While Islanders Country is not happy with the recent results on the ice, Saturday night is an opportunity for fans of the team to honor one of the franchise’s all-time great players.
During a ceremony before Saturday night’s game against the San Jose Sharks at UBS Arena, the Islanders will honor former Captain Brent Sutter by inducting him as the 16th member of the team’s Hall of Fame.
It will certainly be a night to remember for the Islanders organization and their fans.
“What a wonderful honor for him and extremely well-deserved,” said current Islanders Captain Anders Lee. “It will be fun to be a part of as a team and we’re looking forward to going out and having a great effort and a great game.”
Sutter was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Islanders and is sixth on the team’s all-time scoring list with 610 points (287 goals and 323 assists). A native of Viking, Alberta, Sutter was the Islanders’ first-round pick (17th overall) in 1980, right after the Islanders won the first of their four straight Stanley Cups.
“He was the epitome of what the Islanders are all about,” said forward Matt Martin. “He was a hard-working and dedicated player that would do anything to help his team win. I’m happy for him and happy for his family and it will be a special night.”
Saturday marks the debut of the Islanders’ new Ring of Honor at UBS Arena. Sutter’s name will be added to this list of legendary inductees:
Players: Denis Potvin (number 5 retired), Clark Gillies (number 9 retired), Bryan Trottier (number 19 retired), Mike Bossy (number 22 retired), Bobby Nystrom (number 23 retired), John Tonelli (number 27 retired), Billy Smith (number 31 retired), Butch Goring (number 91 retired), Eddie Westfall, Ken Morrow, Kenny Jonsson, Patrick Flatley and Bob Bourne.
Management: General Manager Bill Torrey (bow-tie banner) and Head Coach Al Arbour (1500 games banner).
Ticketed fans can enter UBS Arena starting at 6 p.m. and they are encouraged to get to their seats early with the ceremony starting at 730 p.m.
And then, Sutter will take his place among the greats in Islanders history.
“I’m so happy for him because he was a great leader and a guy that played really hard,” said Head Coach Patrick Roy. “Seeing him be inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame is certainly well-deserved. When you win somewhere, it means a lot and I think what he did for this organization, it’s nice to see the Islanders honoring him.”
Islanders forward Bo Horvat played with Sutter’s son Brandon in Vancouver, and is looking forward to what be an emotional evening in Elmont.
“I think it’s going to be awesome,” said Horvat. “He was obviously a big part of the organization for a long time. He was part of two Stanley Cups.”
Sutter was the fourth Captain in Islanders history following Eddie Westfall, Clark Gillies and Denis Potvin. The Islanders’ current Captain appreciates what Sutter brought to the table in wearing the “C” on his sweater.
“This guy had all the right characteristics as a leader and was someone who meant a lot in the room,” said Lee. “He was a fierce competitor out there on the ice and had some great valuable traits.”
For the current Islanders, this game is more than just the ceremony. It’s a huge two points after starting a seven-game homestand with back-to-back losses.
Perhaps the emotion of Sutter’s Hall of Fame inducted can light a fire.
“We need it,” said Horvat. “Not only for ourselves, but I think it would be a lot more special to get it for him and his family in attendance. It’s going to be a special night and we just want to get the win.”
“We’ll use that energy,” said Lee. “It’s going to be a great moment for him and his family and we want to reciprocate that honor by showing up and having a great hockey game.”
“I would imagine it will be a packed house,” said Martin. “For us as a team, it’s a big game because we’ve dropped a couple of games here and we need to climb back into the thick of things of this race.”
The Islanders need to take advantage of the emotion and the energy that will be present at UBS Arena when the puck is dropped against the Sharks.
They need to display what Sutter displayed on the ice back in the day.
“A lot of grit,” said Roy. “Compete. Not afraid to go get his nose dirty and really. You can see by the charisma that he had. Just the way he skates on the ice you could tell he was a great leader.”
Brent Sutter meant a lot to the Islanders organization during his time in orange and blue. And now, the current Islanders need to show him the love by capping off the former Captain’s special night with a huge win.