Islanders: Best Player To Wear Number 64-69

New York Islanders Joshua Ho-Sang (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
New York Islanders Joshua Ho-Sang (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Continuing our best of series, today we will look at the best player to wear numbers 64-69 for the New York Islanders in their history.

We’ve made it to the point where I don’t believe we can go number by number anymore. It was different when there were 15+ people wearing a specific number but at this point, we can probably take it through every 10 numbers.

So I’m going to round out the 60’s for the New York Islanders, followed by the 70’s tomorrow, 80’s on Wednesday, and 90’s on Thursday. With the season set to return next week, this exercise has served its purpose getting us through our time without hockey.

Here is the remainder of the 60’s:

Players To Number 64: Steve Butenschon

In 2002-2003, Butenschon wore the number 64 for the Islanders. He played in 37 games that year putting up four assists in 12:26 per night on the blue line. He’d switch to number 44 and 52 during the remainder of his time with the Islanders.

In 140 career games in the NHL over eight years, he finished with 14 points and an average of 12:11 per game.

Winner: None

Players To Wear Number 65: None

Players To Wear Number 66: Josh Ho-Sang

Talk about controversial. To this day, fans either love or hate Josh Ho-Sang there is really no in-between. Ho-Sang came up at the end of the 2016-2017 season and put up 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) in 21 games.

The Isles nearly limped into the playoffs, without Tavares and with Thomas Hickey playing wing, In large part to Ho-Sang’s production at the end of the year. The next year, after 12 points in 22 games, he was sent down to the AHL after the Isles defensive woes were blamed on him.

He would switch to number 26 for the 2018-2019 season, once Lou Lamoriello came into play. In 43 games with the number, Ho-Sang had 24 points (6 goals, 16 assists) a pace of 46 points over a full season.

Winner: Josh Ho-Sang

Players To Wear Number 67: Mike Kennedy, Sean Bentivoglio

In 1998-1999 Mike Kennedy wore the number 67 for one game with the Islanders, he played just 10:50 of ice time and registered two penalty minutes in his lone Isles action. He finished his career with 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) in 145 games.

A decade later, Sean Bentivoglio wore the number for one game as well. He had 11:31 of ice time, registered two shots on goal, and served two penalty minutes. It was the only game of his NHL career.

Winner: none

Players To Wear Number 68: Ziggy Palffy

In 1991, the Isles landed Palffy in the second round. Four years later, in the 1995-1996 season, he blossomed into a star. He put up 87 points in 81 games during his first full year in the league. He’d follow that up with a 90 point season and a 87 point season making it three years in a row with at least a point per game and 40 goals.

He’d play just 50 games in the 1998-1999 season (putting up 50 points along the way) before Mike Milbury was forced to trade him to avoid paying him. He finished his Islanders career with 331 points in 331 games, exactly a point per game player.

Winner: Ziggy Palffy

Players To Wear Number 69: None