UNIONDALE, NY—Just five points separated the Islanders from the Eastern Conference’s eighth spot heading into Wednesday.
Islanders general manager Garth Snow said he considers his team still in the playoff race. But the GM still chose to build for the long-term rather than make a late push, trading 6-6 defenseman Andy Sutton to the Ottawa Senators [...]

UNIONDALE, NY—Martin Biron waited more than a month for a chance to appear in a NHL game.
Biron’s patience paid off as the 32-year-old posted wins in consecutive starts in a six-day span. With the impending Olympic break, Biron did his best to showcase his skills before the league’s March 3 trade deadline.
Islanders coach Scott Gordon [...]

SYOSSET, NY— Pittsburgh turned a slew of disappointing seasons and high draft picks into a team that is now a perennial contender. So maybe it’s no coincidence the Islanders will open against the defending Stanley Cup champions after trying to emulate the Penguins rebuilding model.
John Tavares, the No. 1 overall draft choice, signed a three-year [...]

UNIONDALE, NY— Garth Snow wasn’t the star of Wednesday afternoon’s press conference on Nassau Coliseum’s floor. But the general manager incited the loudest ovation when he said the words Islanders fans were eager to hear: “I’d like to introduce John Tavares.”
Twelve days after 10,118 people packed the Coliseum to watch Tavares became the fourth No. [...]

UNIONDALE, NY—Confetti fell on the fans on the Nassau Coliseum floor as the goal siren blared through the speakers, heightening the excitement of the 10,118 fans whose cheers pulsated around the arena for the Islanders highly touted prospect.
The crowd sent pulsating screams through the building the second general manager Garth Snow announced the Islanders selected [...]

The coronation of John Tavares as hockey’s next big thing is set for June 26, 2009 in Montreal as the Canadiens 100th anniversary hits its zenith with the NHL’s 2009 Entry Draft. Now it is up to the New York Islanders to decide where Tavares begins his professional hockey career.
Often pegged as the odds-on favorite [...]

UNIONDALE, NY- Center ice still featured the big Islanders emblem and matching NHL logos at Nassau Coliseum Friday night. Kyle Okposo, the team’s leading scorer in 2008-09, was also in uniform and garnered some of the loudest cheers during the pregame skate.
A plethora of empty seats stood as the backdrop, giving the venue the feeling [...]

UNIONDALE, NY – Buoyed by points in back-to-back wins over playoff-bound teams, Islanders coach Scott Gordon says his team is ready for the challenge of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Despite standing in last place in the 30-team NHL, Gordon said his team is preparing for the first round against likely top-seeded Boston.
“I know the league’s [...]

UNIONDALE, NY- Instead of a slew of comings and goings, the Islanders made just one anticipated deal before the NHL’s trade deadline Wednesday.
General manager Garth Snow’s only move was an expected transaction, as the Islanders traded Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a conditional draft pick. The Isles will receive no worse than a fifth round [...]

UNIONDALE, NY- Garth Snow pulled off a blockbuster two years ago when he packaged prospects and a first-round draft pick for All-Star 40-goal scorer Ryan Smyth. But two years later, the only trade deadline move the Islanders made was shipping Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a conditional fifth-round pick that might turn into a third-round [...]