A Momentous LaFontaine Islanders Honor Can Go One Step Further
Hockey historian Stan Fischler makes the case for why Pat LaFontaine’s No. 16 belongs in the rafters at UBS Arena, alongside Islanders legends.
For an entire generation of New York Islanders fans, Pat LaFontaine represented skill, excitement, and optimism during a transitional period in franchise history. One of the most gifted offensive players to ever wear an Islanders sweater, LaFontaine helped bridge the gap between eras with his dynamic scoring touch, creativity, and leadership. Now, his impact on the organization is being formally recognized, as LaFontaine is set to be inducted into the New York Islanders Hockey Hall of Fame.
By Stan Fischler:
Full disclosure.
The Maven has been -- is and always will be -- an ardent fan of Sir Pat LaFontaine.
And, yeah, that “Sir” thing is there with a purpose. Patty is Hall of Fame royalty, and not just in the Toronto puck Pantheon but in the U.S. stickhandling Hall in Minnesota and, of course, right here on Long Island.
While I toasted Patty to the skies in my Islanders website piece, I must admit that my all-world kudos omitted an asterisk, if you will, and, for that, I’ll get right to the point.
(After all, they don’t call me a “Hockey Historian” for nothing, do they? Agree, will you please!)
As far as my intense hockey studies have revealed, there’s one element missing when it comes to fitting number #16 with a robe of accolades, which will be done at his UBS Hall of Fame honoring ceremonies.
It is an element of added plus ultra congratulations that have already been delivered to such Islanders heroes, such as Denis Potvin, Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, et. al., who were well-feted in the past.
What I’m fervently talking about is that the time has come for the Islanders’ high command to bestow one further honor upon our dear pal. If you’re wondering why, just peer up at the UBS ceiling.
You will, of course, observe banners galore, but none for #16, and that’s precisely where The Maven’s plea is going.
Yessiree, Bob and Barbara, the Islanders should once and for all retire LaFontaine’s number 16 uniform. It would be an act that would underline his greatness that those of us who had the pleasure of seeing him in action fully understood -- and understand.
But don’t just take my word for it. Best we start with a major Canadian historian just to show that mine is not a biased voice in the wind. Andrew Podnieks is the author of the most definitive collection of NHL stickhandling X-Rays.
His work is called “Players -- The Ultimate A-Z Guide Of Everyone Who Has Ever Played In The NHL.” It’s 959 pages long, and here’s a capsule of what one expert has to say about
Patty: “LaFontaine’s career was nothing short of fantastic; the only thing missing was The Cup. He scored 50 goals twice, 40 goals five times, and 30 goals twice with the Islanders and later the Sabres. He played for the U.S. in the 1984 Olympics, at the ‘87 and ‘91 Canada Cups, and the ‘96 World Cup and the 1998 Olympics in Nagano.”
I was there on that memorable afternoon in 1984 at Nassau Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum when our hero donned an Islanders sweater for the first time. So was defenseman Ken Morrow, who already had four Stanley Cup-winning rings to his credit. Ken remembers Pat well.
“He came to our team during our ‘Drive For Five’ run and injected some young legs and high-end talent. He (at center) and Pat Flatley (a winger) played a big part for us in making a run to our fifth consecutive Final. The Islanders emphasized character, and Patty exemplified that trait -- along with his vast abilities.”
LaFontaine was so very special that he is one of the precious few who earned a chapter in Glenn Liebman’s book “Hockey Shorts,” which featured thumbnail sketches of superstars as well as critical comments.
For example, Patty’s coach, Al Arbour, opined: “When Pat is really skating, all you can see is the vapor trail. Once he gets by you, the only way to get him is with a whaling gun!”
Okay, you might say that Arbour had a soft spot in his heart for his center. So, let’s try a former Ranger. Forward Don Maloney skated against LaFontaine in one of the greatest playoff series of all time. Blueshirts vs. the Nassaumen, 1984; won by the Isles on Morrow’s goal in overtime of the clincher.
“Every time LaFontaine touched the puck,” said Maloney, “we all sat up a little straighter and held our breath.”
Pat LaFontaine recorded 287 goals and 279 assists for 566 points in 530 games with the Islanders. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Islanders, LaFontaine recorded 19 goals and 21 assists for 40 points in 44 games.
Defenseman Gary Nylund offered another view on how the opposition tried to contain Patty:
“Sometimes he looked like he was playing against fifty octopuses.”
The Washington Capitals felt that way in the seventh and deciding game of the 1987 Patrick Division Semifinal. To this day, the match is considered one of the most memorable hockey games -- a four-overtime epic in which the Isles prevailed at 1:56 a.m. on Easter Sunday.
LaFontaine’s slapshot torpedoed the Capitals in what became legendary as “The Easter Epic,” since the contest began on Easter Sunday eve and was completed early Easter morning.
For that game alone -- and for Patty’s monumental feat -- he rates the retirement of his #16.
One cannot underestimate the effect LaFontaine’s goal had on still-jubilant Nassau fans and still horrified Caps followers, including Glenn Dreyfuss, author of a definitive history of Washington NHL hockey called “Legends Of Landover.”
When I asked Dreyfuss why the “Easter Epic” goal was deliberately omitted from his definitive history, he candidly and transparently explained:
“I specifically avoided delving into the Easter Epic. I titled the chapter on Washington’s playoff misery of that era, ‘Faceoff Circle of Hell.’
To that end, here’s what I wrote: “The gory details (of LaFontaine’s goal) won’t be found on these pages. Why? For the same reason you don’t stick a fork in your eye: it would hurt -- a lot -- and serves no useful purpose.
After all, how pithy can you be about four overtime losses?”
Dreyfuss also pointed out that -- in a curious sort of way -- LaFontaine’s goal eventually resulted in marriage bliss, starting in -- of all places -- Waco, Texas.
“My then girlfriend and I had dinner that night,” Dreyfuss recalled, “and after eating, I asked to turn on the hotel TV. I’m not proud to say we ended up watching four overtimes of hockey.”
Then, a pause and a grin: “I figured any woman who would put up with that shouldn’t get away, so I married her!”
P.S. From Dreyfuss: “A couple of years ago, I shared the LaFontaine story with Kelly Hrudey, the winning goalie that night/morning (73 saves) in the Seattle Kraken media dining room. He laughed.” Another pause: “I didn’t.”
Islanders fan and author of a new book, “The Long Island Arena And Other Hockey Stories,”
Joseph Rossi offered his reason for retiring #16. “Pat was an Olympic hero and an Islander hero. He made it feel as if the Dynasty would never end. Even after the four Cups, LaFontaine made you feel as if the team was in good hands.”
Not that you need any more evidence to have Patty’s number retired, but The Maven will let you in on another LaFontaine accomplishment. He and Ken Morrow were the card game Euchre champions of the team, defeating Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier.
Or, as Morrow explained in his autobiography “Miracle Gold -- Four Stanley Cups And A
Lifetime of Islanders Hockey,” Patty was another kind of champion.
“As a card player,” Morrow concluded, “he proved to be as good as he was on the ice!”
I hope by this time you folks -- and the Islanders’ general staff -- agree that this very accomplished Long Islander, Patrick LaFontaine, deserves to have his #16 retired to the UBS ceiling.
Allen Kreda: Pat’s contributions to Long Island and the Islanders transcend his 287 goals over eight seasons in blue and orange - plus 14 more goals in playoffs. Pat’s Companions in Courage efforts through the years add to his legendary status as a supremely caring person. As Pat likes to say: “I have scored enough goals. Everything I do now is about assists!”
