Islanders Gameday News: Bill Torrey Night and Koivula’s promotion

Ah yes, the weekend is here. And what better way to spend it than by staying home to watch the Islanders? Don’t answer that, it’s a hypothetical.

The Isles will be in Florida tonight to avenge their loss back on October 24 at Barclays Center. I guess they’ll really be trying to avenge themselves, since they had the lead in that game and unceremoniously shot themselves in the foot. FIG Picks go here, 7:00 p.m. puck drop.

Bill Torrey, who passed away earlier this year, built the Islanders into the dynasty they became. He was also the original President of the Panthers, and served in a senior capacity with the organization until his death. With the Islanders in town, the Panthers decided tonight should be “Legacy Night,” wherein Torrey’s legacy is honored. Seems fitting.

Islanders News

• Mathew Barzal isn’t fazed by criticism of his game. He trusts in coach Barry Trotz’s system. [The Athletic]
• Anders Lee was on Stellick and Simmer to discuss the Kancer Jam. [Islanders]
• Otto Koivula is getting a shot on the power play for the Sound Tigers. [Soundin’ Off]
• And Connor Jones is developing into a good leader for Bridgeport. [CT Post]
• Former Islander (and Panther!) Mark Parrish, who had done some work as an analyst for MSG+, is joining NHL Network as a studio analyst. [NHL]
• More about Bill Torrey Night and the mark he left on the Panthers franchise. [The Athletic]

Elsewhere

• Last night’s NHL scores. The Rangers lost in OT to the Red Wings.
• Tuukka Rask has been granted a leave of absence relating to a personal matter. [Bruins | SCOC]
• A bad situation gets worse as an Ottawa Citizen reporter was barred from the Senators’ charter flight. The Citizen posted the Uber video and refuses to take it down.
• Recently fired Joel Quenneville “definitely plans to coach again,” and surely he’ll have a line of suitors out the door. [SCH]
• There’s a murky side to firing him: it changes nothing and now the Blackhawks don’t have the best active coach in the NHL. [SCH]
• In the “way too soon to tell” department, Elias Pettersson is already being declared a superstar. Look, he most likely will be, but let’s let him play even half a season first, yes? [Sportsnet]
• NHL expansion to Europe is inevitable, writes Pierre LeBigBoy. [The Athletic]
• In the NHL Players’ concussion lawsuit against the NHL, their attorney suggests a settlement of $19 million. Frankly, they could do a lot better, given how many players are involved. [Forbes]
• If you enjoy classic video games, NHL 94 may be near the top of your list. Enjoy this article about a tournament for the game. [ESPN]
• Paul Coffey was one of the truly elite defenseman of his time, an offensively-gifted wizard on the blue line. He is also one of the few first-ballot Hall of Famers to have bounced around the league - guys with his skill were seldom traded, but he was quite frequently. One of his nine stops around the league found him in Hartford for the first quarter of the 1996-97 season with the Whalers (also the franchise’s final season in Connecticut). He was acquired from the Red Wings a few days before the season began, and traded to the Flyers in December. Re-live his 20 games with Hartford. [THW]