It took too long but Pat LaFonatine finally earned his spot in NY Islanders history

Pat LaFontaine has waited long enough — and New York Islanders fans have waited right along with him. On Saturday afternoon at UBS Arena, one of the most electrifying, beloved, and downright iconic players ever to wear the Islanders crest will finally take his rightful place in the Islanders Hall of Fame. And let’s be honest: this honor is long overdue.

Hall of Famer. Franchise pillar. Face of an era. Pat LaFontaine has been all of that and more.

“I feel very blessed and fortunate that I came here back in 1984... You don't get to pick where you go most of the time, and I felt very lucky that I was chosen by the Islanders in 1983 because it became so much a part of my life," said LaFontaine in a Q&A with Stan Fischer. "We've maintained the home here, even out in Montauk at times, but I've been a Suffolk County resident for the whole 41 years, even though I was traded… I always considered Long Island home."

For decades, Isles fans have wondered when the reconciliation would come, when one of the most prolific scorers in team history would be welcomed back into the fold. Now, at last, LaFontaine — who arrived on Long Island 41 years ago and immediately became a human highlight reel — gets to soak in the moment he earned long ago.

LaFontaine’s Islanders résumé speaks for itself: 287 goals (tied for seventh all-time), 566 points (ninth), and some of the most unforgettable moments in franchise history, including the “Easter Epic” winner that still gives Isles fans chills. He never stopped being part of this team’s DNA, even through the complicated chapters and years of distance.

Now, with new ownership and restored relationships, the bridge is rebuilt. LaFontaine has called Long Island home for decades — he married a Long Islander, raised his family here, and poured his heart into the community through his Companions in Courage Foundation. This honor isn’t just fitting. It’s poetic.

And his former teammates know it. “Pat’s a great human being, let alone a great hockey player,” Bryan Trottier said. “It was just a matter of time.”

Saturday, the time finally arrives. The name goes up. The wait ends.

And Islanders fans everywhere can say what they’ve felt for 40 years: Pat LaFontaine is not only home, he is an Islanders Hall of Famer.