Here we are again for part four of the best New York Islanders by jersey number series. The last list reviewed the best from numbers 21-30.
This one will review the next set of numbers 31-40. This group of numbers will feature arguably the most important player in the franchise’s history. It will also feature some underrated and a few lesser-known players from the team’s past.
Best Islanders by Jersey Number: 31-40
#31- Billy Smith
The only player in team history to wear 31. He spent 17 years with the Islanders after one season with the Los Angeles Kings who drafted him in the fifth round of the 1970 NHL amateur draft. Then he was selected by the Islanders in the 1972 expansion. Smith went on to have a hall-of-fame career with the Islanders, being inducted in 1993. His net presence led the teams to their four straight Stanley Cups. Smith won the Vezina trophy for best goalie in the league during the 1981-82 season. He was the Conn Smythe winner for playoff MVP in 1982-83 during the team’s third cup run in a row. In his 17-year career with the team, he was 304-230 with a .895 save percentage and a 3.16 goals against average.
Honourable mention: None.
#32- Steve Thomas
Thomas bounced around a lot of teams in his 20-year career. Of the six teams in his NHL career, one of them was most noticeably the New York Islanders. While he only played in 275 games as an Islander, he played some of the best hockey of his career with the team. He scored a career-high 42 goals with the team in the 1993-94 season. Thomas even finds himself in the top-30 of Islanders scorers in franchise history. In his four-year stint with the team, he played in 275 games scoring 258 points (118 goals 140 assists).
Honourable mention: Brad Lauer (Left Wing) six seasons 259 games 98 points (38 goals 60 assists).
#33- Benoît Hogue
Another player who bounced around in his career but had his best production with the Islanders was Hogue. He played 15 seasons and was on eight different teams. His best years were the four he spent on the Island, scoring his career-best 36 goals for the team in 1993-94. He also had the highest point total of his career with the Islanders in 1991-92 and 1992-93 when he had 75 in back-to-back seasons. In his four seasons with New York, he played in 258 games scoring 229 points (105 goals, 124 assists).
Honourable mention: Eric Cairns (Defensemen) Six seasons 327 games 36 points (Nine goals, 27 assists).
#34- Wade Dubielewicz
Wade only made 37 appearances in net over his four seasons with the Islanders. Despite that, his time with the team and what he did was still significant. In 2003-04, after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent, he broke many of the team’s AHL goalie records with the Sound Tigers. Those records include shutouts and wins in a career, and highest save percentage and goals against average in a season. He finally made his first appearance for the NHL team in the 2006-07. He started the team’s last five games going 4-1 including four straight wins to get the Islanders into the playoffs, the team’s lone playoff appearance between 2005-2013. In his four years with the team, Wade went 16-13 with a .920 save percentage and a 2.55 goals against average.
Honourable mention: Rob DiMaio (Right wing) four seasons 74 games eight points (six goals, two assists).
#35- Glenn Healy
Healy did not have the best numbers for the Islanders during his time with them, however, of the 12 players who have worn the number he gets the nod. The recognition comes from him being the backstop during the 1993 miracle playoff run for the Islanders. That team knocked off the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on their way to a conference finals appearance. Healy was a big part of the run and that tops anything anyone else did with this number before or after him. In his four seasons with the Islanders, he went 66-79 with a .890 save percentage and a 3.45 goals against average.
Honourable mention: Tommy Salo (Goalie) five seasons 62-94 .902 save percentage 2.77 goals against average.
#36- Travis Hamonic
Even though Hamonic only had this number for one season before changing to number three, he still gets this honour. He gets the nod because he was a great player for the Islanders and deserves to make this list in some capacity. Not to mention he is also just better than any of the other options for this number. The number 36 has been used as a transition number mostly, so he isn’t the only one to wear it for just one season. Hamonic was a second-round pick by the Islanders in the 2008 NHL draft and the fans remember him as a big part of Islanders with modest success. In his seven seasons with the team, he played in 444 games and scored 146 points (26 goals 120 assists).
Honourable mention: Gary Nylund (Defenceman) five seasons 211 games 63 points (11 goals, 52 assists).
#37- Mark Parrish
Parrish is another player who fits the theme of bouncing around the league but having his best years with the Islanders. He played for seven different teams over the course of a 12-year career. His longest stint was with the Islanders for five seasons. It was here where he would have a career-defining year in 2001-02 putting up his career high in goals with 30 and points with 60. This season was also good enough to land him his first and only All-Star Game appearance. In his five seasons, he played in 345 games scoring 214 points (118 goals, 96 assists).
Honourable mention: Dennis Vaske (Defenceman) eight seasons 232 games 46 points (five goals, 41 assists)
#38- Dave Scatchard
Following the trend of the list, Scatchard also bounced around a few teams but played his best as an Islander. In his 11-year career, he played for six different teams. His five-year stretch on the Island saw him provide a few very productive seasons including a pair of 20-goal seasons. He recorded his best point total season in 2000-01 when he had 45. In 2002-03 he did it again with 45 points but in addition scored a career-high 27 goals to go along with it. In his five seasons with the team, he played in 347 games scoring 168 points (81 goals, 87 assists).
Honourable mention: Jack Hillen (Defenceman) four seasons 175 games 50 points (eight goals, 42 assists).
#39- Rick DiPietro
Many will be quick to call DiPietro a bust but that is not the case. His struggles could be considered a result of poor management and bad injury luck. In 2000 he was selected first overall by the Islanders. That puts a lot of pressure on a young player to perform well right away. He was thrown into the fire at 19 and played behind some really bad Islander teams. After struggling for his first few seasons, he started to flash his potential in 2003-04 and 2004-05. So much so that the team signed him to a 15-year contract, which is awful by the front office to ever offer that. In the years after the deal, it didn’t look so bad. He led the Islanders back to the playoffs in 2006-07, then was selected to the All-Star Game in 2007-08. Then the injuries started to pile up, multiple concussions and knee injuries zapped his ability to play at a high level. By 2012-13, he was nowhere near the goalie he had been. He hadn’t appeared in more than 26 games in a season since 2007-08. In 2013, the team bought him out of the monster deal, which forced the team to keep him on their payroll until 2028-29. In his 11-year career, he finished 130-136 with a .902 save percentage and a 2.87 goals against average.
Honourable mention: Travis Green (Centre) six seasons 388 games 237 points (92 goals, 145 assists).
#40- Michael Grabner
To cap off this list, we have one of the better waiver claims in recent memory. After being drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 2006, he was dealt to the Florida Panthers. He went to Panthers camp but didn’t make the team and placed him on waivers, then claimed by the Islanders. His combination of great speed and defensive awareness made him a good player. His first year with the Islanders in 2010-11 he had his best season when he scored 34 goals and 52 points. In 2013, Grabner became the first player to score two shorthanded goals on the same penalty kill since Ryan O’Reilly in 2010. However, O’Reilly did it on a four-minute powerplay while Grabner did it on a two-minute. In his five seasons with the Islanders, he played in 297 games scoring 144 points (90 goals, 54 assists).
Honourable mention: Semyon Varlamov (Goalie) five seasons 73-59 9.17 save percentage 2.55 goals against average.
In Conclusion
A block of numbers with an interesting story to tell, 31-40 of the Islanders saw solid talent and memorable moves. The one big gun on this list (Billy Smith) is arguably one of the franchise’s best players. In addition, there are others on here who bounced around but found their best hockey on the Island (Steve Thomas, Benoît Hogue, Mark Parrish, Dave Scatchard). While also featuring one of the more controversial players in franchise history (Rick DiPietro). A rag-tag bunch who all had an impact on the team’s history, this rounds out the best Islanders numbers 31-40.
Main Photo Credit: Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports
