The Perferct Name For The Next Islanders Guide Dog

For the last few years, the New York Islanders have trained a guide dog with the hopes of pairing the animal with a person in need. The Guide Dog Foundation and the Islanders have worked together for years now, bringing light to a worthy cause.

The cost to breed, raise, train, and eventually place a dog usually comes to $50,000 and the Islanders helping with this process only makes the foundation’s job a little easier to get someone who needs help an animal.

This year, the Islanders teased the fifth annual Pucks and Paws calendar photoshoot. In the shoot, we were introduced to the latest Islanders puppy. He’s a black labrador retriever and will become the third pup after they had both Radar and Tori the past couple of years.

They asked fans to vote for his name on Twitter but I think this write-in response is the best choice:

Joe Murphy goes on to explain why the dog should be named “Murph” after his father. He was an Assistant Equipment Manager for four years with the team but had to retire due to losing his eyesight. The Islanders paid for him to receive a guide dog.

He goes on to explain that his father passed away in 2019 and even though he was never able to have that moment at the Coliseum with his dad and son, he was able to have them sit together last season with their cardboard cutouts.

Fittingly, Joe’s father always had black labs as guide dogs. Sometimes things just make too much sense and this is just one of those times. No disrespect to Monte, Blade, Sniper, Eddie, Captain, or Stanley which are some of the proposed names on the website but I think it’s obvious what the name should be.

You can vote for what the puppy should be called right here. And while we’re here, maybe we can enjoy some more pictures of this beautiful dog:

https://twitter.com/NYIslanders/status/1447758931107926027