’ve had the same argument with my husband, but finally his tune changed last night. “I will just shut up now,” he said.

Week after week, we battled back and forth. I’d rationalize an agonizing loss: “But they worked hard. You can’t fault their effort…They tried.” And he’d respond: “A GREAT team FINDS a way to win, Dee.”

Instinctually I tried to protect the boys, just like a mother bear backed into a corner. Always I was confronted with “They’re not GOOD enough. They don’t have it in them.”

“FINE! Make your own dinner!”

But then there was a win, and we both smiled. It was followed by another and another until we’d not only built a streak, but a minor miracle.

Last night, I wasn’t surprised at Miro’s goal. He should be producing; it’s expected. I didn’t care that Vasicek’s goal was an unlikely bank off Kolzig’s pads. It was a goal nonetheless, and the way it lit up Tank’s face was just priceless.

Sitting on the edge of the couch, we were both happy with just the one point. “Just get to overtime, boys! Just get to overtime!”

The horn sounded and Ovechkin was visibly upset with his being shut down by, of all people, Radek Martinek. Again, the eclipse HAD to have something to do with THAT!

Never had the post been more a friend to Ricky than it was last night; the clanging sound was promptly followed by my screams.

A boring game that I’d barely bothered to watch turned into a “fight to the finish” and had me gasping for air. Fool that I am, I announced, “If Mike Comrie gets the third goal, I will just throw up.”

Now, I was safe during overtime as no one scored.

But who would have ever thought that he would pull through as the final shooter. As Mike the Magician managed to sneak the puck beneath Kolzig to win the game in spectacular fashion, I sat on the couch awestruck.

“You puke, you clean it up,” I heard from the other side of the couch.

Tonight is full moon Thursday at the barn against an angry and disappointed Tampa Bay. Let’s see if this streak turns into another “Miracle on Ice.”

NHL Trade Deadline '08: Is Jason Blake Coming Back to the New York Islanders?

Dee Karl — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:36:07 -0500

Prompted by the Leafs Notes article I read this morning in the Bleacher Report by Derek Harmsworth, I began to think long and hard about this year's trade deadline.

For those of you who don't know me, I am about the biggest Jason Blake fan in the hockey universe.

It all started when he first came to the Islanders and my husband and I argued over what his potential was.

I saw a spark in him that I hadn't seen before, he saw a "good" hockey player who would never amount to much.

I'm usually never wrong, and I set out to prove it.

I became Jason Blake's unofficial, non-sanctioned, un-paid PR agent on Long Island—a completely thankless job that I toiled at constantly. I needed to prove to my Dynasty Die-Hard husband that I DID have a clue when it came to quality, and prove to myself that what I saw in him was real.

That being said, every year when trade deadline would roll around, I would head into panic mode. "Don't Trade HIM! You CAN'T trade him! He needs to stay with the Islanders." I would begin my "Jason Blake Stays" campaign usually by late January. Mike Milbury dreaded my emails. "Always a pleasure to hear from you Dee." was the response to my messages pleading his case.

Last year at this time, Milbury told me to "go bark at Garth!" as he was no longer in charge of these things. I knew something was wrong when my emails to Garth (usually a gracious man) went unanswered. All was not quiet on the Uniondale front as Blake pleaded his own case to the local media.

Snow, as a first year GM, didn't like being painted into a corner and voiced his displeasure with the situation. He had bigger fish to fry anyway, and by the skin of his teeth, Blake avoided being traded at the last minute. I knew he was safe till the end of the season, but I could see that something had changed.

Garth was not the friend and confidant that Mike Milbury had become to Jason Blake, a relationship I personally watched develop over the years he was here. They would go off to the sidelines to chat during practice, they would laugh together, they were relaxed.

When Mike Milbury stepped down as GM and moved to the front office, Jason was visibly upset and made no bones about telling the media how he felt; something he can't help as he wears his emotions like sunglasses. He had loyalty to Mike Milbury, he credited him with giving him a chance that he took full advantage of. Things were never the same after he stepped down.

Snow heard from me again over the summer urging him to find a way to come to terms with the little Energizer Bunny. But Blake was not "in the game plan" for the Islanders, and all my facts, figures and pleading did nothing to sway the organization. Garth is a man of conviction. He made a decision, and he stuck to it. This is the type of man he is, and I respect him for it. I may not like it, but I certainly respect him.

So how did I feel this morning reading Mr. Harmsworth's article about Fletcher trying to package McCabe and Blake back to the Island? Stunned. Beside myself. Heartsick. Stunned because I never would have expected it to even be presented. Beside myself because I shudder to think what he was looking for in return, and heartsick for Jason's sake. I know he is not happy with the choice he has made. You can see it in his face. But we live and die with our choices, especially $10 million choices.

The trade deadline I thought wouldn't bother me at all is now bothering me in a different way. As much as I would love to see Jason Blake out of a Leafs sweater, I can't see giving up the likes of Okposo to make that happen. I also would not want to lose the likes of Sean Bergenheim now that he is finally turning into the hockey player I knew he could be. Tambellini perhaps? Maybe, but once the kid puts on a few pounds, he too will be even better. Is Fletcher looking for something from our Sound Tiger squad? I don't know. I tried to find out, but to no avail.

Here I am, in panic mode once again, but for a different reason. I'm sorry Jason, I would do just about anything to help you because I still believe in your talent. If you need a bone marrow transplant, I'll be the first one on line to be tested. But to come back to the Island now, and at what cost, I don't know if even I could justify it. But I'll be here for you, should you need me.

Yeah...I hate this part of the movie. Someone wake me up when it's over.