The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York metropolitan area. They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team plays its home games at Barclays Center in the borough of Brooklyn, which they share with the New York Nets of the NBA.” The New York Islanders are one of the most storied franchises in the NHL. They have won four Stanley Cups, the most recent of which came in 1983. The team has seen some of the greatest players in NHL history suit up for them, including Hall of Famers Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, and Denis Potvin
Early History
The Dynasty Years
As one of the most notable professional ice hockey teams in the NFL, The New York Islanders, based in Elmont, New York, was founded in 1972 in an effort to keep a team out of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team quickly found success on the ice by securing 14 different playoffs and moved on to win four Stanley cups between 1980 and 1983, which quickly increased their following.
William Torrey was the main figure in building the team’s franchise after he managed the Nets in Long Island, New York. It wasn’t hard for the team to begin selling tickets due to their prime location, but the managers still focused on adding the right players.
Initially, the team didn’t have a lot of success in the league and lost 60 games in the first season, which was a record. A new coach was named during the second season, which was one of the main formative decisions that contributed to the team’s long-term success. Coach Al Arbour was initially hesitant to relocate to Long Island from St. Louis with his family before their first visit.
Arbour worked hard to create the right team, but it required patience to find the right talent. Bill Torrey, the former general manager of the team, had a game plan to build through the draft. Torrey knew his team wouldn’t be successful for a few years but would work on getting the premier draft picks. This allowed him to stay the course, slowly adding Billy Harris the first year before adding Denis Potvin the following year. He then discovered Clark Gillies, Bryan Trottier, and Mike Bossy. The first few players became the nucleus of the team as the managers worked hard to build something from scratch.
The New York Islanders struggled to win over hockey enthusiasts in the region and transition many New York Rangers fans into Islanders fans. Initially, they weren’t embraced or taken seriously as the Rangers were close to winning the Stanely Cup in 1972. They even played the Rangers in an exhibition game where the Rangers scored the first goal, causing the crowd to go wild with at least 13,000 ranger fans present at the game.
The Dynasty Years are what made the New York Islanders a respected team in the NFL and were between 1974 and 1979. The team was immediately recognized as one of the most competitive ice hockey teams in the league after they had a winning streak and won four consecutive Stanely Cups. They also had 19 consecutive playoff series wins from 1980 to 1984, allowing them to make history and break records in the NFL. Today, the dynasty is what the team is known by and continues to be the most recent team to win two consecutive Stanley Cups.
Recent History
Today, the New York Islanders continue to have a large following and fan base and relocated to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, after their 2014-15 season came to an end. From 2018 to 2020, the team played its home games at both the Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum.
Eight of the New York Islanders players have also recently been inducted into the Hall of Fame for the National Hockey League. Seven of the players also contributed to the four Stanley cup wins and included coach Al Arbour, Bryan Tottier, Mike Bossy, Clark Gillies, Billy Smith, and Denis Potvin.
The Fans
The Islander Faithful
New York Islanders continue to be known as “The Islander Faithful” and were addressed by this name when Canadian Player John Tavares chose to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018.
New York Islander fans are known to have a tight-knit community that allows the love of the team to be passed down to each generation. The Islanders fan base is known as a loyal and rowdy group who aren’t afraid to express their emotions throughout the game while wearing New York Islanders gear, whether they sport a New York islanders sweatshirt or a t-shirt. Although the pandemic caused games to be halted, fans have had high levels of enthusiasm about returning to games and reliving the excitement as they watch the entertainment on the ice.
The love of the team has caused New Islander memes and New York islanders wallpaper to increase in popularity for those who want to show their support for the team.
The IslesMeetups are also hosted where fans can gather together and enjoy watch parties when they can’t make it to the games. There are currently 29 different locations where hundreds of New York Islanders fans can gather together in different parts of the U.S., Canada, and even the U.K.
The New Arena
One of the most exciting events to occur for the New York Islanders is the move to a new arena, known as the UBS Arena. The multi-purpose indoor arena is situated in Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, and was an estimated $1 billion to construct. The arena first opened its doors in 2021 and seats up to 17,250 patrons. Concerts and special events are also hosted at the arena throughout the year when the New York Islanders aren’t playing a home game. The team’s first game was played at the UBS Arena on November 20, 2021, and lost to the Calgary Flames.
The Future
The Core
Moving forward, the New York Islanders have to make decisions regarding players they plan to trade, which requires determining who their core players are on the team. Mathew Barzal is recognized as one of the most important players due to his impressive offensive skills but hasn’t had the same support as some of the players who are younger.
Anders Lee is another notable player as the captain of the New York Islanders who has a strong presence and excellent leadership skills. Navigating a reload requires his skills and expertise.
Brock Nelson, Oliver Wahlstrom, Kieffer Bellows, Ilya Sorokin, and Adam Pelech have also achieved individual success as they remain accountable with their current play in the coming seasons.
The Rookies
The rookie class of the New York Islanders includes Oliver Wahlstrom and Keiffer Bellows, who both play forward positions. Oliver Wahlstrom is only 20 years old and was acquired by the team during the 2018 NHL draft after he played hockey at Boston College.
During the 2020 to 2021 season, he played 26 games and scored eight goals, in addition to seven assists. Coach Barry Trotz has only had him out on the ice for a total of 11 minutes, proving he’s made a great impression and has excellent scoring skills.
Ilya Sorokin is a 25-year-old goalie and was originally drafted in 2014, playing for Russia and CSKA Moscow. He’s played 11 games since signing a contract with the New York Islanders.
Keiffer Bellows is another notable rookie who has contributed to the success of the team as fans hope he can fill in the void left by former players.
Acquiring younger players who have natural skills on the ice has contributed to the recent success of the New York Islanders and secures a rich future as the team continues to play competitively.
FAQ
How many New York NHL teams are there?
Currently, there are a total of three National Hockey League teams in the state of New York. The teams include the New York Rangers in Manhattan, the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, and the New York Islanders on Long Island.
The New York Rangers won four Stanley Cup titles in 1928, 1933, 1940, and 1994. The New York Islanders won four Stanley Cup titles in 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. The Buffalo Sabres have appeared in the Stanley Cup titles on two separate occasions but are still pursuing their first Stanley Cup title.
How did the New York Islanders win four Stanley Cups in a row?
Many people believe the New York Islanders secured four consecutive Stanley Cups because the managers were more open-minded about the players they wanted to have on the team. This is when other teams were working hard to add Canadian NFL players to their teams.
There was also a high level of strength at the center due to Goring and Trottier’s skills in 1981. Additionally, Billy Smith was known as an impressive clutch goalie.
Conclusion
The rich history of the New York Islanders has allowed them to become a notable ice hockey team in the National Hockey League as they continue to work hard to earn another Stanley Cup title and break more records in the coming seasons.