By Brian Bohl
UNIONDALE, NY- The Islanders unveiled its new alternate third jersey Monday, complete with a logo of a broken compass in the center to embody the club’s current direction.
No, the Islanders wouldn’t do such a thing. When it comes to marketing and Website development, owner Charles Wang and his creative staff are ahead of most other NHL teams. Too bad that creativity and talent doesn’t extend to the hockey operations and public relations departments.
Starting this Saturday, the Islanders will occasionally wear the new uniforms that are similar to the ones worn in the mid-1970s. Before the dynasty run, those early teams consisted of hard-working but overmatched players who couldn’t escape the cellar; attributes that extend to the current unit following a 2-6 start and an Eastern Conference-worst four points entering Wednesday.
Perhaps Wang should have considered using a new uniform complete with a tire stuck in mud, since the Islanders continue to do nothing but spin its wheels every season. So far in the new campaign, the only drama seems to be Rick DiPietro’s injury status, which is being treated like a NASA secret.
An inglorious beginning has been compounded by an inane injury-disclosure policy. With permission from the NHL, most clubs are not required to give specific injury reports because of concerns that opponents might target ailing players. So if a winger is battling a sore knee, a dirty minded defenseman wouldn’t take an extra whack at the area with his stick.
But there’s a difference between trying to protect a player and just being paranoid. DiPietro missed the first four games of the season due most likely to the aftereffects of offseason left knee surgery. Yet first-year coach Scott Gordon insisted DiPietro was healthy enough to play, leaving him on the bench to backup Joey MacDonald. During that stretch, Gordon would not even confirm a starter the morning before a game.
That’s such a great move, throwing off the other teams game-planning like that. Imagine how good Buffalo, who crushed the Islanders 7-1, would have looked if they knew how to specifically game-plan ahead of time!
DiPietro injured himself again last Saturday, getting pulled after one period against Carolina. The team’s only announcement was that DiPietro, in the third year of a guaranteed 15-year, $67.5 million contract, suffered a “lower-body injury unrelated to his previous injuries.”
During the first two seasons of a record contract, the 26-year-old has suffered two concussions, underwent surgery on both hips and then a knee surgery. In all the team’s marketing endeavors, the Islanders have tabled DiPietro the cornerstone of future greatness; the face of the team for the next several generations. Now that he’s injured, this is how the Islanders leader has answered questions about his status.
“With as much respect as I can; I’d rather not talk about it,” DiPietro said. “It’s becoming a bit of a distraction answering questions all the time. When we figure out what’s going on, you guys will know.”
It’s hard for injury questions to be a distraction when you don’t answer them, Ricky. It’s another excuse from a franchise that would rather complain about an outdated arena and payroll limitations rather than take accountability for terrible drafts and uninspired free agent moves.
DiPietro’s played in three games this year. Talking with reporters, which includes a single beat writer, for 3-5 minutes after games is not hindering preparation or taking time away for medical treatment.
To keep insulting the dwindling fan base with injury updates like “lower body injury” and “general soreness” is a bad move. By limiting access to reporters, the Islanders are limiting access to fans. Wang, Snow and the other executives can thank their policy for contributing to an attendance total that will likely be the league’s lowest. When barely 4,000 people come to Nassau Coliseum because of “general lack of interest,” the promotions department might be begging the players to discuss injuries just to stay relevant.
Perhaps the most indicative quote about Gordon’s lack of autonomy came Saturday night. Gordon, a successful AHL coach who is trying his best to impart an aggressive forechecking system with a roster that once again looks destined to finish near the bottom in total offense, basically said he has direct orders from those above him to keep information to a minimum.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Gordon said. “I’ve been told our policy is that we can’t talk about injuries and that’s what I’m stuck with.”
It goes largely unnoticed now, but last year general manager (and former backup goalie) Garth Snow insisted the Islanders underachieved by missing the playoffs. Of course, Wang and Snow compiled a roster without a single 30-goal scorer and coach Ted Nolan took a team expected to finish in last place to the playoffs in 2006-07. Nolan, a former Coach of the Year, was ousted this summer.
Gordon, who had no previous NHL coaching experience, was brought in to help lead a public relations-created ‘youth movement.’ Gordon beat out two former NHL coaches, including a Stanley Cup winner in John Tortorella. Snow said it was because Gordon was the right man for the job. The real answer is because Gordon was the cheapest candidate, and his lack of experience ensured his complete loyalty to Wang.
Wang fired Neil Smith, a GM with a championship on his resume, after 40 days to hire Snow. Smith saw the Islanders failed business model and tried to change it. But that would mean not serving as Wang’s yes-man, which didn’t sit well with the former Computer Associated CEO. Now Wang has a front office and coaching staff that will echo whatever tired spin and outright distortions emanate from the owner’s box.
Nolan didn’t underachieve last year, doing his best with a poorly constructed roster authorized by Wang and signed off on by Snow. Consider that 11 of the current 18 players on the depth chart earned significant minutes under Nolan, and others like Jon Sim, Thomas Pock and Nate Thompson are average stopgap solutions at best.
Don’t believe the spin when the losses mount and Snow cites the Islanders rebuilding project as a reason for patience. Substitute Miroslav Satan for Doug Weight and this Islanders team is almost the same as last year’s group. If Nolan underachieved, than that means Gordon isn’t getting the most of this group.
Of course, both assertions are lies from management. Wang is right that the Islanders need a new arena to compete. Yet he still is making his arena proposal part of a $2 billion project that includes convention centers and high-rises. If Wang simply wanted to build an arena to help the Islanders stay competitive, it probably would already be in the works.
The franchise’s future in Long Island is predicated on getting a new arena. Instead of focusing solely on getting the project, Wang wants to leverage the Islanders future by attaching it to grandiose designs of a mini-city at a time when the economy makes any large-scale project difficult to complete. From top to bottom, the general ineptitude will ensure another playoff-less season.