On Jaffe

By now it looks like the Islanders Internet world is exploding upon hearing the news that MSG will not renew the contract of Islanders color-commentator Billy Jaffe.

Let me repeat that.

MSG will not renew the contract of Islanders color-commentator Billy Jaffe.

For everyone that is crying out saying, "Oh, this is another horrible move for the Islanders." "Why would they do this?!" I tell them to look right above.

This is MSG's decision...not the Islanders.

"But shouldn't the Islanders have a say in who commentates their games?"

Some say, yes. But ultimately, its the decision of the company that Billy was under contract with, and that was MSG.

As I've been saying on twitter for the past few hours, there may have been reasons behind not picking up Jaffe's contract. I'm not going to go into details, or say "I told you so," but from the murmurs I've been gathering around the organization, this move is not coming as a shock to me.

Billy was a great commentator and a great guy. He'll land on his feet.

Just everyone stay calm, right now. This isn't a big deal.

Remember when Joe Micheletti flipped over to the New York Rangers, the fan reaction was probably the same as this right now. The Islanders will have a great voice behind the microphone next to Howie Rose. Who will it be? I don't know, but I'm sure he'll be good.

What the Experts Are Saying...

Soon to be published for NewYorkIslanders.com .... but you'll have the first peek right here...

Mock drafts are all the rage this time of year.

Experts around the hockey world, scouts, and teams stir up conversation on whether or not a certain player should be ranked higher than the other, or if this goalie is better than that goalie.

Now it's no secret that the perennial 1-2 combination with most likely consist of Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin in some order. So we checked in with NHL Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire to find out a little more about the No. 3-5 ranked North American skaters in the Draft: Erik Gudbranson, Cam Fowler, and Brandon Gormley.

On Gudbranson: "(He's) more of an NHL all-around defenseman with size, speed, skill and meanness. He has got a meanness that would remind one of Dion Phaneuf or Chris Pronger. High, yet unrealized potential."

On Fowler: "He's more of a niche player in an offensive contributor category. He was a key cog in quarterbacking the Windsor Spitfires Memorial Cup championship team on the power play. A lot of his shots didn't get through to the net in a goals point of view (8 G, 55 GP). But he sure made up for that in vision with 45 assists in 55 games is pretty darn impressive. He will be ready to step into the National Hockey League as a power play contributor next year. On a projection point of view, there's reason to believe to be a Jack Johnson or Erik Johnson point of view."

On Gormley: "Confidence and poise. Excellent puck handler and an excellent decision maker. He makes a great first pass. His Moncton Wildcats team were in the Memorial Cup largely because of his stellar play of defense."

With that in mind, NewYorkIslanders.com caught up with various TV, print and online personalities concerning those prospects, and some even weigh in with some draft predictions....

"In my mind, the Islanders need at least one franchise defenceman moving forward. We saw in these playoffs what a difference they can make, especially the likes of Pronger and Keith. Assuming Hall and Seguin go first and second, that will leave at least one of Erik Gudbranson, Brandon Gormley or Cam Fowler available on defence. I think Fowler, an excellent skater and puck mover, would be a great fit for the Isles.

If he's developed properly -- likely starting with a return for at least one more year of junior -- then the Islanders will have a 25+ minute defenceman who can move the puck and play against other team's top players. When you look at consistently good teams, you'll find they have a mobile, puck moving defence.

With 6 picks in the top 100, this is a crucial year for the Islanders at the draft."

--Gord Miller, TSN

"In all likelihood, they'll be drafting a defenseman. And, since word on the street is that Florida is going to take Erik Gudbrandson third, the Isles should (and will) take Cam Fowler if he's available, and if not, Bandon Gormley. Either way, Isles fans should be excited to add another quality piece to their young core."

-- Justin Bourne, Bourne’s Blog

"(Erik) Gudbranson/(Cam) Fowler. (They can provide) defence that can play sound on the defensive side of the puck, and make plays offensively. Check the Blackhawks Duncan Keith and/or (Brent) Seabrook. Stability starts at the back end."

-- Kevin Weekes, Analyst, CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada & The NHL Network

Calling All Islanders Fans!

Are you going to the NHL Draft next week in Los Angeles?

If you are, please email me here and let me know. I'll be writing a feature for the Islanders official website about fan experiences at the Draft and would love to chat with you!

Hope to see you next week.

California Dreaming

I figured since we are 25 days away from the 2010 Entry Draft, and as the Islanders launch their Top 25 in 25 countdown, now is as good as a time to ever to announce that for the third straight year, The Tiger Track will be LIVE from this year's NHL Entry Draft, this time from Los Angeles, California.

This year I will be in real official capacity, reporting for NewYorkIslanders.com, filling you in on everything going on in, around and outside the Staples Center. I'll have plenty of interviews for the main site, but I won't leave site out. I'll have plenty of behind the scenes footage, with images, videos and more from Media Row.

Keep it here in three and a half weeks....

Coming back.

You know, sometimes people come up to me and ask me, "Hey Tom, you still have that blog?" or "Hey Tom, I noticed you haven't written in your blog in a while. Are you still going to do that?"

I know I've been neglectful over here.

I've been consumed with a lot of things lately. During the season it was two-fold. Firstly, it was my responsibilities with the New York Islanders, in writing recaps for them and almost acting like an "unofficial" staff member. Secondly, it's my full-time job, in which I'm a web editor for a local high school sports network. (I believe I've said where before, but you get the drift.)

I love both, and while doing both I forgot that this lovely blog has been around for three years now. (Yikes...)

But don't fear. I haven't forgotten where I came from.

I love this little blog and even though I lost sight of some of my creative and opinionated writing, this is still here and I'm going to make sure that it gets the attention it deserves.

I know I've said that before (plenty times) and I've failed on that promise, but I'm not throwing this away. I know where I came from, and I know what I have to thank for getting me to where I am now.

Thanks to the readers for helping too.

I'm just getting started...

NHL Awards and the "Sexy" Picks

Lately I've been listening to a lot of XM's NHL Home Ice. I figure during the playoffs it's the perfect fodder to keep me busy throughout the day, in the care, and basically wherever I am so I can always listen to hockey talk. With no New York Islanders in the playoffs to keep me busy at the Coliseum during the evenings, I have to find some way to keep myself occupied!

But an interesting topic came up during "The Point" around 2:00pm on NHL Home Ice, when the hosts were discussing the recently-announced nominees for the Selke Trophy. Afterwards, they talked about how the nominees for the Lady Byng Trophy (for gentlemanly play) would be revealed tomorrow.

The usual speculative nominees for this award were announced...Pavel Datsyuk...Martin St. Louis, you know the deal. But an interesting thing was said, to paraphrase, one of the hosts asked that why don't we just take the players with high offensive totals and the least penalty minutes and just give them a nomination?

So it got me thinking (I don't know whether it's a good or bad thing...), is there anyone close on the Islanders?

Why yes there is. Frans Nielsen.

In 76 games, Nielsen posted a career-best 12 goals, 26 assists for 38 points. His time in the penalty box? Just six minutes.

Six minutes. Frans Nielsen wouldn't hurt a fly according to those standards.

Now I looked into those three separate instances where Nielsen took penalties, and they accumulate to two hooking and one roughing minor. (The roughing penalty was during a Rangers game, so lets try to overlook that.)

So I emailed "The Point" with just this information, and within five minutes the words, "We've got some e-mails to read" were uttered.

Now, I thought to myself, "They've probably got a few hundred emails to sift through, no chance mine gets read."

WRONG.

"Going back to our talk about the Lady Byng trophy, Tom from Long Island chimes in with a great email..."

Oh lord, within five minutes I'm on NHL Home Ice. Needless to say, with all my time spent upstairs in the press box at the Nassau Coliseum, I still got a little giddy. The co-host proceeds to read my e-mail, to which his partner basically says "I don't think you'll be seeing Frans Nielsen's name on the ballot any time soon."

Now why not?

"He's not a sexy pick."

Oh I'm sorry, I forgot the NHL Awards devolved into a popularity contest, and not awarding those who deserve the award.

Now I'm not advocating Frans Nielsen for the Lady Byng Trophy. I sincerely doubt he will ever win it despite his 24 career penalty minutes in 166 career games. (I'm not kidding.)

I just believe the whole "He's not a sexy pick" belief totally devalues the idea of an Awards Show. If a player deserves an award, regardless of him not being "sexy" or not, he should deserve to be nominated. Yes, Datsyuk and St. Louis are worthy candidates. But how interesting would it be if a Nielsen or a Toby Peterson (Dallas, center, 15 points, 6 penalty minutes in 78 games) were competing with those upper-echelon players.

It would expand the fan-base and make fans notice these less-heralded players, and not just keep the focus on the "stars", which the most casual hockey fan is aware of.

That's What I Call 'Old-Time Hockey'

Can't say I haven't heard of many games that had to be forefeited due to lack of players...

Fayetteville -- 200 minutes on 32 infraction(s)
Knoxville -- 147 minutes on 22 infraction(s)

"Old-time hockey" at its best.

Making the Case For: Micheal Haley

As the season comes to a close and injuries are accumulating, we're seeing a heavy heap of talent imported from up I-95 and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers over to the New York Islanders. And for the next few days until the season ends, I'll be sharing my thoughts on a few select players on why they should get their shot with the big club in a new segment I call "Making the Case For..."

On March 24, I had the opportunity to be at Madison Square Garden to cover the Islanders/Rangers fifth game of the season for the Islanders Official Website.

For me personally, it is a big honor to be able to walk into Madison Square Garden and say I'm at work there. It's a feeling like, "Hey, I made it."

But to be able to cover any game for the Islanders Website is always a thrill because it allows me to do what I love...watch hockey, write about it, and allow to creative give my insights for thousands of people to read.

Anyways, to the game...

It was an important game for the Islanders, not just it would give them an opportunity to go undefeated at the Garden for the first time since 1995, but it would also be a helpful two points in their gasp for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Judging by the way the Islanders came out, it sure didn't look like it. There was no fire, there was jump, and there was hardly a scoring chance.

The Rangers were led by Sean Avery, who's pest-like actions got to the best of Islanders enforcer Trevor Gillies. Gillies wanted to fight, and in usual Avery style, he talked the talk, but didn't walk the walk. Seen here:



Where am I going with this?

Over the past few years, I've seen the Islanders bring up some heavy-hitter enforcers from Bridgeport for the big rivalry games. Such names as Trevor Gillies, Joel Rechlicz, Mitch Fritz, Eric Godard all provide some punch when provided (and in the case of Fritz, lots of blood), but have limited ice time attached to it, and sometimes that can hurt the overall objective of the big rivalry games - winning them.

What the Islanders are missing from these games is that Avery-type pest that can play 10:00 a game and maybe provide a boost that can get into the head of the other team.

What many of the casual fans may not realize, that down in Bridgeport they are heavily stocked of these type players. One in particular, is a 5-foot-11, 198 lb. center by the name of Micheal Haley

In Haley's time with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Haley has accumulated 349 penalty minutes in 141 games played, and half of those penalty minutes have come just this season!

Micheal has gained the reputation in his three seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to do anything and everything to help his team on the ice, whether the includes dropping the gloves, or not dropping them, just to get a power play. Watch...



Haley can also provide with the occasional goal or two, potting six goals and eight assists this season while consistently getting third line minutes from coach Jack Capuano.

Haley has put in his work and time in Bridgeport and deserves to get a call up sometime soon. Actually, Tuesday night doesn't sound like a bad time, right?

Gretzky should be jealous

I always knew the Isles signed an accomplished scorer when Doug Weight came on board.



Hey VS., I think you forgot a number...

Bridgeport moves

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have announced two three additional moves:

--Dustin Kohn has been recalled to the New York Islanders This is due to the Sutton deal...

--Sound Tigers have also acquired center Mike Radja from the Syracuse Crunch as part of the Dylan Reese-Greg Moore deal. In 31 games with Syracuse, Radja compiled seven goals and seven assists for 14 points.

--Brett Westgarth has been traded to the Worchester Sharks for future considerations. The former Sound Tigers defenseman will rejoin the team he skated with last year, where he scored two goals and seven assists, with 137 penalty minutes last season. Westgarth had three goals and five assists this season with the Sound Tigers.