Islanders fans are ready to give former captain John Tavares a hostile welcome when he returns to Long Island on Thursday.
Tavares joined the Toronto Maple Leafs this past offseason after nine seasons with the Islanders. He signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with his hometown team in July.
“I really embraced being an Islander -- I gave it everything I had,” Tavares told The Toronto Star. “I’m not trying to overthink it. I just try and go out there and be myself and play and help the Maple Leafs.”
News 12 Long Island interviewed Isles fans prior to Toronto's visit to Nassau Coliseum.
“Toronto’s probably rallying around John right now, knowing how important it is to John coming back here,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz told reporters on Wednesday. “So, they’re using that as a motivating factor. We’ve gotta make sure that our motivating factor is we need those two points."
Trotz understands Tavares' reasons for leaving Long Island.
"John was the face of the franchise for a long time and he’s earned the right as a free agent — it’s no different than anybody in any walk of life," Trotz said. "You earn the right to move on. I did it in Washington; John did it here."
Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello has expressed a desire for fans to provide a warm reception in recognition of Tavares' service to the franchise.
"That certainly should be an exciting night here," Lamoriello told WFAN's "Benigno and Roberts" on Tuesday. "And I really have heard all about the animosity towards John. He's a tremendous human being and gave tremendous years to the Islanders and a commitment as their captain. I hope that he gets the right reception and is complimented by the crowd for what he did while he was here. He had every right to make the decision that he did to go into free agency, and I respect that."
It appears that most fans aren't going to go easy on Tavares and his return to his former home is must-see TV.