Kenny Jonsson

Kenny Jonsson (pictured wearing the "C" above) was a player I never really appreciated probably as much as I should have.

He was a highly regarded prospect out of Sweden when he came to Toronto. He was drafted 12th overall in 1993. Much was expected out of him, but he did live up to unrealistic expectations right away in Toronto. The impatient Leafs traded him after just 89 games. The Leafs traded him to the New York Islanders, in exchange they brought their popular adopted son Wendel Clark back home Toronto.

In Canada you can watch the Leafs every Saturday night and then some, so I had a good chance to watch Jonsson early on. His mobility was impressive, but he seemed timid and uncertain of the more physical North American game. He wore down as the season progressed.

Once he moved to the Islanders, I never got great chances to watch him perform outside of the odd game here and there, even though he played 11 years in Long Island. In Western Canada it is far easier to watch Manchester United than the New York Islanders.

The best chance to catch them is during the Stanley Cup playoffs. But the Islanders only made the playoffs three times in Jonsson's time their. He participated in just 15 post-season games, 19 in total counting one short playoff with Toronto.

By all accounts Jonsson grew more comfortable in the NHL as he settled in with big minutes of ice time in Long Island. He played a sound, unspectacular game, competent in every aspect but not overly flashy in anyway. He was a workhorse defenseman on a bad team, which is never a good mixture for recognition.

Local Islanders reporters considered Jonsson a top-ten defenseman in the league. One even went as far as to suggest he was the near-equivalent of New York Rangers superstar Brian Leetch. Had he played for a better team, he would likely have garnered Norris Trophy votes, he said.

One place where Jonsson's game was very well appreciated was Sweden. He was a huge part of Team Sweden's numerous successes in his career.

Jonsson won Olympic gold in 1994 and again in 2006. In the latter tournament he was named as the best defenseman in the whole tournament. He also captained the gold medal winning 2006 World Championships team.

Jonsson left the NHL back in 2004 during the lock-out. He never returned, but he continued playing hockey for the rest of decade. He retired in the summer of 2009 after playing five seasons with his old team in the Swedish Elite League, Rogle.

New York Islanders' Greatest Players

Ah, the New York Islanders. They've fallen on hard times for much of the last couple of decades, but there was a time when they iced quite arguably the most impressive collection of hockey players on a single team in NHL history. And it worked quite well for the: 4 Stanley Cup championship and 19 consecutive playoff series victories. Joe Pelletier's Legends of Hockey Network a look back at some of the greatest players and most memorable characters of the New York Islanders.

	Al Arbour - The pilot of the New York Islanders dynasty may very well be the greatest coach of all time. Al Arbour also had an interesting and lengthy playing career.
	Mike Bossy - Arguably the greatest pure sniper of all time, this goal scoring machine helped the New York Islanders capture four consecutive Stanley Cup Championships

	Bob Bourne - Bob Bourne was a speedball on ice for the dynastic New York Islanders.
	Patrick Flatley - Former captain Pat Flatley was a big part of the post-dynasty Islanders.
	Clark Gillies - "Jethro" was, literally and figuratively, a huge part of the New York Islanders Stanley Cup dynasty of the early 1980s.
	Butch Goring - At the trading deadline in 1980, the New York Islanders acquired the final piece of their soon-to-be dynasty puzzle - Butch Goring.
	Garry Howatt - The Toy Tiger was a game if undersized NHL tough guy in the 1970s.
	Kelly Hrudey - Now known as the man behind Hockey Night In Canada's feature segment "Behind The Mask," Kelly Hrudey was once one of the top goalies in hockey.
	Tomas Jonsson - He didn't get the acclaim of a Denis Potvin or a Ken Morrow, but Tomas Jonsson was a real nice piece of the Islanders Stanley Cup dynasty in the 1980s.
	Pat LaFontaine - One of the most entertaining players to watch, Pat LaFontaine scored and set up goals in highlight reel fashion.
	Dave Langevin - A celebrated Minnesotan amateur, "Bammer" became an unheralded steadying influence with the Islanders dynasty teams.
	Bert Marshall - A rugged defenseman who helped shape the Islanders' dynasty, Bert Marshall retired before the Islanders first Stanley Cup victory.

	Gary Nylund - Gary Nylund's second blown ACL finished off his career as a New York Islander and in the NHL.
	Ken Morrow - Ken Morrow won the Olympic Gold medal and the first of 4 Stanley Cups in 1980.

	Bob Nystrom - Best remembered for his Stanley Cup winning goal in 1980, the hard hitting Bob Nystrom was a very important piece of the Islanders early 1980s dynasty.
	Denis Potvin - Perhaps one of the top 5 defensemen in the history of the game, Denis Potvin captained the New York Islanders dynasty while rewriting Bobby Orr's records.
	Chico Resch - The loveable Chico Resch starred with the New York Islanders and later with the Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils.
	Brent Sutter - Arguably the best player among the six brothers to play in the NHL, Brent has transformed his on ice success into a brilliant coaching career.
	Duane Sutter - Probably the most colorful of the six Sutter brothers, "Dog" was an crucial ingredient in four consecutive Stanley Cup championships on Long Island.

	Battlin' Billy Smith - The ornery Billy Smith was as competitive and as clutch of a performer as any goaltender in NHL history.
	John Tonelli - An inspirational leader of the New York Islanders dynasty of the early 1980s, Tonelli had the uncanny ability of changing a game's momentum at any given moment.
	Bryan Trottier - The best two way player of his generation, Hall of Famer Trottier was slightly overshadowed by line mate Bossy but forever appreciated.

	Pierre Turgeon - A superstar season, a deep playoff run and perhaps ultimately a defining career and future of a franchise all came to an end thanks to Dale Hunter's thuggery.
	David Volek - David Volek scored the most important New York Islanders' goal of the 1990s.

David Volek

When you think of David Volek, you can not help but think of the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was Volek's game winning slap shot at 5:16 of overtime in Game 7 of the second round that saw the Islanders upset Mario Lemieux and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins.



For a franchise once rich in great moments, Volek's goal provided are memorable moment for the generation of fans after the great dynasty years in the 1980s.

While Volek will always be remembered for that one moment in time, he was a decent player for the Islanders for 7 seasons. Twice he scored over 20 goals, and three times he topped 55 points. In 396 games he scored 95 goals, and 249 points.

Volek was a 10th round draft choice of the Islanders, 208th overall, in 1984. But when they used the late round pick on him they had no idea if the Czech would ever play for the Islanders. Of course back then players from Eastern Bloc countries were rare in the NHL, unless they defected from their communist homeland. That's exactly what Volek did in July of 1988.

Volek would be a productive forward in his first four seasons in the NHL. He made the All-Rookie Team in 1988-89 on the strength of 25 goals and 34 assists. He followed up with seasons of 39, 56, and 60 points while spending time on both wings.

Quickness, in both his hands and his feet, was his defining quality in his prime. He had a quick release on his wrist shot, and knew how to use the defenseman as a screen. He had an absolutely lethal backhand, which caught a few goalies by surprising, especially when he sped in on them. He had lightning quick skates, darting and out of holes with speed. He also had strong legs and balance, making for increased agility and making it hard to knock him off the puck.

Defensively he was average at best. He was known to make low percentage passes out of own zone, which backfired on him on more than a few occasions. He was a wiry build but with surprising strength. He was not intimidated by North American physicality.

Many thought Volek would become a 30 goal scorer in the NHL. That did not happen, partly because the Islanders depth at forward grew, with Volek not able to crack the top two lines and play quality offensive minutes. At one point he even asked for a trade.

The trade never materialized, partly because Volek soon fell victim to a chronic bad back. He would be forced into retirement before he turned 28.

Garry Howatt

Garry Howatt was a long time tough guy for the New York Islanders. From 1973 through to their second of 4 consecutive Stanley Cup championships Howatt patrolled the left wing, usually on the third or fourth line.

Like Bobby Nystrom, Howatt became a crowd favorite in New York before the likes of Bossy, Trottier and Potvin showed up. He was just 5'9" and 175 lbs but in that tiny frame was a bundle of pugnacious energy that jump started his teammates and excited his fans.

"Pound for pound, Garry Howatt is the toughest fighter in the NHL," once said Dave "The Hammer" Schultz - who was often considered to be the NHL's heavyweight champion during the goon era known as the 1970s.

"I'm not a goal scorer," admitted Garry. "I knew if I was going to make the NHL, I'd have to be giving 100 per cent all the time. I'm not big and they say hockey is a big man's game. All I can do is keep hustling. Besides, there are ways of cutting people down to your size. Hard work is one."

Garry was a fighter, in more ways than one. In his early teenage years it was discovered that he was suffering from epilepsy, but he was able to keep the ailment under control through medication.

This didn't stop Garry from chasing his dream. The Glendon, Alberta native headed off to junior hockey in 1971-72, where he played with three different teams but was best known as a Flin Flon Bomber.

He was drafted in the summer of 1972 and was looked upon as a sure long shot. The Islanders took him 144th overall. However Garry walked into training camp and showed the Islanders the zest and determination which would one day earn him an NHL paycheck. The Islanders were impressed, and signed Garry to a contract, although he spent most of the year apprenticing in the minor leagues, aside from an 8 game stint with the Isles.

By 1973-74 Garry was in the NHL to stay. He broke into the league and had 204 PIM, including a league leading 29 fighting majors. The man they dubbed Toy Tiger had arrived.

However Howatt managed to transform himself into more than just a goon. Maybe that was because he played with an expansion team in its early existence, which allowed Garry some more playing time than he would have gotten with a more established team. In 1974-75 Garry had 18 goals and 48 points and the following year he had 21 goals and 34 points, all while continuing his feisty play.

Garry's ice time and offensive contributions did decrease as the Islanders developed into a league power. But Garry stuck with the team in a role position, as well as as a leader. Whenever the Islanders needed a physical wake up call, Garry would hop over the boards and create 30 seconds of havoc before returning to the bench, often for long periods of time.

Garry was part of the Islanders first two Stanley Cup championships, but by the second championship in 1981 he had been reduced to a strictly 4th line player who was rarely used in the playoffs. Garry asked to be traded to a team that could give him more responsibility on the ice, and the Isles complied by sending Garry to Hartford in the summer of 1981.

Garry seemed rejuvenated in Connecticut as he got more ice time and more responsibility. He responded with 18 goals and a career 50 points, not to mention a career high 242 PIM! However Garry was traded from Hartford to the lowly New Jersey Devils prior to the 1982-83 season. The trade was a surprise as there was much speculation that Garry was being offered a new contract and was possibly going to be named captain of the team.

Garry never got untracked in New Jersey, and admittedly had problems with the organization . In two years he played in only 44 games and spent more time in the minor leagues than with the Devils.

Disappointed with the way his career was coming to an end, Garry decided to hang up the skates following the 1983-84 season. By this time he had accumulated 1836 minutes in the NHL penalty boxes, but also added 112 goals , 156 assists and 268 points in 720 hard fought NHL games. In the playoffs he earned 12 goals and 26 points in 87 games, as well as 289 PIM and 2 Stanley Cup rings.

Garry now owns Mount Freedom Golf in New Jersey.