You’re not a true Islanders fan unless you know these 5 tales about your team

While they’re neither in the Original nor Expansion Six, the New York Islanders still have a storied history, thanks in part to their four Stanley Cup Championships. But if you’re a fan, rookie or seasoned veteran, I’ll assume you already knew that. 

So I want to talk about five things that you may not have known about your team. For one, did you know the Isles once had a different primary logo for a couple of seasons? And did you know that they once capped off a series comeback in four overtimes?

Yeah, there are a lot of tales about the Islanders out there, but I wanted to break down the five tales you must know if you’re rooting for the Orange and Blue.

1 - The infamous Fisherman logo trauma

You might know this one as the "Fishsticks” logo, and it’s one that lasted a good two seasons on Long Island. I honestly never thought the logo was that bad, but then again, I grew up in the 1990s and first became aware that sports existed in the mid-90s, so maybe I have a bias. 

Anyway, it’s one thing to have a bad logo and unpopular uniforms for a while, like some teams in the four major professional sports leagues do, especially these days. But wow, abandoning it after two seasons? That’s huge. 

Now, most sports leagues these days have a minimum length of time when you can change a logo and uniform. So, what often happens is that a team will either announce a change a couple years ahead of time, or they’ll start “hinting” at a change, such as bringing a uniform back as an alternate. 

Or, there are times when nostalgia builds for a once-infamous look. And a strong contingent of Islanders fans don’t mind and even embrace the “Fishsticks” logo. In fact, it’s even become the primary look for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. 

2 - The 1940 chant during playoff matchups against a heated rival

This one’s no longer relevant, but you may not know that the Isles cross-town rivals, the New York Rangers, once went 54 seasons without hoisting the Stanley Cup. And what better way for the Islanders fans, who saw a dynasty in the 1980s, taunt the Blueshirts and their fans?

And the Isles beat the Blueshirts a few times at varying points in the playoffs so they could get to the Cup Final in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984. The Isles went on to win in three of those seasons, losing to the Edmonton Oilers in 1984. They also won the Cup in 1980, but didn’t play the Rangers. 

Rangers fans can argue that they were the most recent New York team to win the Cup, but it still doesn’t take away that their 1994 win has been their only one since 1940. 

3 - Billy Smith’s revenge during the dynasty era

The New York Islanders weren’t supposed to win four straight Stanley Cup Championships, let alone sweep the Edmonton Oilers in 1983. But they did that and it came from an excellent netminder named Billy Smith. 

Smith was in the Isles net in all four of their Stanley Cup victories, but his run in 1983 may’ve been the sweetest. Sure, the Islanders were a high-scoring hockey team, but Smith ended the sweep allowing just six goals against arguably the NHL’s most powerful offense.

When you put it together, Smith amassed a 0.953 save percentage while allowing just 1.5 goals per contest, the first of which was a shutout. Yeah, it’s no wonder that Smith won the Conn Smythe Trophy that season, and is routinely looked at as one of the greatest netminders in NHL history.

4 - The Easter Epic

Yep, this one, as the name implies, occurred on Easter Sunday in 1987, April 18th to be exact. And the Islanders, once down 3-1 in the series against the mighty Washington Capitals, ended up winning the next two games and tying the series, leading to a Game 7 showdown. 

While the Islanders never led in Game 7, they tied it with just over five minutes to go in the game off of a goal from Bryan Trottier. Nobody broke the tie and we headed into not one, not two, not three, BUT FOUR overtime periods. 

Yeah, that’s a long game that nobody seemed able to win. But finally, at the 8:47 mark, Pat LaFontaine found the back of the net and won the series for the Isles which remains one of the most epic comebacks in team history. 

Netminder Kelly Hrudey may’ve enjoyed the best outing though, stopping a remarkable 73 of 75 shots he faced. While the Isles punched a ticket to the next round, they ended up losing in seven games to the Philadelphia Flyers. But still, it didn’t make the Epic any less forgettable.

5 - Butch Goring was the missing piece for the dynasty that was

Butch Goring is a name that will live throughout New York Islanders lore, and when they traded for him before the 1980 playoffs, the Isles did so believing he was the missing piece to their championship run. 

And you can argue that they were right, since after acquiring Goring, they ran the table four seasons in a row, with Goring snagging the 1981 Conn Smythe Trophy. 

Goring was a good all-around hockey player, but his ability to bring in a brand of defensive play helped transcend the Islanders from contender to champion. So, if you’re asked what the single most important trade in team history is, acquiring Butch Goring will top the list for any fan.

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