Seeing Anders Lee in Utah Is tough but NY Islanders fans have seen It before

Some things just don't look right and others just look weird.

That was the feeling watching Anders Lee wear a Utah Mammoth jersey for the first time this week alongside Vincent Trocheck, at an introductory press conference.

For New York Islanders fans, seeing the longtime captain wearing a different logo during his introductory press conference this week was a reminder that no matter how much a player becomes synonymous with one franchise, hockey eventually moves on. Lee spent 14 seasons on Long Island, wore the "C" since 2018, and became one of the defining players of his era. Yet there he was, sporting No. 72 instead of No. 27 and talking about his excitement for a new chapter.

"It's a big change," Lee admitted. "But every day I look at this jersey and the logo and start to like it even more."

It was jarring. It was also completely normal.

Islanders fans don't have to look very far back to remember Brock Nelson finishing last season in a Colorado Avalanche jersey after spending nearly his entire career on Long Island. Josh Bailey, another franchise favorite, even put on a Senators sweater while attending training camp on a professional tryout after his Islanders career ended.

Neither looked right, but that's how professional sports work.

In fact, some of the greatest Islanders of all time finished somewhere else.

Clark Gillies closed out his Hall of Fame career with the Buffalo Sabres. Bryan Trottier left after the dynasty years and won two more Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins. John Tonelli, another member of the Islanders' legendary core, was traded to the Calgary Flames before finishing his career elsewhere.

Their banners still hang from the rafters at UBS Arena.

Their legacies weren't diminished because they wore another jersey at the end.

The same will be true for Lee.

His departure changed the Islanders, and there's no denying it feels strange seeing him represent another organization. But his place in franchise history was established long before he signed with Utah. He'll always be remembered as the captain who led the Islanders back to relevance, helped guide them to consecutive conference final appearances, and scored countless greasy goals from the front of the net.

The jersey changed this week, but the fans feelings towards Lee won't.

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