117. Stephenson, “Islanders Get Back on Map with Old Logo.”
118. Fichaud, telephone interview.
119. Jim Smith, “Old Logo Gets Go- Ahead,” Newsday, April 13, 1996, A43.
120. Valenti, “Isles’ Skid Is Dead.”
121. Mark Herrmann, “Lost Islanders: Nothing New,” Newsday, April 13, 1996, A43.
122. Jim Smith, “Rookie McCabe: Islanders’ Iron Man,” Newsday, April 14, 1996, B12.
246
NOTES TO PAGES 138–143
123. Herrmann, “The Windup.”
124. “A Bayman’s Fate,” Dan’s Papers, May 3, 1996, 1, 12; “Rejected Islander Logos,” Dan’s Papers, May 3, 1996, 1.
125. Calabria to Leo, May 3, 1996, box 6, folder 135, East Hampton Town Baymen’s Association Archive.
126. Leo to Calabria, June 3, 1996, box 6, folder 135, East Hampton Town Baymen’s Association Archive.
127. Zipay, “No Go on New Logo.”
128. “New Is Out, Old Is In,” The Washington Post, April 5, 1996, C6.
6. SPANO FOR PRESIDENT
1. “Islanders at Canadiens,” SportsChannel, April 13, 1996.
2. Jim Smith, “Isles Fire Doc, Trainers,” Newsday, May 8, 1996, A75.
3. Jim Smith, “Milbury Thinks Forward,” Newsday, April 15, 1996, n.p.
4. Jeff Williams, “It’s All Over,” Newsday, May 1, 1996, A78.
5. Joe Schad, “Islanders, Berard Agree on Contract,” Newsday, June 26, 1996, A61.
6. Smith, “Milbury Thinks Forward.”
7. Peter Botte, “Milbury’s Newest Title: Salesman,” New York Post, April 15, 1996, 56.
8. Peter Botte, “Logo Won’t Change Fate,” New York Post, April 8, 1996, 50.
9. Laura Price, “Isles Miss by a Digit, to Pick 3rd,” Newsday, May 20, 1996, A51.
10. Mark Herrmann, “Isles Ready to Deal for a Top Forward,” Newsday, May 17, 1996, A99.
11. Laura Price, “Milbury Feeling Pressure of Draft Decision,” Newsday, June 7, 1996, A103.
12. Jim Smith, “Scouts Are Out after Isles Draft,” Newsday, June 20, 1996, A71.
13. Jim Smith, “Wary of Russian, GM Taps Winger,” Newsday, June 23, 1996, B3.
14. Jim Smith, “Palffy’s Agent Nixes ‘Final’ Offer,” Newsday, June 21, 1996, A90.
15. John Valenti, “Milbury Softens Stance— Somewhat,” Newsday, September 20, 1996, A88.
16. Anthony McCarron, “Palffy Talks Getting Ugly,” New York Daily News, October 30, 1998, 93.
17. John Valenti, “No Ziggy, No Green and Still No Progress,” Newsday, September 11, 1996, A72.
247
NOTES TO PAGES 143–148
18. Jeff Williams, “Isles, Flatley Part Company,” Newsday, July 10, 1996, A51.
19. Vukota, telephone interview.
20. Froese, telephone interview.
21. Smith, “Palffy’s Agent Nixes ‘Final’ Offer.”
22. Charron, telephone interview.
23. Steve Zipay, “Islanders Interested in Roenick,” Newsday, July 27, 1996, A36.
24. Jim Smith, “Roenick Deal Near,” Newsday, August 10, 1996, A31, A26; Jeff Williams, “Islanders Targeting Roenick,” Newsday, August 8, 1996, A92.
25.
Roenick,
J.R. , 97.
26. Jim Smith, “Refusing Isles’ Pay Cut, Rangers’ Healy Nixed Deal,” Newsday, October 22, 1996, A68.
27. Mark Herrmann, “Milbury Gives Palffy, Green Ultimatum,” Newsday, August 23, 1996, A82.
28. “Not Getting Roenick May Be the Best Deal the Isles Never Made,” 7th Man, September 1996, 2.
29. Jim Smith, “‘Serious’ Isles Plot Plan for Roenick,” Newsday, August 9, 1996, A87.
30. Zipay, “Islanders Interested in Roenick.”
31. Botta, telephone interview. Botta also described this incident on his blog,
“On WFAN’s Suzanne Somers: We Mean, of Course, Steve Somers,”
IslandersPointBlank (blog), October 26, 2008, http:// islanderspointblank
.com /news /on -wfans -suzanne -somerswe -mean -of -course -steve
-somers/.
32. Zipay, “Islanders Interested in Roenick.”
33. Botta, telephone interview; Mark Herrmann, “Roenick Dealt, but Not to Isles,” Newsday, August 17, 1996, A35, A33; Somers, telephone interview.
34.
“Draft
Party,”
Newsday, June 21, 1996, A82.
35. “New Building? Palffy Leaving? Berard the Savior? Isles Being Sold?
Draft Party a Success?,” 7th Man, July 1, 1996, 2.
36. “25th Anniversary Season Summer Events,” Newsday, August 11, 1996, B14.
37. Dan Byrnes, “Sudden Impact,” Blade, October 12– 22, 1996, 8.
38. Letta Tayler, “Making Light in the Dark,” Newsday, July 11, 1996, B3.
39. Valenti, “No Ziggy, No Green and Still No Progress.”
40. Steve Zipay, “Switch to WLIR Excites Islanders,” Newsday, August 22, 1996, A82.
41. “25th Anniversary Season Summer Events.”
248
NOTES TO PAGES 148–152
42. Celeste Hadrick, “Arena Face- Off,” Newsday, August 21, 1996, A5, A35- A38.
43. Herrmann, “Milbury Gives Palffy, Green Ultimatum.”
44. John Valenti, “Milbury: Green Says ‘Trade Me,’” Newsday, September 18, 1996, A69.
45. Valenti, “Milbury Softens Stance— Somewhat.”
46. John Valenti, “Milbury Working on Several Deals,” Newsday, September 21, 1996, A33; John Valenti, “Talks Crawl Along,” Newsday, September 25, 1996, A72.
47. John Valenti, “Milbury, Palffy End Standoff,” Newsday, September 28, 1996, A97.
48. John Valenti, “Isles Show Some Fight in 1st Loss,” Newsday, October 6, 1996, B18.
49. Jason Diamos, “Isles Tied. Milbury Fit to Be Tied.,” New York Times, October 10, 1996, B22; John Valenti, “Untimely Tie Pains Islanders,”
Newsday, October 7, 1996, A48.
50. Jim Smith, “Isles Hurry Green,” Newsday, October 12, 1996, A39.
51. “Texan Ready to Buy Islanders. His Promise: The Puck Stays Here,”
Newsday, October 11, 1996, A1.
52. John Valenti, “Sale Gives Isles New Hope,” Newsday, October 11, 1996, A84.
53. Craig Gordon, “Shy Guy with Deep Pockets,” Newsday, October 11, 1996, A3, A40; John Valenti, “New Money Big Plus,” Newsday, October 11, 1996, A94.
54. Jason Diamos, “Buyer Says Isles Will Stay,” New York Times, October 11, 1996, B17; Gordon, “Shy Guy with Deep Pockets”; Craig Gordon et al.,
“A Team Player,” Newsday, October 11, 1996, A3, A40.
55. John Valenti, “Fishsticks on Ice for Isles Opener,” Newsday, October 12, 1996, A39.
56. John Valenti, “Just Like Old Times,” Newsday, October 13, 1996, B9.
57. Jason Diamos, “Islanders Turn Back the Clock and Flyers,” New York Times, October 13, 1996, S7.
58. Valenti, “Fishsticks on Ice for Isles Opener.”
59.
Never Say Die.
60. John Valenti, “Reality Check for Isles,” Newsday, October 18, 1996, A86.
61. Jason Diamos, “The Same Old Islanders Return to the Coliseum,”
New York Times, October 18, 1996, B13.
62. Diamos, “The Same Old Islanders Return to the Coliseum”; Valenti,
“Reality Check for Isles.”
249
NOTES TO PAGES 152–156
63. Diamos, “The Same Old Islanders Return to the Coliseum”; Colin Stephenson, “Reality Strikes Isles,” New York Daily News, October 18, 1996, 96; Valenti, “Reality Check for Isles.”
64. Valenti, “Reality Check for Isles.”
65. John Valenti, “Milbury Throws Book at Islanders,” Newsday, October 19, 1996, A38.
66. Valenti, “Milbury Throws Book at Islanders.”
67. Vukota, telephone interview.
68. Tommy Söderström
, telephone interview with the author, September 7, 2015.
69. John Valenti, “Bertuzzi Benched,” Newsday, October 20, 1996, B10.
70. John Valenti, “Expanded Vocabulary Doesn’t Help Islanders,” Newsday, October 23, 1996, A70.
71. John Valenti, “Salo Needs a ‘W’ Very, Very Badly,” Newsday, October 21, 1996, A44.
72. John Valenti, “Raked by Leafs,” Newsday, November 1, 1996, A100.
73. John Valenti, “What a Clinic!,” Newsday, November 3, 1996, B3.
74. John Valenti, “King Revels in New Role,” Newsday, November 4, 1996, A67.
75. Jim Smith, “Isles Building Confidence behind Palffy- Green- King,” Newsday, November 6, 1996, A82.
76. John Valenti, “2 Isles Off ‘Death Row,’” Newsday, November 8, 1996, A94.
77. Pilon, telephone interview.
78. John Valenti, “Isles Deal ‘D,’ Hope for Offense,” Newsday, November 18, 1996, A59.
79. Bryan Smolinski, telephone interview with the author, September 17, 2015.
80. Smith, “New Coach Glad to See Kasparaitis.”
81. Kasparaitis, telephone interview.
82. Valenti, “Isles Deal ‘D,’ Hope for Offense.”
83. Vukota, telephone interview; Smolinski, telephone interview.
84. John Valenti, “Smolinski Helps Isles Earn Tie,” Newsday, November 21, 1996, A91.
85.
“N.H.L.
Standings,” New York Times, December 12, 1996, B26.
86. John Valenti, “Break Up the Isles!,” Newsday, December 11, 1996, A81.
87. John Valenti, “Splendid Salo Stones Rangers,” Newsday, December 12, 1996, A103.
250
NOTES TO PAGES 156–160
88. John Valenti, “Claude Power,” Newsday, December 8, 1996, B3, B28.
89. Valenti, “Claude Power.”
90. Ken Moritsugu, “Spano’s Promise,” Newsday, November 27, 1996, A3.
91. Steve Jacobson, “Let’s Build Again, but Do It Better,” Newsday, November 27, 1996, A89.
92.
“HEY!
STANLEY!!! YOU CAN COME HOME! PICKETT’S GONE!!!,”
7th Man, December 15, 1996, 1; Islanders advertisement, Newsday, November 27, 1996, A81.
93. “STIC MEETS WITH JOHN SPANO!,” 7th Man, December 15, 1996, 4.
94. Moritsugu, “Spano’s Promise.”
95. Valenti, “Break Up the Isles!”
96.
“Done Deals,” Newsday, November 27, 1996, 1; Colin Stephenson, “New Era Begins for Isles,” New York Daily News, November 27, 1996, 65; Dave Anderson, “Sports of the Times: Some 1996 Thank- You Notes,” New York Times, November 28, 1996, B23; Jacobson, “Let’s Build Again, but Do It Better”; Joe Lapointe, “High Ambitions for New Isles Owner,” New York Times, November 27, 1996, B11; Moritsugu, “Spano’s Promise”; Jeff Williams, “Wow! An Owner,” Newsday, November 27, 1996, A88.
97. “Special Holiday Celebration,” Newsday, November 27, 1996, A78; “You Can Feel It!,” Newsday, December 11, 1996, A77; “Join Us for a Night to Remember,” Newsday, December 18, 1996, A81.
98. Green, telephone interview.
99. John Kreiser, “Enchanting Isle,” Rinkside, February 1997, 50– 55.
100. Jason Diamos, “The Americanization of an Offbeat Player,” New York Times, December 10, 1996, B15.
101. Söderström, telephone interview.
102. “Islander of the Year: Zigmund Palffy,” Blade, April 6– 12, 1996, 7; Pickett, telephone interview; Charron, telephone interview; “This Is Brett Lindros”; “This Is Matt Schneider”; “Weekend Family Fun Continues This Sunday,” Newsday, February 28, 1996, A59; “He Who Hesitates . . . ,”
Newsday, October 4, 1996, A78.
103. Dan Byrnes, “Ziggymania,” Blade, November 27– December 3, 1996, 7.
104. Kreiser, “Enchanting Isle”; Diamos, “The Americanization of an Offbeat Player.”
105. John Valenti, “Bertuzzi Has Major Lesson in the Minors,” Newsday, December 14, 1996, A43.
251
NOTES TO PAGES 160–163
106. John Valenti, “Milbury’s Outburst Gets Isles Talking,” Newsday, December 16, 1996, A47.
107. Jim Smith, “Detroit Demolition,” Newsday, December 29, 1996, B13; Jim Smith, “Regier Out as Isles’ Assistant GM,” Newsday, December 27, 1996, A92.
108. Jeff Williams, “Palffy Joins Eastern All- Stars,” Newsday, January 4, 1997, A35.
109. Jim Smith, “Palffy to Miss All- Star Game,” Newsday, January 15, 1997, A62.
110. “25 Years of Hockey . . . One Magical Weekend,” Newsday, February 14, 1997, A82.
111. Never Say Die; Fischler and Botta, Pride and Passion, 234.
112. Smith, “Palffy to Miss All- Star Game.”
113. Di Fiore, telephone interview.
114. Paul Kruse, telephone interview with the author, September 11, 2015.
115. Di Fiore, telephone interview.
116. Beach, telephone interview.
117. Ray Weiss, “It’s No Laughing Matter,” Gannett Suburban, January 1997.
A clipping, provided by Di Fiore, does not include the exact date or page number.
118. Di Fiore, telephone interview.
119. John Valenti, “Former Isles Doctor to Sue for Unpaid Fees,” Newsday, October 31, 1996, A81; Valenti, “Raked by Leafs.”
120. John Valenti, “Isles Not Making a Case for Playoffs,” Newsday, January 12, 1997, B11.
121. John Valenti, “An Icy Reception,” Newsday, January 21, 1997, A61.
122. Kruse, telephone interview.
123. Valenti, “An Icy Reception.”
124. John Valenti, “No Time for Waffling,” Newsday, January 24, 1997, A72.
125. John Valenti, “Milbury Gives One Job Back,” Newsday, January 25, 1997, A38.
126. Jeff Williams, “Resignation a Big Bonus for Bowness,” Newsday, January 25, 1997, A39, A37.
127. Plante, telephone interview.
128. John Valenti, “King’s 3 Makes Bowness a Winner,” Newsday, January 25, 1997, A39.
129. Jason Diamos, “Isles Look Defenseless against Amonte,” New York Times, March 17, 1997, C10.
252
NOTES TO PAGES 164–168
130. John Valenti, “Doug Pitches In,” Newsday, February 27, 1997, A82.
131. Green, telephone interview; “Wacky Goal Celebration: Ziggy Palffy Plants a Kiss,” YouTube video, from the New Jersey Devils– New York Islanders game televised by SportsChannel on February 26, 1997, posted by “NHL,” October 7, 2013, https:// www .youtube .com /watch
?v = DZLOGhlrOI4; Chris Stevenson, “Puck- er Up for Palffy and Green,”
Ottawa Sun, February 28, 1997, http:// jesgolbez .blogspot .com /2006 /02
/kiss -is -just -kiss -right .html.
132. Jeff Williams, “Isles Deal Veterans King and McInnis,” Newsday, March 19, 1997, A72.
133. Chris Botta, “One on One with Robert Reichel,” Blade, April 5– 11, 1997, 5– 7.
134. John Valenti, “Welcome Addition,” Newsday, March 20, 1997, A96.
135. Robert Reichel, telephone interview with the author, September 20, 2015; Jeff Williams, “Isles Are Closing In,” Newsday, March 30, 1997, B7.
136. Smolinski, telephone interview; Jason Diamos, “Islanders Are Making a Serious Playoff Run,” New York Times, March 30, 1997, S13.
137. Jim Smith, “It’s Over Time,” Newsday, April 10, 1997, A96.
138. Jim Smith, “Low- Pressure Eruption,” Newsday, April 12, 1997, A34.
139. John Valenti, “Palffy Doesn’t Score 50,” Newsday, April 13, 1997, B8.
140. “Islanders Team Store Super Sale,” Newsday, May 9, 1997, A64.
141. John Valenti, “Honored Defense,” Newsday, June 20, 1997, A84.
142. Valenti, “Palffy Doesn’t Score 50.”
7. FROM SAVIOR TO DEVIL
1. Jim Smith, “Sale of Isles to Spano Approved,” Newsday, February 25, 1997, A78;
Jim Smith, “Spano Intends to Keep Milbury,” Newsday, May 17, 1997, A38.
2. Joseph Demma, John Valenti, and John Riley, “Artless Dodger,” Newsday, July 3, 1997, A3, A88.
3. Croke, telephone interview.
4. Croke, telephone interview.
5.
“Big
Shot.”
6. Croke, telephone interview.
7. Fichaud, telephone interview.
8. John Valenti, “Owning Isles Is Not a Lark,” Newsday, June 15, 1997, B14.
9. Alexander Wolff, “Busted,” Sports Illustrated, August 4, 1997, 44– 49.
253
NOTES TO PAGES 168–174
10. Croke, telephone interview.
11.
“Big
Shot.”
12. Frank Litsky, “Spano Accepts Guilty Plea Agreement,” New York Times, October 8, 1997, C2.
13. Ford Fessenden et al., “They Knew Him Back When,” Newsday, July 13, 1997.
14. Fessenden et al., “They Knew Him Back When.”
15. Steve Zipay, “Process to Take Months,” Newsday, September 13, 1997, A41.
16. John Valenti, “Spano Returns Islanders to Pickett,” Newsday, July 12, 1997, A5, A15.
17.
Wolff,
“Busted.”
18. John Valenti, “Hogue’s Goal Drops Islanders,” Newsday, April 4, 1997, A81.
19.
Wolff,
“Busted.”
20. Smolinski, telephone interview.
21. Demma, Valenti, and Riley, “Artless Dodger.”
22.
“Big
Shot.”
23. Demma, Valenti, and Riley, “Artless Dodger.”
24. Demma, Valenti, and Riley, “Artless Dodger.”
25.
Fischler,
interview.
26. “Ownership of Islanders in Dispute,” Newsday, June 30, 1997, A4, A30.
27. Demma, Valenti, and Riley, “Artless Dodger”; Joe Gergen, “Isles Left in Dark,” Newsday, July 8, 1997, A53.
28. Valenti, “Spano Returns Islanders to Pickett.”
29.
Wolff,
“Busted.”
30. Richard Sandomir, “Fraud in Spano’s Isles Deal, Prosecutors Say,”
New York Times, July 24, 1997, B9.
31.
Wolff,
We Want Fish Sticks Page 32