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"I wanted to stay here badly. I love the guys in the organization. ... There are a lot of good character people in this organization, on and off the ice. The potential for the team to do well is something I obviously looked at. When you think you can be a really good team, with character people you like to be around every day, it's a pretty easy decision."

"It was 128 questions," Aneloski said. "One of them was something like ‘In the future, where would you like to live? In the woods by yourself or in the suburbs?’"

Tavares, Bailey, Schremp and Nielsen - are players whom Gordon wants to groom at the center position and form into a force up the middle.

"[What Gordon said] tells you something. ... When things are going well and in the right direction, time goes by a little bit faster too. I think we're all positive and there's a good atmosphere here. ... I think there's a bright future here and I think everybody here thinks the same way."

John Tavares potted a hat trick Sunday to become the OHL's all-time leading goal scorer.

"I think everybody is pretty comfortable right now," Bergenheim said of the Islanders' drastically altered landscape. "Not to take anything away from anybody who was here before, but we're young and we have a good group here. We had that all year, but right now, it seems like we're kind of glued together a little bit better than maybe before on the ice.

Just a phenomenal place. The people are friendly. The hockey fans that recognize us treat us like gold. The weather, the beach…I mean, it’s just the greatest place to be. ... I’m telling you, I love this place. I hope to make it my home.