The top 3 teams New York Islanders fans love to boo

The New York Islanders are a storied franchise and with it, come teams their loyal fans just won't like very much. And to break this one down to a list of three wasn't the easiest challenge out there, with teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning each garnering consideration.

But, when it was all said and done, I rolled with a trio of teams that have been familiar faces to the Isles for a long time, teams with well-traveled fans, and those that have just been a plain thorn in their side. Now, I won't lie and deny that this is a subjective list, because it is.

I can only go by what I've heard, while others may have opinions based on their own experiences. Anyway, here's my top three list of teams Isles fans boo for varying reasons.

3 - Toronto Maple Leafs

Because there's probably not a more well-traveled fanbase in hockey than Maple Leafs fans. That alone makes it easy to boo the Leafs every time they skate into Long Island. Even if the Leafs aren't division rivals with the Islanders, the 'well-traveled' fan base alone makes the Leafs a headache to play against.

Then, there's the fact the Leafs have been one of the NHL's most relevant teams over the past decade now. In the regular season, that is, since they often seem to forget the object of the game in the playoffs.

So, if you're going to a few Isles games, don't be surprised if you hear boos rain down on the Leafs as the fans in blue and orange try to drown out the voices of those wearing blue and white. And trust me, the Leafs fanbase is tough to get the best of, regardless of which arena a game is taking place in.

2 - Carolina Hurricanes

If I wrote this piece a decade ago, I wouldn't have put the Hurricanes on this list. But here we are, and we've seen a lot of bad blood between these two teams in the playoffs with the Canes getting the best of the Isles lately.

Carolina knocked out New York in 2023 in six games during Round 1 of the postseason before they came right back around in 2024 and took a series in five contests. Part of me thought about putting the Tampa Bay Lightning either here or in the above slot, considering recent playoff matchups that had Stanley Cup implications, but those two seasons were also outliers.

Back in 2019, the Canes swept the Isles in the second round of the playoffs, making it three times in the past seven seasons the Hurricanes dashed the Islanders dreams at a deep playoff run. Plus, this is a franchise that once played closer to Long Island geographically as the Hartford Whalers, so it's not like the Canes are a relatively new face.

1 - New York Rangers

Because who else would this team boo the most next to its cross-town rivals? Like the other two fanbases, Rangers fans travel well. And since they only have to go a short distance to get to Long Island, you're probably going to see more of them invade the arena than not.

But it also goes beyond the traveling fanbase, since the Rangers are by far the Islanders biggest rivals. This one dates back to the Islanders founding in 1972, and you can honestly say some of this bad blood's spawned between the Isles and Rangers thanks to the Blue and Orange's success while the Blueshirts have struggled.

I mean, you got one franchise that won four straight Stanley Cups in the 1980s, while the Rangers have won just one Cup since 1940. But that hasn't stopped Rangers fans from virtually takng over Gotham City, while the more regional-friendly Isles fans predominantly reside on the Island.

So, despite the more overall success as far as Stanley Cups go, the Rangers continue to be THE TEAM in New York while the Isles are THE OTHER TEAM. But, in the grand scheme of things, who cares? The Isles got four Cups in the modern era and the Rangers are still struggling to keep up.

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