Gary Bettman Delivers High Praise for the Islanders
As the NHL offseason continues and news remains relatively slow, some recent headlines were made about the New York Islanders. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was on Carton & Roberts and made remarks about the organization, delivering high praise.
Gary Bettman on the Islanders and their new arena
— Carton & Roberts (@CartonRoberts) August 20, 2021
It is a special time to be an Islanders fan. For the past three seasons, the team has grown into a powerhouse.
No one expected the Islanders to contend when John Tavares left in free agency in 2018. Nearly every fan, analyst and insider predicted the Islanders to struggle. The Islanders were expected to be in the bottom of the NHL for years.
Nonetheless, the Islanders swept the Penguins in the first round of the season after Tavares’ departure.
Then, after everyone called the past Islanders run during 2019 a fluke, the Islanders made it to the Eastern Conference Final the following season before falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
The next season, the Islanders were written off as underdogs yet again. They were supposed to lose to the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins and then to the championship-caliber Boston Bruins. Yet, the Islanders beat both of those teams in six games, before ultimately losing to the Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.
These past three seasons – since Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello joined the organization – the Islanders have shocked the hockey world, defying the odds every second of the way.
And not only has the team thrived on the ice, they have thrived off it – as shown by Bettman sharing his excitement over UBS Arena in the interview.
The past decade or so, the Islanders have suffered so much pain when it comes to finding an arena for the team. From Charles Wang’s failed Lighthouse Project to rumors about a possible relocation to the team leaving their true home on Long Island to moving across Long Island to Brooklyn, there has been so much agony for Islanders players and fans.
However, the Islanders now have their new home at Belmont Park and were able to create an extraordinary final chapter at the Coliseum with an incredible run last season. Although it ended with a loss to the Lightning at Amalie Arena, the Islanders created something absent on Long Island since the 80s: hope.
For the first time in a while, the Islanders have a legitimate Stanley Cup contending team and a home to play in that is state of the art. It has been a long, long time since that could be said.
Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.
