New York Islanders : Oh Mascot, Our Mascot

It’s the dog days of summer, and there isn’t much new on the New York Islanders front. The Islanders are rumored to be out on Jimmy Vesey, and Ryan Strome has yet to re-sign with the club, but we are indeed in the midst of the most boring time to be an NHL fan.

But that doesn’t mean things have to be boring! So let’s jazz things up a bit and showcase our beloved mascot of the New York Islanders, Sparky the Dragon.

Sparky became the Islanders mascot in 2001 and was immediately embraced by Islanders fans of all ages. It is all but confirmed that Sparky spends his off days haunting the home locker room at Madison Square Garden.

This is not a normality amongst NHL mascots, as they abide by “the code”. However, our crosstown rivals do not have a mascot, so there is no accountability for the code at MSG.

Rumored to have lived beneath Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, Sparky wasn’t so sure he would be moving to the Barclay Center. After a few months of unemployment, he received a phone call from Barclay Center executives, offering him his old job back.

Sparky’s wife and young dragon children were ecstatic. Reuniting with their favorite hockey team was an answer to their dreams, and Nassau County executive Kate Murray was just days away from delivering their final eviction notice.

New York Islanders

Luckily, Brett Yormark and the Barclay Center staff had an extra apartment that the Dragon’s were able to move into.

Their neighbors include tough guy Eric Boulton, as well as youngster Josh Ho-Sang.

They get along with the neighbors well. Mrs. Dragon recently shared that she is adamant on the children learning self defense from Boulton, and is admittedly annoyed with the repetitive alarm snoozing of Ho-Sang each morning.

As Sparky’s children attend Mascot Secondary School, Sparky is the family’s bread winner, entertaining fans both young and old during New York Islanders’ home games. Sparky roams the concourse, and joins fans in the stands in attempt to create a fun filled experience.

He has appeared in both the 2015 and 2016 NHL All Star Mascot Showdown representing the New York Islanders franchise to fans from all over the league.

In the past his family has vacationed with Florida Panthers mascot Viktor E. Rat. After a hard fought first round series that ultimately led to the Islanders first playoff series win in 23 years, Sparky and Viktor had a small falling out, but sources indicate their friendship is beginning to rekindle.

Next: Where Would Vesey Fit

New York Islanders fans should be pumped to have had Sparky return to the team after he was not originally in the Brooklyn plans. Pending UFA at the end of his current deal, expect the Islanders brass to lock down Sparky for years to come.