Team culture change NYI

[islefan31]

I have a question to pose to hockey fans around the league. Being a fan of a once proud franchise that has spun out of control over the years and has become a bit of a joke around the league, I wonder what others think of the Lou and Trotz hirings....despite losing Taveres? I'm a firm believer that a "culture change" with, what I consider, real hockey people in charge can start the process of bringing a franchise back from the brink of obscurity.

1 Am I wrong that this team has long been considered a "Mickey Mouse" organization around the league?
2 Can this perception be changed and will it take several years of deep playoff success for it to happen?
3 Is the arena issue seen as another joke in the never ending punchline of this team?

[The Comish]

I have a question to pose to hockey fans around the league. Being a fan of a once proud franchise that has spun out of control over the years and has become a bit of a joke around the league, I wonder what others think of the Lou and Trotz hirings....despite losing Taveres? I'm a firm believer that a "culture change" with, what I consider, real hockey people in charge can start the process of bringing a franchise back from the brink of obscurity.

1 Am I wrong that this team has long been considered a "Mickey Mouse" organization around the league?
2 Can this perception be changed and will it take several years of deep playoff success for it to happen?
3 Is the arena issue seen as another joke in the never ending punchline of this team?

Fantastic hirings of Lou (can't spell his last name correctly without looking it up, so Lou it is) and Trotz, no question. The Tavares loss is huge, obviously - anytime you lose your franchise player, it's big. That said, the team appears to be moving in the right direction. This year's draft couldn't have gone better if you ask me, two excellent prospects. I haven't heard the owners name over the last while, so that's a positive - anytime the owner starts thinking they know more about hockey than the guys he hires to run his team, that franchise is usually in trouble. To answer your questions:

1. You are not wrong, most people do consider the team Mickey Mouse. While I like a lot of what Garth Snow was able to accomplish, especially contract-wise, I don't think he was considered a top GM and the owner situation was not ideal (too involved in my opinion).

2. The team is already on their way to changing perception with the hiring of top hockey minds in Lou and Trotz. Not sure a team needs "deep" playoff success, but great drafting, smart signings/trades and eventually make the playoffs and go from there.

3. I don't think the arena issue is as much of an issue outside of Islander fans. The moving from Long Island to Brooklyn and now back again is bush league, but I believe it's settled now, isn't it? If it is, then it's a non-issue going forward.

Just this non-Isle fans two cents worth. I think the future will be bright, but it will take some time to change the culture and perception. Three to five years? As long as they show progress, I'd be happy if I was a fan of the team.

[DocMcPuffin]

1. You're not wrong.
2. I don't necessarily think they have to string together many deep playoff runs. If they can make it and at least show up, I think the perception will change.
3. I don't know why the arena deal is related to the team themselves. That's an issue to those behind the scenes. If the players play well no matter where, the fans will appreciate that more than a new arena.

Just my two cents.

[pmorrow]

I have a question to pose to hockey fans around the league. Being a fan of a once proud franchise that has spun out of control over the years and has become a bit of a joke around the league, I wonder what others think of the Lou and Trotz hirings....despite losing Taveres? I'm a firm believer that a "culture change" with, what I consider, real hockey people in charge can start the process of bringing a franchise back from the brink of obscurity.

1 Am I wrong that this team has long been considered a "Mickey Mouse" organization around the league?
2 Can this perception be changed and will it take several years of deep playoff success for it to happen?
3 Is the arena issue seen as another joke in the never ending punchline of this team?

A lot of people do take the Isles like a bit of a joke, but I don't think people are as worried about the new ownership as the previous one that gave you the Rick DiPietro contract. I see Lou and Trotz there and say yeah, I might not agree with some of recent moves, but the draft went well and at least it's better than the previous situation.

I think people just want to see the team going in the right direction before removing the label. Likely, one playoff berth with a group of new young players will do that.

The arena isn't used as a punchline as much as you would think. Most know there is an issue right now but it's getting resolved. I think the jokes peaked a couple of years ago before the new arena deal was announced. The notorious car by the boards, the obstructed viewing, the bad ice and the long distance between the arena and practice facility and the players and fans homes.

I would say in Canada at least, the attention isn't on the Isles mess because there are several teams up here, namely Ottawa and Montreal and to a lesser extent the Canucks and Oilers, which people are constantly talking about. All Isles talk up here was mostly around the Lou-Tavares-Dubas storyline, but that has died down tremendously since July 1st.

[DocMcPuffin]

I will say, as a Flames fan, I am quite jealous of your prospect pool. I'd be excited to be an Isles fan with the talent they have in the pipeline. Barzal is an absolute beaut, too.

[Zorro]

Do Lee and Bailey play with Barzal now?? And do they take a step back in points, stay the same, or actually get better??

[islefan31]

There are a few "Snowblowers" still around that feel the whole "culture" thing is blown out of proportion.....I think it's a huge part of a team's success. It's something that the players buy into and it is noticed by other organizations, both good and bad.

[The Comish]

There are a few "Snowblowers" still around that feel the whole "culture" thing is blown out of proportion.....I think it's a huge part of a team's success. It's something that the players buy into and it is noticed by other organizations, both good and bad.

Definitely agree. Case in point, when Chicago owner Bill Wirtz died and the team was taken over by Rocky Wirtz, he had a huge hand in changing the culture from the top to bottom of that organization. For over a decade, Detroit was one of those teams. Tampa Bay is another team that seems to have a winning culture. Success makes many players want to be a part of an organization, but if you are treated like crap by management, the luster will quickly fade away. The Oilers had it, then lost it...and still haven't got it back...but they're close, right guys? Right?

[roenick27]

Losing JT for nothing I think was a major blow on the ice but also off the ice perception wise. Garth snow was ok at some things but I think he was viewed as a failure for the most part. Ownership hasn't been strong. The arena was a huge issue imo. They played the fad to play in Brooklyn and it didn't work. The dipietro fiasco was a nightmare. I think going g back to Lou and Zdeno they have made a lot of mistakes.

JT leaving to me signifies that they need to start over from scratch or almost scratch. They have a shrewd GM and coach along with young talent. Imo they need to sell some of the vets and rebuild/retool around barzal pulock lehner (if he pans out)/sorokin plus some of the pipeline youth.

[butch]

always one step forward , two steps backwards with this team .hire lou , hire trotz then get kicked in the nuts by Johnny Pajamas on 7-1 .

I wouldnt be shocked to hear the Belmont arena gets delayed so some trees can get hugged .

[ericdaoust]

At the end of the day results matter. They had all of these years with Tavares and have nothing to show for it. In nine years they made the playoffs three times and won one playoff round. I definitely agree that one step forward and two steps back describes this team quite well.

[MikeMac]

The islanders will be in the playoffs in two years

[butch]

At the end of the day results matter. They had all of these years with Tavares and have nothing to show for it. In nine years they made the playoffs three times and won one playoff round. I definitely agree that one step forward and two steps back describes this team quite well.

theres a lot of layers to peel back with this teams issues and I'm sure its easy for the avg. fan to consider them a joke .

I'm waiting to see if mark hunter gets hired then I'll have a good sense of what direction they'll be heading in because Lou cant do this forever .

[islefan31]

always one step forward , two steps backwards with this team .hire lou , hire trotz then get kicked in the nuts by Johnny Pajamas on 7-1 .

I wouldn't be shocked to hear the Belmont arena gets delayed so some trees can get hugged .

And this is the feeling of almost all Islander fans. We are a cynical bunch....it just feels like everything ends up turning to shyte.

[donpaulo]

I have a question to pose to hockey fans around the league. Being a fan of a once proud franchise that has spun out of control over the years and has become a bit of a joke around the league, I wonder what others think of the Lou and Trotz hirings....despite losing Taveres? I'm a firm believer that a "culture change" with, what I consider, real hockey people in charge can start the process of bringing a franchise back from the brink of obscurity.

1 Am I wrong that this team has long been considered a "Mickey Mouse" organization around the league?
2 Can this perception be changed and will it take several years of deep playoff success for it to happen?
3 Is the arena issue seen as another joke in the never ending punchline of this team?

This fan knows better than to call the islanders Mickey Mouse. They always play my nyr tough and I’ll never take them for granted.
Everything can change, its a question of altering the strategy and often the spending of capital to do it. Ledecky and Malkin seem to have the desire and financial cahones to do it too.
The stadium was and is a joke. I could get better seats at lower prices at the coliseum than at msg. That fan base beyond the die hards are bandwagon and the franchise deserves better. Winning puts butts in seats but I question the passion of the fan base in the 516. One can only imagine the passion and support for this team in Quebec City or Seattle. I went to school on LI and many of my classmates still live there. They love the island but it’s not hockey country imho. Yes the diehards but not enough of them to build the long term revenue platform that produces winning franchises.
LL is too old to finalize any plan on, but hopefully he gets the ball rolling in the right direction before he makes the prudent decision to retire. Groom a successor Lou and dont stroke out overdoing it please. As a Manhattan kid I dislike you as a rival but nobody can question his bonafides.
The franchise is now in the right hands but it’s going to take time to develop the culture after decades in limbo. The draft was a nice start, now they need to acquire more picks for the next draft. There is a good pool to draw from and opportunity with the big club too. Enjoy the sunrise !
And remember to cheer JT when he returns for his first road game vs the islanders