Island reunion: New York Islanders 50-year reunion
Fifty years of NHL hockey on Long Island, New York was celebrated recently with players from the past and present.
Like most sports’ expansion franchises, the Islanders of the 1970’s struggled the first few years with cast offs from other teams and young players. The Islanders drafted very well and brought along those young players quickly and by the end of the decade and into the early 80’s were the best team in the NHL. Four Stanley Cups and a loss in the fifth straight final would attest to that.
Two of the six Sutter brothers to play in the NHL were draft picks of the Islanders in the 70’s and contributed to that success. Duane was called up during his junior season in Lethbridge as a 19-year-old and spent the next four years winning Stanley Cups. Brent was called up from Lethbridge as well mid season in his 19-year-old year and won two cups in-a-row.