With the inevitable news finally arriving, I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the last forty years and try to pull the best four line team of Islanders that played at the old barn. Due to the changes in the game stressing defense, Milbury trading players like fantasy hockey and the general lack of success over the past two decades, it is difficult to compare players across the years.
With that - here is my 40th anniversary team.
1st line: Gillies, Trots, Bossy
2nd line: Tonelli, Lafontaine, Nystrom
3rd line: Brent Sutter, Turgeon, Flatley (Brent out of position - but how could we not have a Sutter)
4th line: Tavares, Goring, Palffy
D1: Potvin, Morrow
D2: Tomas Jonsson, Kenny Jonsson
D3: Rich Pilon, Stefan Persson
G1: Smith
G2: Hrudey
Coach and GM - does not even have to be written
Hardest players to leave off the team: Bourne, Vukota, Kasparaitis and King
Who would make your All-Coliseum team?