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Park, 31, has appeared in 452 NHL regular season games and has scored 60 goals with 73 assists. The 11-year veteran has played for Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Vancouver and the Islanders. He was originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. "To say I'm happy would be an understatement," said Park. "Since the first day of training camp last year, I was determined to make the most of the chance Garth Snow and Ted Nolan gave me. I love this franchise. My family has really made a home on Long Island. This is incredible news for us. I'm very appreciative of the opportunity to stay with the Islanders for a long time." islesinfo.com comment: I like the move. Park is not the biggest player in the NHL, but he gets it. He knows what it takes to remain in the league. He's a dedicated player and as Garth Snow stated, Park plays with a lot of grit and heart. Perfect example is Park sacrificing his mouth and losing teeth last year for the team. He put it all on the line and remains a good leader for the Islanders. Right now he's a perfect fourth line player.
In the meantime, Bryan Berard finished the Islanders camp with good reviews. But due to the Islanders logjam at defense they have yet to sign the 30 year old from Woonsocket, RI. With Meyer off the NHL roster, the Islanders will have a better chance of signing Berard and finding a place for him. Still, it won't be easy. The original idea was to play Berard on the first power play unit with Marc-Andre Bergeron, but Chris Campoli has opened the season with an impressive showing in Buffalo, scoring a goal on the power play. Bruno Gervais, who is eligible to be returned to Bridgeport without being waived, also has looked good with 2 assists in the season opener. The Islanders defense corp currently features Radek Martinek, Brendan Witt, Bergeron, Campoli, Gervais, and Andy Sutton with Aaron Johnson & Meyer sitting out. islesinfo.com comment: Again, I really like this move. The Islanders were billing Meyer as the next Sean Hill last year, but Meyer is way too small to be that type of physical player. He may be a friend of Rick DiPietro's but Meyer really didn't bring a whole lot to this team. He was definitely expendable and I'm glad Garth Snow saw that. Perhaps he will pass through waivers and still be available for call up. But right now I am totally comfortable with the Islanders top 6 and would like to see Berard added as an extra option, Johnson & Spiller supply depth, while guys like Dustin Kohn and Andrew MacDonald grow at the AHL level.
"Our organization has felt for a while that Radek is one of the most underrated defensemen in the league," said Islanders general manager Garth Snow. "He is a very steady defenseman in both zones and he plays with a lot of grit. It was a priority for us to keep Radek an Islander beyond this season. We're very happy he was as dedicated to staying an Islander as we were to keeping him here." Martinek is entering his sixth season with the Islanders. In 253 regular season games, he has 10 goals and 49 assists for 59 points. Despite missing the final 30 games of the 2006-07 season with a fractured leg, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound defenseman matched a career high with 17 points. "The Islanders were the NHL team that drafted me and Long Island has become a second home," Martinek said. "I never even considered the possibility of playing for another team. I'm looking forward to this season and many more to come as an Islander." islesinfo.com comment: Great move. Personally, Radek has always been one of my favorite players. He a steady two way defenseman and his ability to carry the puck out of the Islanders own zone is invaluable. He's a very smart player and seems to improve every year. If he can find a way to stay off the injury list his presence will be an asset for the Islanders through the 2010-11 season.
"Ben Walter is a strong addition to our roster and immediately becomes one of our top prospects," said Islanders general manager Garth Snow. "Our staff loves his two-way play, work ethic and knack for scoring big goals. Ben is a young player who will battle for a position in training camp and gives us excellent depth at an important position." The 6'2", 200 pound Walter from Beaconsville, Quebec, played three years of college hockey at the University of UMass-Lowell from 2002-05. His assets are listed as the following: Owns a projectable frame, playmaking skills and center savvy. Does not hurt his team when not in possession of the puck. Flaws: Needs to do a better job of utilizing his frame to maximize potential at the center position. Projection: Second line center (but at what level is the question.) Nokelainen, 21, was selected 16th overall by the Islanders in the 2004 NHL Draft. In 15 games for the Islanders during the 2005-2006 season, he netted one goal and added two assists (which both came in the same game at Washington). He spent last season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL and totaled six goals and ten assists for 16 points. "Petteri is a talented young player," said Snow. "We wish him the best." islesinfo.com comment: Nokelainen suffered an injury two season's ago called patella tendonitis that has had him on the road to rehabilitation ever since. It's a shame the Islanders never got to see him flourish because he is a good kid. Known as "Pepe" by his teammates, Nokelainen showed a promise of a banging style with a solid two way game. It just never followed through because of the injury. Walter will immediately bring some offense to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. There is hopefully potential that he could become someone more and develop into an NHL'er. He has good bloodlines.
Numbers were also assigned to the players. Guerin will wear his usual #13, becoming only the second Islander to ever wear the number. Claude Lapointe was the first. Mike Comrie will wear #89, becoming only the second Islander since David Chyzowski to wear the number. Ruslan Fedotenko took #26 and Jon Sim will wear #16. Guerin becomes the 11th captain in New York Islanders history. islesinfo.com: At first hearing the news of Bill Guerin receiving the captaincy, I thought it was a bad move and just another signal of the Islanders penchant for making poor PR decisions. Mike Sillinger last season was always the guy who talked to the officials and represented the Islanders bench on the ice. So he seemed like the obvious choice. Brendan Witt also would have made a strong choice. But while Bill Guerin has never been a captain before, he is a very good leader and I think it will be a good move. At this point the Islanders are hoping he will be the team's offensive leader. The Islanders are also hoping he will provide the leadership that they believe they would have received from Ryan Smyth had he stayed. In all honesty though, despite the team still lacking an adequate defense at this point, how good would it look right now had the Islanders found a way to keep Smyth? Garth Snow said he believes the Islanders now are better than the team that started training camp last year. That may be true, but are they better than the Islander team that ended the 2006-07 season? Not yet. As for Guerin, I'm sure he'll be 10x the captain Alexei Yashin was.
Friday, minutes after signing a one-year contract with the Wild, the 37-year-old Duluth native talked for the first time about becoming the first player to test positive for a banned substance in the NHL’s performance- enhancing drug program. “I had no idea what it even was when they called me,” said Hill, who has 19 games remaining on the 20-game suspension he received before the New York Islanders’ first-round playoff elimination game April 20. “I immediately asked to be retested, but they said they don’t do that. ... They said, ‘If we have the science, there’s not much you can do.’ “ On Friday, the Minnesota Wild released this statement: "Sean tested positive for the anabolic steroid boldenone during a league screening last season. Sean acknowledges the use of a testosterone booster for which he was issued a therapeutic-use exemption by the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program Committee. We have talked to Sean at length, and he denies knowingly taking any banned performance-enhancing substance. We also researched the situation and the substance Sean tested positive for and found that boldenone can be ingested inadvertently through health supplements and foods. We cannot determine the source of Sean’s test failure. However, we believe Sean did not knowingly take any banned performance-enhancing substance."
"Although it may seem a relatively small deal from a players' standpoint, this is very good news for us," said Islanders assistant GM/Director of Amateur Scouting Ryan Jankowski. "Next year is expected to be a stronger and deeper draft than the past few years. In this draft, you can never have enough early picks." Rourke is 27 years old. Over the past two seasons he recorded 2 assists in 17 games played with the Islanders. Rourke played 11 games with the Islanders last season, registering an assist. The 27-year-old also collected 20 points (5-15) with Bridgeport of the AHL. "We have added depth to our defence with the addition of Allan," Oilers vice-president of hockey operations Kevin Prendergast said in a release Thursday. "He is a veteran of seven pro seasons, and will provide us with experience in Springfield (Edmonton's AHL affiliate)." The six-foot-one, 215-pound Mississauga, Ont., native has a goal and four assists in 42 career games with Carolina and the Islanders. islesinfo.com comment: I like it. The more picks we can acquire in 2008 or the higher picks we can accumulate the better. Rourke was just a depth guy and can easily be replaced. What's funny about this is I learned yesterday that Allan Rourke's NHL.com profile listed him with the Edmonton Oilers. Michael Fornabaio of the Connecticut Post called Rourke and inquired about the news and Rourke told him he didn't sign with Edmonton. Apparently he was traded and didn't know yet.
"It was a hard decision," said Nolan, who came in charged with motivating Yashin to play with more consistent passion. "But when push came to shove, it was the best decision for this organization to give Yash a nice, fresh start. For us, it's a new beginning. You start looking for new players to come in. There's a time for people to move, and we just felt it was the right time." Nolan went on to describe it as a "new beginning." "This decision was one of the hardest I have ever had to make" Wang said in a statement. "The organization holds Alexei in the highest regard -- as a player, as a teammate and as a person." Yashin praised Wang in the statement and said, "The Islanders have treated me with the utmost respect. I've always believed in the vision Charles Wang has for the organization and although I won't be a part of it, I believe that the team is headed in the right direction. I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my life." "It's about the type of team Long Island fans can
appreciate and love and come back to see," Nolan said. "We want
a team that's going to rejuvenate the tradition of what the Islanders are
all about. Alexei Yashin finishes his Islanders career 19th all time in team scoring having produced 119 goals and 290 points in 346 games played. In 22 playoff games he recorded only 5 goals and 12 points. The official buyout won't take place until the NHL's June 15th buyout period. "From my time knowing Alexei as a teammate and as a general manager, I have learned that Alexei is nothing but a first-class individual," said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow. "With him on the team, the Islanders made the playoffs four out of last five seasons and I believe that we would not have been able to do that without him. And we thank him for his contributions." Added Islanders Head Coach Ted Nolan: "Alexei has always been a professional on and off the ice and this was not something that was easily decided. I believe this is in the best interests of the team and player in mind. Alexei will have an opportunity to pursue a fresh start and we'll look at options to fill his position." Here is the link to Greg Logan's breaking news: Islanders
buy out Yashin for $17.63M islesinfo.com comment: Hallelujah. Dreams really do come true! I will have more on this Magnificent News as the day goes on!!!! This is the greatest news I have heard regarding the Islanders in YEARS! I know it was talked about as a possibility, especially here on islesinfo.com, but actually seeing it happen is still a shocker. Especially after GM Garth Snow came out a couple of weeks ago and announced that Yashin was still an important part of the team. Apparently the backlash from that made Wang finally reconsider. Now we know that Wang is finally willing to admit a mistake. I applaud him for this move and I thank Charles Wang for taking this financial hit to rid the New York Islanders of this cancer. As for Alexei Yashin, he tried to make it work. But it didn't. He's not worth the money he was making. He's not worthy of the captaincy, and the Islanders just got BETTER by subtraction. Yashin was a nice guy. But it's time to move on. Time for him and the Islanders to move on. We got some great news with the resignation of Mike Milbury the other day. Cutting loose Yashin is REALLY the dawning of an new era on Long Island. Check out the Islanders new salary structure after the buyout.
"Charles gave me the opportunity of a new challenge for the last 18 months and I enjoyed every minute of it," Milbury said this afternoon. "I'm very proud of our staff and the strides we made last season in corporate sales, customer service and community relations. Although it's time for something different for me, I appreciate the challenge of continuing the work we started with Project Hope and the Children's Foundation, among other projects." Islanders owner Charles Wang released the following statement: "Mike remains a close friend and advisor to all of us in the Islanders family and I look forward to continuing to work with him," said Wang. "Mike played a major role in getting the Islanders back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs three years in a row. Before I purchased the franchise and provided Mike with the stability and resources he never had in his early tenure, the Islanders were out of the playoffs for almost a decade. Worse than that, most years they didn't even have a chance when the season started. It was Mike who made the aggressive moves that put the Islanders back on the NHL map. Mike is also responsible for the Islanders careers of some of our fan favorites, including Rick DiPietro, Jason Blake and Trent Hunter, among many others. "Thank you, Mike, for all of your efforts on and off the ice during our seven years together." islesinfo.com comment: Last year must have really killed Milbury being an onlooker in the Islanders front office. I say this because I fully believe he still wants to be in charge of an NHL team. He only stepped down because he was feeling the pressure from the fans and they weren't going to accept him in that role any longer. That being said, it will be interesting to see if anyone really gives him a shot. He could end up waiting a long time as we see with Neil Smith. His best bet would be to scout for a while with another franchise and see what happens. What's so ironic about this announcement today, is the fact it comes on the same day former Islander GM Don Maloney gets hired as the new GM of the Phoenix Coyotes. Maloney's re-hiring, along with Ted Nolan's return last season is proof positive that there is always someone willing to give a man a second chance in the NHL. In looking back at Milbury's tenure, it's hard to fault him on what he did before Charles Wang took over. Instability in ownership and the lack of funds caused him to make some tough decisions. But I quite honestly have to say he will go down as one of the worst GM's in NHL history because of his impatience with just about every Islanders first round pick from 1996 to 2000, his trade of Roberto Luongo which ranks up there as one of the worst all time, some poor drafting decisions in which the scouting department may have to share blame (drafting DiPietro instead of Heatley when they already had a goaltender; dealing Kevin Weekes leaving the team without a goalie; choosing Robert Nilsson over Zach Parise), and some poor selection of coaches (firing Peter Laviolette and hiring Steve Stirling). I can also mention the Berard/Redden trade, giving up on Berard, the Yashin trade and the fact he gave up too much in my mind for Michael Peca, but at the time I was very in favor of those deals. Unfortunately they didn't work out the way we would have liked them to. Let's not forget the Bertuzzi/Mcabe deal for Trevor Linden, perhaps the second worst move in Islanders history if not tied with the Luongo deal. Good luck Mike, in whatever comes next for you. Milbury's Legacy: Milbury Deals
Flynn returns to Moncton after spending the past season as an assistant coach to Ted Nolan with the New York Islanders, who Sports Illustrated picked to finish dead last in the NHL, but a team that finished 16th overall and made the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. “I am thrilled to be rejoining the best run major junior organization in Canada and working hard to fulfill the dream of winning the Memorial Cup,” Flynn said. “I enjoyed my year in New York and thank that organization for everything,” Flynn said. “It was a great hockey experience and I am certainly a better coach because of it, however, I am an Atlantic Canadian at heart and coming home to coach the Moncton Wildcats is very special for me and my family,” Flynn said. Flynn has been a mainstay on Nolan's coaching staff going back to their days with the Sault. Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the early 1990s. Together, Nolan and Flynn won three straight OHL championships and a Memorial Cup title with the Greyhounds. Before rejoining Nolan in Moncton for the 2005-2006season, where they led the team to the President’s Cup, Flynn was the head coach for St. Francis Xavier University for ten years where he rebuilt the program culminating in three national final appearances in four years and winning the University’s first national championship in 2004. In total, he recorded 177 career wins at St. F X making him the all-time winningest coach in the schools history and 17th overall in CIAU history. Flynn also had the opportunity to coach internationally with Team Canada on five occasions, winning gold three times at the 1992 Under-18 Championship; the 1994 World Junior Championship; and the 1998 Spangler Cup. He also won bronze at the 1995 World Championship, a year which NHL players were not available. Flynn worked for the Los Angeles Kings from 2000 to 2005 as a part-time scout, covering the college and junior ranks in Atlantic Canada. Flynn graduated from St. Francis Xavier University with a degree in Physical Education in 1979 and was a member of the school's 1978 Championship team. The Dartmouth, NS native and his wife Elaine have two sons, Brad and Andrew. Torchetti out as
Wildcats coach, Flynn in? John Torchetti is out as head coach of the Moncton Wildcats and there’s reason to believe Danny Flynn is on a very short list of candidates to replace him. Torchetti left the Wildcats on Tuesday after accepting an assistant coaching job with the Chicago Blackhawks. Sources say Flynn, a Dartmouth native, and former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Gerard Gallant are the front-runners for the job. Recently fired New Jersey Devils head coach Claude Julien has been mentioned as a third candidate but he is more of a long-shot. Torchetti, the former head coach of the Los Angeles Kings and Florida Panthers, only spent one year in Moncton. He replaced Ted Nolan after Nolan took the head coaching job with the New York Islanders last summer. Flynn spent last year as an assistant to Nolan in New York and was also Nolan’s right-hand man in Moncton for the 2005-06 season. Flynn has long been a respected hockey man by Wildcats owner Robert Irving. Irving pursued Flynn heavily in 2000 to be his head coach, but Flynn turned him down because he did not want to leave his job as head coach of the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. Irving eventually got Flynn to come aboard prior to the 2005-06 season, thanks mostly to Flynn’s old friendship with Nolan from their days in identical roles with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. When Nolan accepted the Islanders’ job last summer, Flynn went with him but not before Irving made a determined effort to persuade him to stay and guide the Wildcats. It only makes sense that Irving would take another run at Flynn now that he needs a head coach once again. Flynn is still under contract with the Islanders, but he’s always been a passionate teacher of the game and loves to coach at the developmental level. Moncton is also only an hour’s drive from his family’s home base in New Glasgow and he may be attracted by the idea of coming home to a high-profile QMJHL job. Flynn’s close friend Donnie Matheson, a Halifax resident, was also a part of the Sault Ste. Marie teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s and remains an influential consultant with the Wildcats. He was also brought aboard in 2005-06 with Nolan, but stayed on this year to help Torchetti. He played an integral role in several key player moves and would be a logical candidate to join forces with Flynn in Moncton once again. Phone messages were left for both Matheson and Flynn at their homes on Tuesday afternoon, but they were not returned. islesinfo.com comment: Congrats to Flynn for landing a head coaching job. He should be very happy since he is now close to home. There's nothing to really criticize him for or anything. He did an ok job with the Islanders. It will be interesting to see who he may be replaced with on the Islanders bench.
The 25-year-old netminder, who has 14 years and US$63 million left on the landmark contract he signed last summer, went 32-19-9 with a 2.58 goals-against average in 62 regular-season games. He sat out the final seven contests, when the Islanders made a run to the final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference behind third-stringer Wade Dubielewicz, and the playoff opener against Buffalo. He returned for the last four games of New York's first-round ouster. DiPietro was 1-3 with a 3.31 GAA against the Sabres, stopping 114 of 127 shots in the series. ''Not that anyone needed any more proof that he's a battler, but Rick gutted it out with this injury down the stretch and in the playoffs,'' said Islanders general manager Garth Snow, DiPietro's backup until Snow retired as a player to take this post before the season. ''We're happy to get a very positive report .. and to know our No. 1 goaltender will be completely ready well before the start of training camp.'' DiPietro will be on crutches for two weeks and will rest for four to six weeks. The Islanders said DiPietro, the first goalie ever chosen first in the NHL draft when New York selected him in 2000, is expected to make a full recovery.
He is the first player to be suspended under this program. Islanders spokesman Chris Botta said Hill didn't travel with the team for Friday night's game. He added he didn't know whether Hill had returned to Long Island. The nature of Hill's infraction was not immediately clear. ''It's unfortunate it happened, and we certainly hope that we won't have many more violations of our policy as we move forward with the program,'' NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Canadian Press. ''But this result shows that our program is working as it was designed and intended to work.'' Islanders general manager Garth Snow said the team supported the NHL's decision to suspend Hill. ''The New York Islanders do not support the use of performance-enhancing agents in any form,'' Snow added. ''As for tonight, we have a game an hour away, and that's what we're going to be focused on from here on out.'' Snow spoke for 30 seconds, reading from a brief statement, and did not take any questions. Islanders coach Ted Nolan declined comment outside the club's locker room. Team spokesman Chris Botta said Hill travelled home to Long Island before the game. Rookie defenceman Drew Fata made his career playoff debut in Hill's place. Fata appeared in three regular-season games this year and scored a goal. New York started the day in a 3-1 hole to top-seeded Buffalo in the best-of-seven matchup. Hill, 37, showed no sign Thursday, before the Islanders flew to Buffalo, that anything was amiss. He joined the rest of his teammates in talking about putting several controversial calls in consecutive home losses this week behind them as they prepared for Game 5. ''If we can use it as a motivational tool, that would be great. If we can't, we just have to put it behind us,'' he said Thursday. ''It doesn't matter what happened in the last game, it doesn't matter what happened in the previous games. ''We have to focus all our energy on that one game. If we do that we'll have a good outcome.'' Hill had one goal and 24 assists in 81 games this season, his first with the Islanders. He did not record a point in the Islanders' first four playoff games against Buffalo. As part of the new collective bargaining agreement that ended the year-long lockout in 2005, a player receives a 20-game suspension for a first positive test and is subject to a mandatory referral to the league's substance abuse-behavioural health program for evaluation, education and possible treatment. Every NHL player can be given up to two ''no-notice'' tests every year, with at least one conducted on a team-wide basis. Players can be given a ''no-notice'' test at any time. Sabres defenceman Brian Campbell said Buffalo players were tested twice during the regular season. ''Who knows what happened?'' Campbell said, before the game. ''I feel bad for him that it's happened. ''You don't know what it is until everything comes out. . You just have to be careful all the time.'' The NHL's anti-doping policy has been called into question by Montreal lawyer Dick Pound, chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency. He said last year the policy was ''very seriously flawed'' and made headlines in November 2005 when he estimated that one third of NHL players were likely taking performance enhancing substances - mainly stimulants. The NHL does not test for the drugs on WADA's list of banned substances that are prohibited only during competition, such as stimulants. Some cold remedies that contain stimulants, such as ephedrine, are suspected to be widely used by hockey players. Players as well as league and union officials unanimously denied Pound's claims. Defenceman Bryan Berard of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore both failed out-of-competition tests administered by their respective national anti-doping organizations in November 2005. But neither was suspended by the league because the failed tests happened before the NHL established its new policy. Hill, a native of Duluth, Minn., was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the eighth round of the 1988 NHL entry draft. In 841 career regular-season games, Hill has 60 goals and 229 assists for 289 points.< Earlier this year, Islanders' forward Chris Simon received a record ban of at least 25 games that ended his season and could carry into the next campaign, for striking Ryan Hollweg of the New York Rangers with a two-handed swing of his stick. Simon served the 20th game of the NHL's longest suspension for on-ice violence Friday. He is ineligible to return to the playoffs and will have to sit out any remaining games next year should the Islanders fail to play five more this season. Hill, the 36-year-old Minnesotan was informed yesterday morning, though unknown to many teammates, he played the first four games of the series under appeal for flunking a regular season test, likely for steroid use. Hill, who signed to a one-year deal for $600,000 US in the summer, addressed the team after yesterday's optional morning skate, in which he didn't participate, then flew back to Long Island with no comment.
April 10, 2007: According to Greg Logan of Newsday, Rick DiPietro is not going to start game one for the Islanders in Buffalo and remains a questionable return for the series. In order for Rick to return, he still would have to pass a battery of neurological tests. Also, DiPietro has only been lightly skating and is most likely not in hockey game shape. Apparently, an NHL.com preview of the series written by Evan Grossman, who normally covers the Islanders for the NY Post, erroneously reported that DiPietro would return for game one after missing 9 games. The NHL.com story oddly enough does not even contain ONE single reference to Wade Dubielewicz and the job he did to get the Islanders into the postseason. This again is one of many erroneous reports that have been made this season alone concerning the Islanders. It's shocking that Grossman would report something like this if it's not true. April 9, 2007: According to NHL.com, Rick DiPietro is going to start Game 1 in Buffalo against the Sabres on Thursday night. It was reported today that DiPietro went to visit a neurologist. No one could have foreseen that he would have been cleared to play for the opening game of the playoffs. The return of DiPietro could be a great lift for the Islanders. There most likely could be a smattering of those who believe Wade Dubielewicz should start Game 1 after his great play to get the Islanders into the playoffs. The move also could set the Islanders to be questioned
should they lose the first game by a deciding margin. But it was DiPietro
who carried the Islanders on his back this season. He's the guy getting
paid the big contract. So if he's healthy enough to return then you'd have
to believe the Islanders best chances of winning are with him in net. He's
the best goaltender in the organization.
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1998-2007 Tom Mascioli
