Jealous Eyes

40 years since four cups; Lamoriello reportedly back

NOW AVAILABLE! New York Islanders: A to Z will introduce a new generation of fans to the legendary players, magical moments, and colorful 50-year history of the Islanders.

Contributions from Brendan Burke, Stan Fischler, Chris King, and Jiggs McDonald.

You can purchase it HERE

A portion of the proceeds goes to the Islanders Children’s Foundation.

Good Morning, Islanders Country.

This week marked 40 years since the Islanders last won the Stanley Cup.

I can’t say I re-lived it since I was just one year old, but I went back and watched the last few minutes (SportsChannel feed courtesy of IslandersPride YouTube channel) of Game 4 of the 1983 Stanley Cup Final earlier this week and the post-game.

I was in awe and frankly jealous of what it must’ve felt like to be in the Coliseum or to be watching these teams year after year.

After Ken Morrow’s empty-net goal ensured a sweep of the Edmonton Oilers and a fourth consecutive Stanley Cup, the crowd chanted down from 10 until the clock hit zero. Conn Smythe winner Billy Smith scooped up one last Wayne Gretzky shot and then headed off to remove his gear rather than take part in the handshake line. He later emerged with a beer in hand.

He then sits down to receive his trophy from the and gives his famous “two can play that game” interview, admitting in front of the league President that he embellished just a little bit when he was ‘slashed’ by Glenn Andersen in the third period. "When I hit Gretzky in Edmonton, he rolled around and cried like he was dying, so when he hit me tonight, I said, 'hey, I may just well do the same thing,' so I threw myself on my back, and I squirmed," said Smith unapologetically. Absolutely priceless.

Back on the ice, Bryan Trottier grasps the Cup with one hand while pumping his fist in the air before captain Denis Potvin comes in to hoist it for a fourth time.

While the Isles parade around the ice in a more chaotic, less organized fashion than winning teams do now, local law enforcement is there, trying to prevent the glass from coming down as fans press and bang against it.

Back in the dressing room, Jiggs McDonald is interviewing the Sutter Brothers when Duane gives a signal to his younger brother Brent to douse the play-by-play man with a cold one that he allowed himself to enjoy before drying off.

Back on set, Stan Fischler, looking every bit the way he does now with a little more grey and black in his beard, interviews Al Arbour, Bobby Nystrom, Bryan Trottier, and Denis Potvin.

The Islanders captain feels a tremendous sense of pride and tells Stan, “I feel this is the best team that has ever, ever skated,” Potvin proclaims as he talks about what it took to sweep the Oilers.

Trottier tells Fischler that it was the most emotional he’s ever played. “I was caught up in a series where I couldn’t control my emotions,” said the two-way center. “I couldn't eat, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t relax. Felt like crying sometimes …it’s terrible, but it’s an enjoyable type of terrible because it’s a type of pressure and emotion that you thrive on.”

On occasion, the broadcast throws it back to Dr. Generosity’s bar in East Meadow, NY, near the Coliseum, where those not lucky enough to be inside the Coliseum have created their special atmosphere to celebrate the historic win.

40 years. That’s a long time. A very long time.

It’s not a 54-year drought. 1983 isn’t 1940, but it’s getting there.

That team was special. Not just about how they played together but how they talked about each other, how they were obsessed with winning, doing whatever it took, and sacrificing everything because winning the Stanley Cup was worth it all.

It was a joy to watch this footage in full for the first time. I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner. For now, I can only imagine what it must’ve felt like to root for that team. I don’t know if anything can top it, but I’d love to find out.

Coming up, Newsday says Lou is a lock to come back, and The Athletic takes a look at what it will take to lock up Ilya Sorokin. Plus, the Penguins still haven’t gotten over 1993, and the Drive for Five ends in Edmonton.

Let’s dive into the week that was.

📰 NEWS: The week started with a report from Andrew Gross in Newsday that President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Lou Lamoriello is expected to be back along with head coach Lane Lambert. After player exit interviews and internal deliberation, the belief is that the 80-year-old executive is reportedly being offered a new three-year contract.

Gross added that if and when the contract is signed, it doesn't mean that the Islanders will be a formal announcement but rather just conduct business as usual with Lamoriello at the helm and Lambert back behind the bench for his second season as head coach.

Former VP of Communications for the Islanders and co-host of Hockey Night in New York, Chris Botta, polled Islanders fans as to whether they want more Lou Lamoriello or are ready for a new leadership approach.

With over 1,700 votes, 73% of those who responded said they preferred a new direction rather than more Lou. Some fans wanted a third option of Lamoriello acting as Team President with a new GM reporting him, but Botta kept it cut and dry - you either want more Lou (and all the things that come with it) or not.

SOROKIN’S NEXT CONTRACT

In The Athletic, Kevin Kurz talked to Ilya Sorokin’s agent about the likelihood of a contract extension once the Vezina Finalist is eligible to sign one after July 1st.

“If the adequate offer is made I’m sure he would seriously consider staying,” Sorokin’s agent Dan Milstein said. “There’s no red flags that he’s not going to like it (with the Islanders). In the end, obviously the contract has to make sense.”

Kurz also looked at the recent goaltender mega-deals in search of the best comparison to Sorokin, who will turn 28 in August. Despite Andrei Vasilevskiy being a few years younger that the Isles’ netminder, Kurz concluded that the eight-year, $76 million contract ($9.5 million AAV) the two-time Stanley Cup winner signed in 2019 as the best comparison.

MAGGIO NAMED OHL MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER

2022 5th-round pick (142nd overall) Matt Maggio took home the Red Tilson Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player during the regular season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Maggio will now be up for the Canadian Hockey League's Player of the Year Award as the OHL nominee. The award is presented on June 3.

Per NewYorkIslanders.com, Maggio became the second consecutive Windsor Spitfire player and the fifth in franchise history to take home the Red Tilson Trophy. Notable active players in the NHL who've also earned the Red Tilson Trophy include Tyler Seguin (2010), Connor McDavid (2015), and Mitch Marner (2016). Former Islander Brad Boyes earned the award in back-to-back years (2001 and 2002). Former Islander John Tavares also won in 2007.

LOOKING FOR MORE? For a deep dive into Maggio and to learn a few new things about him, including why he has UBS Arena as the wallpaper on his phone, check out Stefen Rosner’s story in The Hockey News.

OUT-OF-TOWN PERSPECTIVE

Last Sunday was 30 years since the Islanders stunned the hockey world by defeating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 on David Volek’s OT goal. We often talk about how special that playoff tun was for a generation of Islanders fans (myself included), but the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review took a look back from a Pittsburgh perspective.

“We had no strategy because we had no chance,” Islanders defenseman (and future Penguin) Darius Kasparaitis said. “My friends were making bets with me. If we won just one game, I’d get free dinners from all of them.”

“For me, that was the most disappointing loss of my career,” defenseman Larry Murphy said. “I played 21 years, and that, by far, was the biggest disappointment.”

The star of that series and playoff run was Ray Ferraro.

The NHL analyst for ESPN was a guest on Talkin’ Isles this week with Cory Wright and Greg Picker and talked about 1993, Al Arbour, and more.

📚 SOUND SMART: Did you know that when the Islanders and Edmonton Oilers met in the Stanley Cup Final in 1984, home ice wasn’t decided by the best record? The NHL changed the method by which home-ice advantage is determined for the final two rounds.

The higher point total accumulated by teams within a division from contests against teams of the other division in the conference secured a home-ice advantage for the corresponding division and conference champions. This formula resulted in a home-ice advantage for the Adams and Smythe division champions in the conference finals and resulted in a home-ice advantage for the Wales Conference champion in the Finals.

The sequence of Stanley Cup Finals games was changed for this season, too (possibly to save costs on flights back and forth from Edmonton and New York), as the NHL went to a 2-3-2 format for that series.

---

🗓 ISLES REWIND: On May 19, 1984, the New York Islanders “Drive for Five” dynasty ended, while one for the Edmonton Oilers started. Edmonton defeated the Islanders 5-2 on home ice to win the series in five games. "A year earlier, we had been the vanquished, shaking hands with the victors,” said Edmonton defenseman Kevin Lowe. “This time, it was reversed. I'll never forget the emotion in the faces of the Sutter Brothers, Duane, and Brent. Both were crying."

"Denis Potvin was like a soldier, like a general of an army in battle, admitting defeat in his intelligent, straightforward way. I could see that in his face. Clark Gillies' face told me, 'It's been a great career for me and we've had our day."

🎧 Islanders Anxiety - Episode 250 - The Opposite of Growing Pains

“In an impromptu milestone episode, Mike and Dan discuss the possible contract extension for GM Lou Lamoriello before diving into extensive vivisection of the now-eliminated Maple Leafs. Newsday reports that Lamoriello is expected to get a three-year extension, which is both good and disappointing for a team that's stable”

📺 Nassaumen Hockey Podcast - The New York Islanders' Search for Clarity “This week, James and Jon search for clarity on Long Island as we wait for New York Islanders General Manager, Lou Lamoriello, to say -- anything at all. And when he does, will that provide the clarity we're looking for?”

🔗 Catching Up With Islanders Prospect Matthew Maggio by Stefen Rosner, The Hockey News “Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News caught up with New York Islanders prospect and OHL MVP Matthew Maggio for an exclusive interview about his past season, his summer plans & more.” 

---

And we leave you with this…Josh Bailey and family attending the Mets game.

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter for regular updates until the next newsletter.

And please check out our newsletters about the Knicks and Mets, too.