Josh Bailey tells the story of the unique location he was in when traded by the NY Islanders

In his 15 seasons as a member of the NY Islanders, Josh Bailey was the consummate pro. From joining the organization as an 18-year-old until his final game in 2023, nobody could question his passion and admiration for the franchise and Long Island. But all good things come to an end.

In June of 2023, Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders decided to move on from Bailey, trading the veteran to the Chicago Blackhawks along with a second-round pick in exchange for future considerations.

Josh Bailey reveals where he heard the news he was traded

With his career now finished, Bailey has made appearances on MSG and on the radio broadcast alongside Alan Fuehring. With the Islanders playing the Blackhawks last night and Bailey in the call, he told the story about finding out he’d been traded and the unique location he was in.

“I was in Ireland at the time,” Bailey said. “I was with Marty, Cal, Pelly was there, Barzy was there… We were on the 18th hole at Royal Portrush, and my caddy, in his Irish accent, said, ‘Hey lad, your phone’s ringing.’ I knew what was going down, but didn’t know exactly. It was my agent, followed by Lou (Lamoriello). It was actually great in the moment, having those guys around me.” 

Bailey never played for the Blackhawks before being bought out. He signed a PTO with the Ottawa Senators but was released before the start of the regular season, making the Islanders the only team he’d play for.

Players never know where they’ll be when getting the call that they’d been traded, but for any golf advocate, Royal Portrush is certainly an unmatched location to have the news broken to them.

“It was a cool story to be able to tell,” Bailey said. “Not too many guys can say they’ve been traded on the 18th hole at Royal Portrush.”