7 Reasons The New York Islanders Are The Biggest Joke In Professional Sports

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Ever see a sports franchise whose entire existence over the last 2 decades can be turned into a comedy act? Well, there’s the New York Islanders.

1. Since the 1994-95 season, the New York Islanders have qualified for the playoffs a mere 5 times.

2. The New York Islanders have had 9 head coaches since the year 2000.

3. There is about a 2:1 Rangers fan to Islanders fan ratio during games between the 2 teams when the Islanders are the home team.

4. To give you an idea of how long it’s been since the Islanders last won a playoff series (1993), here’s what was going on during that time…

  • Bill Clinton moved into the White House
  • The Sandlot, Dazed and Confused, and Jurassic Park all came out in theatres
  • The Ducks, Panthers, Predators, Wild, and Blue Jackets all did not yet exist in the NHL
  • The Whalers, North Stars, and Nordiques were all still in the NHL

5. In 1996 the Islanders allowed a man named John Spano to purchase the team for $165M.

  • No one bothered check if John Spano had the funds or assets to make a purchase of this caliber.
  • Turns out John Spano was only worth $5M.
  • He later served jail time for forgery and fraud.

6. In 2000 with the first overall pick in the draft, the Islanders selected a goaltender named Rick DiPietro. By far the most disappointing first overall pick since the turn of the century. With a career filled with injuries, and a less than stellar 130-136 career record, DiPietro is no longer in the league.

7. They could have had this guy instead.

Nicknamed “The King,” Henrik Lundqvist was selected by the New York Rangers in the very same draft, 204 picks after DiPietro. While Lundqvist still has his eyes set on bringing a Stanley Cup back to the city that never sleeps, he has managed to create quite an impressive resume over the past decade:

  • The only goaltender to win 30 or more games the first 7 years of his career, shattering the previous record of 4
  • 2006 Olympic Gold medalist
  • 3 time All-Star
  • Vezina Trophy winner (nominated 5 times)
  • New York Rangers all-time leader in wins
  • Lead the New York Rangers to the playoffs 8 of the past 9 seasons

But you have a team that finished 2013-2014 in 8th with a 34-37-11 record.