It’s no surprise that youth has always been important in the NHL. If you look at the list of names of people who have won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year, it reads like a veritable who’s who in the NHL.
In the past 25 years, you’ve had players such as Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Patrick Kane, Dany Heatley, Scott Gomez, Sergei Samsonov, Pavel Bure, Mario Lemieux and Luc Robitaillie win the award and not be able to have a drink legally to celebrate.
The 2007-2008 Chicago Blackhawks were the start of a potential dynasty on the south side of Chicago, while occupying the same venue the Chicago Bulls won 3 of their 6 NBA titles in, and they used youth as a catalyst to make it happen.
For most of the 21st century, the Blackhawks had been floundering, culminating in them being coined the worst franchise in professional sports in 2004.
In the first round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, they selected Jonathan Toews, and used their first round pick in 2007 to draft Patrick Kane. These two players are forming the nucleus of a formidable opponent to Detroit, Colorado, and San Jose’s dominance of the Western Conference.
In late September of 2007, long time owner Bill Wirtz passed away, leaving the team under control of his son, Rocky. Bill was not a popular owner, and many fans disapproved of his policies of not showing home games on TV and a refusal to spend money on key players and staff.
Rocky was able to turn around, decided to spend money, broadcast home games on TV, and hired former Chicago Cubs GM John McDonough to become president of the team. The crowning achievement was bringing back Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, two of the most beloved Blackhawks in history, to be ambassadors. Mikita and Hull were on bad terms with Bill, but Rocky was able to patch the rift, and fans in turn started turning out in droves.
In the 2007-2008 season for the Blackhawks Kane and Toews stole the show with Kane leading the team with 72 points, and Toews chipping in another 54 points. More importantly, the youth movement led to success on the ice, with the Blackhawks skating to their first winning season in 5 years and missed the playoffs by 3 points. In the 2008-2009 season, the Blackhawks had a magical run to the Western Conference finals, before ultimately losing to the Detroit Red Wings.
Through a mix of new ownership philosophies, marketing, and youthful, exciting hockey that has translated to success on the ice, the Blackhawks went from 2nd to last in NHL attendance in the 2006-2007 season (12.727) to an NHL best 22,247 per game in 2008-2009. The success on the ice has led to success in the front office and box office. This year the Blackhawks have the best record in the NHL at an impressive 34-11-4.
The New York Islanders, on the other hand, have been floundering for years, trying to stay viable, and shake off the image as a 2nd fiddle to the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils in NYC metro hockey importance.
The Islanders had a tremendous run from 1980-1983, winning 4 consecutive Stanley Cups, a feat only matched by the Montreal Canadians, who did it twice. However, following their loss to Edmonton in the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals, the Islanders have only made it past the first round of the playoffs 3 times, and have not won a playoff series since 1993, amassing a record of 6-20 in the playoffs during that stretch.
In 2000, the Islanders were bought by Charles Wang, and fans had huge hopes for the team. His Lighthouse redevelopment plan has been met with great enthusiasm among Long Islander’s, but not so much with state and local government agencies. The plan would redevelop the area around the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum with housing, restaurants, athletic facilities including a minor league baseball stadium, and a hotel. It is strongly believed that the progress of the Lighthouse project is essential for Wang to keep the Islanders on Long Island, with relocation to Kansas City, MO or Queens or Brooklyn possible.
The Islanders received a huge boost when they won the 2009 NHL Draft Lottery, and subsequently selected forward John Tavares. Tavares comes to the Islanders with a long track record of offensive prowess in the Canadian Hockey League, including breaking Wayne Gretzky’s league mark by scoring 72 goals in 2007.
Will the Tavares draft pick pay off the huge dividends that Kane and Toews did? That remains to be seen, but if early performance is any indication, the Islanders will be on their way to the Stanley Cup within the next few seasons. Through games of January 18th, Tavares is tied for the Islanders lead in goals with 17 and second on the team with 30 points. He also leads the team in power play goals with 8. The Islanders are also having a better season, with a current record of 23-19-7, and are currently in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, on pace to make the
playoffs.
They’ve built one of the youngest teams in the NHL, featuring 7 players under 25 years of age. While it remains to be seen what the long term impact of a player like John Tavares is, he’s the prototypical scorer that you can build a team around, in the mold of Wayne Gretzkey or Alex Ovechkin. Tavares is not nearly as physical as Ovechkins nor the speed of Gretzky, but his ability to finish is a huge reason why he sits atop the rookies in goals scored and will win the NHL Rookie of the Year. Barring injuries, which is always a concern with hockey players, Tavares, along with Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews make for the latest in a long line of youth infusions in the NHL.
Following the mold of the Chicago Blackhawks is a great way to give a jump start to your team, and your revenue. Hopefully Charles Wang can come to an agreement with the Town of Hempstead, where their arena is located, and get the ball rolling on the Lighthouse project, which is sure to leave a legacy, and ensure the Islanders to stay on Long Island for a long time to come.
