Islanders: Best Player To Wear Number 35

Continuing our best of series, today we will look at the best player to wear number 35 for the New York Islanders in their history.

Only 11 players have worn the number 35 for the New York Islanders. The first to ever do it was Richard Kromm from 1986-1988. Some other notables are Tommy Salo, Chris Osgood, Joey MacDonald, and Al Montoya.

Of that bunch, we’re going to go with Osgood for the honorable mention. After eight years in Detroit, the Isles landed Chris Osgood for the 2001-2002 season. He was a workhorse for the Isles that year playing in 66 games and putting up a .910 save percentage and a 2.50 goals against average.

He was 17th in the league in save percentage and 28th in goals against average out of 51 qualifying goalies in 2001-2002. The Isles would trade him the following year along with a third-round pick for Justin Papineau and a second-round pick.

The obvious winner for today is Glenn Healy. After 83 games with the Kings to start his career, Healy joined the Isles for the 1989-1990 season. He would play 39 games that year with a .894 save percentage and a 3.49 goals against average.

The following year he’d play a career-high of 53 games with a .892 save percentage and a 3.30 goals-against average. He was 11th in the league in save percentage that year and 21st in goals against average.

In 1992-1993, Healy was solid again for the Isles posting a .889 save percentage and a 3.30 goals against average. In the playoffs, he went 9-8 with a .887 save percentage and a 3.19 goals against average.

After the 93 season, the Isles lost Healy in the expansion draft to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Tampa Bay would claim him in phase two of the draft before he was flipped to the Rangers in a trade. The moral of the story, he was a part of the 1994 Stanley Cup Rangers.

His last year in the league would be 2000-2001 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and in his post playing career, he would get into broadcasting for CBC and then TSN.