[Bits] Roster Cuts, Video Game Memories and Other Customs

Final roster cuts are in which means that after three months of hoping, pr*j*ct*ng, dreaming and foaming at the mouth, the NHL season is finally upon us.

Tonight's season opener sees the Maple Leafs meeting Canadiens at Bell Centre and the Montreal Gazette is already complaining about the game. Ah, NHL, don't ever change.

Islanders News:

• Big news from yesterday was the announcement of the Islanders finalized 23-man roster. Shockingly, John Tavares was on it. As were youngsters Matt Donovan, Griffin Reinhart and Brock Nelson. Ryan Strome was assigned to Bridgeport. Here's the story from yesterday with a couple of late evening updates.
• Not a lot of news about Travis Hamonic's injury from Arthur Staple, but we should know more today. Hamonic is being tested for a concussion, but Staple believes the Islanders don't think it's serious.
• Tony Stabile looks at the futures of UFA's Matt Moulson and Andrew MacDonald. [hockeythisweek.com]

Around the Block:

• The Senators sent Iranian President Mika Zibanejad down to Binghampton of the AHL in a surprising move Monday. Speculation revolves around some shady salary manipulation being the root cause. Imagine! A National Hockey League team involved in such a thing... [Silver Seven]
• Previously: The Lightning cut 2013 third overall draft pick Jonathan Drouin on Sunday, sending him back to junior. [Raw Charge]
• Ever more previously: The Capitals traded center Mathieu Perreault to Anaheim to get below the cap. [Japers Rink]
• Not getting cut: Blue Jackets' Boone Jenner, who will start the season as Columbus' first line center. [Jackets Cannon]
• The Islanders Game 1 opponent will be the New Jersey Devils, who made a few moves yesterday, including placing Patrik Elias on injured reserve. There's still a chance he plays on Friday. [In Lou We Trust]
  
• After some testing in exhibition games, hybrid icing was approved by the NHL for this season. Everybody be careful out there. [Puck Daddy]
  
• Former Oilers defenseman Ryan Whitney has signed with the Panthers. Not sure if his always broken feet were signed as well. [TSN]
  
• GameCenter Live and Center Ice Users: Know your coverage area thanks to this handy chart from Mile High Hockey (warning: may prompt a move to Seattle).
• Raw Charge examines a good question: Why aren't the Lightning and Panthers bitter rivals by now?
• Canadiens defenseman Douglas "I Assure You. I am Swedish" Murray is out 4-6 weeks with an injury [Eyes on the Prize]
• Sean Avery detained at customs at YYZ. Yeah. [New York Post]

I'm Ron Barr from EA Sports Hockey. Welcome to Long Island.

Yes, it's a sponsored advertising campaign by a gigantic capitalist corporation, but the NHL 94 posts are bringing out some sweet memories of that great game and others in the series. TJ from Arctic Ice Hockey talks about driving a cousin to distraction playing NHL 94, and Scott from Copper & Blue sees the games as the progenitor of the #fancystats movement. Of course, Dom already compared the classic NHL 94 Islanders to the team's current roster. If you see any more of these around the Network, drop them into the comments.

And speaking of The Network...

SB Nation's NHL Preview is out and it's spectacular. Really an artful, progressive presentation. Read it.

And finally, celebrate the opening of the NHL with a bunch of 2008 Islanders rookies playing paintball.