There definitely is not a shortage of things to do in New York. They’ve got great clubs, great fashion, great restaurants and really great sports. But not only do they have one hockey team, but the city that never sleeps has two hockey teams, one of which is the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders who play in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference and have been since they were founded in 1972. Original General Manager Bill Torrey had a philosophy early on that he did not want to acquire NHL stars in order to win quickly, but rather take younger players and develop them for the future. Some of the original players were goaltender Billy Smith, Billy Harris, and veteran Ed Westfall. The inexperience led the team to having one of the worst records in NHL history at 12-60-6. Torrey recruited Al Arbour to coach the Long Island team and they gained defenseman Denis Potvin in the NHL Draft. Potvin won the Calder Memorial Trophy and was the NHL Rookie of the Year in his first season, but this didn’t help the team much as they still finished at the bottom of the East. What was promising was that the Islanders showed potential and fans and the franchise were getting excited with what the team might be capable of doing.

When 1975 rolled around, the team was finally gelling and about to make a real name for themselves in the NHL. Knocking off the competition as they went, the Islanders earned 88 points, double their first two seasons, and they earned their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth. They had to face their rivals, the New York Rangers, in the first round but stunned them in a best-of-three series. They went on to stun the Pittsburgh Penguins and the whole nation when they were down three games in a best-of-seven series and came back to win four in a row and take the round. They lost in the next round to the eventual Philadelphia Flyers. During the 1975-76 season, the Islanders earned 101 points for fifth place in the league and went back to the playoffs in 76 and 77. They lost both years in the semifinals to the soon-to-be Cup Champions, the Montreal Canadiens. During the off season, Arbour and Torrey selected Mike Bossy to join the team. He proved to the franchise that his selection was a good choice and took home the Calder Trophy. They lost in the quarterfinals in 1978 and in the semifinals in 1979. But these playoff woes would soon change during the next season.

When 1980 rolled around, Arbour knew he had to train the team for playoff wins. He made a few controversial trades and acquired Butch Goring who has been said that he is the “final piece of the puzzle.” They fought through the playoffs and met with the Flyers in their first ever Finals. They won 4-2 games and took home the shiny Stanley Cup trophy to Long Island. Bryan Trottier won the Conn Smythe Trophy that year as the playoff MVP. They followed suit the next year defending their title against the Minnesota North Stars in five games. The Islanders were hoping for a three-peat during the 1981-82 season and their wishes came true battling through a tough playoff season to win the Cup and keep it in their hometown. The dynasty continued in the following season as the Islanders brought home their fourth Cup against the favored Edmonton Oilers and young superstar Wayne Gretzky. Unfortunately the Oilers would get revenge during the next season and the Islanders would lose the Cup and not get it back.

Over the next two decades, the Islanders would eventually lose their dynasty team and have a rough time rebuilding. While they were still able to capture a few division titles and move into the playoffs, a shot at the Stanley Cup Final has yet to come as of 2010. This could be attributed to mismanagement of the team in the front office and trades that took away most of the team’s star talent. They earned a playoff spot during some of the early 2000s but just could not squeak past the competition. The team acquired John Tavares in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft with the first overall pick and ticket sales have shot through the roof. Islanders fans are hoping he will make a difference in the team and help get them to the Finals but as of 2010, the team have yet to make enough of an improvement and have finished towards the bottom of the league standing.