NEW YORK ISLANDERS

The New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are currently members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL). They are actually one of two teams from New York. The New York Islanders and their cross-town rivals, the New York Rangers, are both members of the NHL's Atlantic Division, guaranteeing plenty of regular season meetings. The New York Islanders are owned by Charles Wang, who bought them in 2000 for $188 mil. The gem of this franchise is a lucrative cable deal whereby Cablevision pays the Islanders over $15 million per season and this increases in value through 2030. The team has several major sponsors which include Anheuser-Busch, Modell's Sporting Goods, Computer Associates, and PepsiCo.

The Islanders were first inaugurated in around October, 1972 with a 3-2 loss to the visiting Atlanta Flames. Victory that first season was quite a rare treat for Islander fans. They finished with only 12 wins to go along with 60 losses, and finished 72 points behind their bitter rivals, the New York Rangers. Despite their records, the Islanders never lost hope and they retooled through the mid 1980s and continued to add young talent to their roster. The likes of Pat Lafontaine, Pat Flatley, and Kelly Hrudey would be Islander mainstays for years to come. But what was missing was the championship spark the team had in the early 1980s. They still continued to play a competitive hockey through the late 1980s as most of the original stars began to leave or retire.

During the 2006 NHL season, the Islanders honored the 25th anniversary of the 1980 Stanley Cup championship team prior to a scheduled game with the Philadelphia Flyers. Activities included bringing back most of the players as well as GM Bill Torrey and coach Al Arbour for a "Walk of Champions" leading into the building, accompanied by the Stanley Cup, and tributes to the team once inside. Former broadcaster Jiggs McDonald hosted the on-ice ceremony.

The Islanders traditional jerseys are either white with orange and royal blue stripes near the waistline and on the sleeves or royal blue with white and orange stripes. Recently, their jersey design combines the heritage of the team with its magnificent logo, along with a unique trendy appeal. This is to keep intact the integrity of the Islanders seal, which is completely unaltered. In addition, the uniform incorporates the traditional tie strings in the front and maintains the same design of the striped shoulder patch signifying the four Stanley Cup Championships. They followed the footsteps of the extremely popular Buffalo Sabers jerseys by including the players' numbers on the front of the jersey.

For more information please visit: www.newyorkislanders.com

Long Island Sports