Captain Nino? Will Nino Niederreiter Lead the New York Islanders One Day?

July 9th, 2010 by BC ISLEMAN Leave a reply »
On the first day of summer, 1991 on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, two of hockey's immortals took their place in the pantheon of the sport's heroes.

Denis Potvin was probably the most complete defense man the sport has ever known. Mike Bossy was one of the game's best snipers. Together they helped form the core of the last sports franchise to win four straight championships and the only one to ever win 19 straight playoff series.

On that summer day and seven months later when Potvin's number was retired in Uniondale, however, the team's outlook was already far removed from the glory days.

Bossy lamented the "sad" situation of the Isles who had just finished in last place, suffered from weak attendance, and were about to be sold. "Bowtie" Bill Torrey, chief architect of the dynasty Islanders, got only a mixed reception when he introduced Potvin at the latter event.

What no one knew at the time was that Torrey would soon be gone and that, after a brief flirtation with glory in 1993, the team would sink into a 15 year oblivion where disastrous personnel decisions never seemed to end, playoff appearances were ...

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