Hello again and welcome to part seven of the best New York Islanders by jersey numbers series. The last list was the best of numbers 51-60. That article mainly featured players from recent times that fans should know and even included a few current Islanders.
This list will feature a lot of players who may not hold many accolades to their names, but their contributions to the Islanders are still worth talking about. As you get higher in jersey numbers the talent does take a little hit and the numbers don’t have a lot of wearers. Some numbers don’t have any wearers, as you will see this list goes from 62-75. Numbers 61, 65, 69, 70, 73, 74 have never been worn in Islanders history. Maybe someday they will, but with Lou Lamoriello in charge, that isn’t likely.
Best New York Islanders By Jersey Numbers: 62-75
#62- Olli Jokinen
In 1999, he was traded to the Islanders in one of the worst trades Mike Milbury ever made. Jokinen came over to New York in exchange for the teams best player in Žigmund Pálffy who scored 40 plus goals three of his six years on the team. Jokinen was a decent player in his own right but went on the play only one season with the Islanders. Before being traded again in an even worse trade, he was packaged with Hall of Fame goalie Robert Luongo and sent to the Florida Panthers. In his one season with the Islanders, Jokinen played all 82 games scoring 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists).
Honourable mention: Steve Webb (Right Wing): Eight seasons 316 games 18 points (five goals, 13 assists).
#63- Josef Vašíček
Only two players have worn this number in team history, the other played just one career game. The Czech centre only played one year for the Islanders in the 2007-08 season. It was his most productive season since 2003-04, being his last in the NHL before he went to the KHL. He tragically died in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash along with all his teammates. In his one season with the Islanders he played in 81 games, scoring 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists).
Honourable mention: Cole Jarrett (Wing): One season one game with zero points.
#64- Sven Butenschon
The only wearer of this number in team history was Butenschon for two seasons. The German served as the 7th defencemen in his years with the team so he didn’t play regularly. However, he played the most games and had to most success in his eight-year NHL career with the Islanders. In his two seasons, he played in 78 games, scoring 11 points (One goal, 10 assists).
Honourable mention: None.
#66- Joshua Ho-Sang
Another number with only one wearer, and it comes in the form of a very familiar name that fans should remember. There was a lot of hype around Ho-Sang as the Islanders former first round pick in the 2014 NHL draft. He had a 21 game stint in 2016-17 where the entire NHL world was destroying him for wearing 66 and “Insulting” Mario Lemieux. However, the hype never translated into much success on the ice as he could never get out of his own way.
Infamously showing up late to Islanders camp in 2015 and was made to run the stairs at Nassau Coliseum for three-plus hours by then-general manager Garth Snow. He was then sent packing to go back and play junior hockey. Ho-Sang would continue to bounce back and forth between the NHL and the AHL for his entire Islanders tenure. He’s one of the bigger what if’s in team and league history. In his three seasons, he played 53 games scoring 24 points (Seven goals, 17 assists).
Honourable mention: None.
#67- Mike Kennedy
The number 67 has only been worn by two players in Islanders history. They both played just one game for the Islanders and neither one made any kind of impact with the team. The only reason Kennedy gets any recognition here is because he played five years in the league for multiple teams, the other played just the one career NHL game.
Honourable mention: Sean Bentivoglio (Left Wing): One season one game with zero points.
#68- Žigmund Pálffy
Pálffy was mentioned earlier on this list for being sent out for Olli Jokinen in one of the worst trades. He is the only player to wear 68 for the Islanders before switching to 16. Obviously he couldn’t be on the list for that number because of Pat LaFontaine. However, Pálffy deserves recognition for his time with the team. As mentioned before, he scored 40 plus goals three of his six years on the team so it was good to get one of the biggest talents ever to wear an Islander uniform on here. In the six years he played 331 games, scoring 331 points (168 goals 163 assists).
Honourable mention: None.
#71- Dennis Vaske
Vaske was the first to wear the number in 1991. He was a former second-round pick for the Isles in the 1986 NHL Draft. While we may have only wore this number for five games but he still had a solid eight year stint with the team. The defencemen spent the lot of those years being often injured as he only played more than 50 games in the 1993-94 season. In eight seasons he played 232 games scoring 46 points (five goals 41 assists).
Honourable mention: Michael Dal Colle (Left Wing): Five seasons 112 games 21 points (eight goals 13 assists).
#72- Anthony Beauvillier
Now this is an easily recognizable name for Islanders fans. Beauvillier was drafted in the first round by the Islanders in the 2015 NHL draft. The same draft that saw one of his best friends Mathew Barzal also get drafted to the team. The two came up together both making the teams opening night roster in 2016-17. At 19, Beauvillier was the youngest player on the team and when he scored his first goal became the youngest Islander since Nino Niederreiter to score a goal.
He also became the first player in Islander history to score his first NHL goal against a goaltender making their NHL debut. Beauvillier went on to play seven seasons with the team. He became a fan favorite and had an lasting impact. In 2021, he scored the final goal in Nassau Coliseum to fight off elimination in game 6 of their Stanley Cup Semifinals series with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In those seven seasons he played in 457 games, scoring 209 points (102 goals 107 assists).
Honourable mention: Mathieu Schneider (Defensemen): Two seasons 78 games 56 points (14 goals 42 assists).
#75: Brett Lindros
The only player to wear this number is Lindros, who was a former first round pick of the Islanders in the 1994 NHL Draft. The right winger had his career cut short due to concussions after only playing 51 games. He was a first round pick for a reason we just never got a chance to see the full potential at the NHL level.
Honourable mention: None.
In Conclusion
This set of numbers was a mixed bag of players in Islanders history. Some who were good players and made an impact with the team (Anthony Beauvillier, Žigmund Pálffy). Then there were some who didn’t do much but were the only ones to wear that number (Sven Butenschön, Joshua Ho-Sang, Brett Lindros). Despite how these players got on the list, they were there for a reason and are all apart of the Islanders family for life regardless of how big or small their impact was. This wraps up the best Islanders from numbers 62-75.
Main photo by: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
