How it All Started

When I was just seven years old, I attended my first Islanders game. That day was one to remember. I remember an usher gave me a souvenir puck as we were leaving the game. I remember thinking that the team in the green jerseys, the Dallas Stars, were the good team. I don't remember the video below too well, but I remember the Islanders winning. Take a look.

 

After that, I was hooked. Later that winter, I wrote a letter to the Islanders with a bunch of questions. Surprisingly, I got a response a few weeks later, as you can see below.

The signature on the bottom of the letter belongs to Mike Milbury, who was the Islanders general manager at the time of the letter, which was late in 2001. Getting a letter on official Islanders stationary from their GM was something I always treasured. I've kept that letter for almost 12 years, and although the stuff Milbury writes about might be random answers to questions I have, the letter has a much greater meaning to me. 

I am a New York Islanders fan. From all the bad to all the good that hopefully will come soon, I'll be rooting for the blue and orange. This letter helped start it all. 

Lets Go Islanders! 

In Typical New York Islanders Fashion

Whenever anything happens for the Islanders, something always seems to go the other way. For example, the Islanders had a chance to keep all of the following people. If they kept even half of these people, they may have had Stanley Cup #5 on Long Island in the past decade.

• Roberto Luongo- Drafted by the Islanders in 1997. After playing one season with the team, he was traded along with Olli Jokinen to the Florida Panthers in 2000 to make room for Rick DiPietro. We all know how that worked out. 
• Zdeno Chára and Jason Spezza- Big Zdeno Chára was drafted by the Isles in 1996. After four unproductive seasons with the Islanders, he was traded, along with the Islanders first round draft pick, to the Senators for center Alexei Yashin. The Senators used the Islanders draft pick to select Jason Spezza as the #2 overall selection in the draft. As of right now, Spezza an Chára are all-stars and Yashin is still on the Islanders payroll. 
• Todd Bertuzzi and Brian McCabe- Bertuzzi was drafted by the Islanders in 1995. McCabe was drafted in 1993. In 1998, after both were unproductive during their time on Long Island, both were traded to the Vancouver Canucks during the season for  Trevor Linden. (Who?) 
• The Whole 2003 NHL Draft- The Islanders had the 15th pick in the 2003 draft. They used it to select Robert Nilsson. (Again, who?) Two picks later the Devils selected Zach Parise. Other men that the Islanders had  a shot at, but passed on were: Ryan Getzlaf, Mike Richards, Corey Perry, Shea Weber, and team USA hero during the last Olympic Games, Ryan Kesler.  

This video pretty much sums up the Islanders recent failures. 

And now, just after the new year, the Islanders traded away Rollie the Goalie to the Lightning for defenseman Ty Wishart. In his first game as a member of the Lightning, while wearing his New York Islanders mask, Roloson shut out the Capitals, in Washington. Good for him.  Bad for us.


(photo credit: sports.yahoo.com)

And, to top all of this off, Rick DiPietro got injured in the Islanders first game after the new year and has been out. Now the Islanders need to rely on rookie goalies Nathan Lawson and Kevin Poulin (Who?) until DP can heal. I can't wait to see how this turns out.

Lets Go Islanders!