As recently as May 18th, GM Garth Snow backed Yashin, calling him "a vital part of the organization" despite the fact that Islanders fans had organized a petition and letter-writing campaign aimed at persuading owner Charles Wang to cut ties with the unpopular forward. Newsday columnist Mark Herrmann calls the move "the biggest victory in years" for Islanders fans, and praises Wang for listening to the pleas of his paying customers.