If you've ever wondered what it's like to be an Islander fan, look no further than tonight's events.
A few weeks ago, the Islanders signed Mark Parrish to a 25-game tryout deal. Parrish, of course, had his best years on Long Island and came back to his former club for a second chance. The Islanders granted his request, allowing Parrish the chance to rediscover his game in Bridgeport and work toward a potential comeback with the Islanders. It sounded like the makings of a feel-good story, one we all wanted to see happen.
Then, reality set in.
Dallas swooped in and signed Parrish to a one-year, two-way deal worth $500,000. How did Parrish repay his new employers? By netting a hat trick in his very first game with the Stars, of course. And what did the Islanders get for taking a chance on the second half of Parrish's career? Absolutely nothing.
That's what it's like to be an Islander fan. You get your hopes up thinking about the best possible scenario, only to see things fall apart in the most painful fashion conceivable. Sure, most of us are happy to see Parrish succeeding in the NHL once more. But we have to ask ourselves the question we've asked so many times - if Mark Parrish can fill a role on one of the NHL's best teams in Dallas, why exactly couldn't the Islanders find a spot for him? The same can be said for Dick Tarnstrom, Eric Godard, Denis Grebeshkov, Petteri Nokelainen, and the endless list of former Islanders who couldn't find a niche here, but ended up having decent careers elsewhere. And when was the last time the Islanders unearthed an unheralded player? That would be seven years ago, when Radek Martinek came up. That was a long time ago.
Bottom line, it's no given that Mark Parrish would have been a star once again with the Islanders. But I'm sick of seeing the Islanders do charity work for the rest of the league. They were the only team willing to throw a bone to Parrish, and now that Parrish is the toast of the town, the Islanders are left with nothing. I guess I should be used to this by now. But it's still frustrating.
A few weeks ago, the Islanders signed Mark Parrish to a 25-game tryout deal. Parrish, of course, had his best years on Long Island and came back to his former club for a second chance. The Islanders granted his request, allowing Parrish the chance to rediscover his game in Bridgeport and work toward a potential comeback with the Islanders. It sounded like the makings of a feel-good story, one we all wanted to see happen.
Then, reality set in.
Dallas swooped in and signed Parrish to a one-year, two-way deal worth $500,000. How did Parrish repay his new employers? By netting a hat trick in his very first game with the Stars, of course. And what did the Islanders get for taking a chance on the second half of Parrish's career? Absolutely nothing.
That's what it's like to be an Islander fan. You get your hopes up thinking about the best possible scenario, only to see things fall apart in the most painful fashion conceivable. Sure, most of us are happy to see Parrish succeeding in the NHL once more. But we have to ask ourselves the question we've asked so many times - if Mark Parrish can fill a role on one of the NHL's best teams in Dallas, why exactly couldn't the Islanders find a spot for him? The same can be said for Dick Tarnstrom, Eric Godard, Denis Grebeshkov, Petteri Nokelainen, and the endless list of former Islanders who couldn't find a niche here, but ended up having decent careers elsewhere. And when was the last time the Islanders unearthed an unheralded player? That would be seven years ago, when Radek Martinek came up. That was a long time ago.
Bottom line, it's no given that Mark Parrish would have been a star once again with the Islanders. But I'm sick of seeing the Islanders do charity work for the rest of the league. They were the only team willing to throw a bone to Parrish, and now that Parrish is the toast of the town, the Islanders are left with nothing. I guess I should be used to this by now. But it's still frustrating.
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