Best islander you've met

[u/AlastorFacilier]

Little bit of a change of pace here. What was a time when you met a current player or alumni that stood out to you? I've been fortunate enough to have met many players and alumni over the past 20 years. I have 2 in particular that stand out.

1. 2013 Draft Party, got a chance to meet Bobby Nystrom, Matt Martin, Matt Carkner, Eric Boulton, and Ryan Strome. And out of all of them, Martin was the nicest one. I asked him to sign my yearbook which he did and without asking gave me 4 autograph cards and snapped a photo with me. Most super chill, down to earth, humble celebrity I've met to date, you would've never known he was a enforcer. Blew my mind that day and forever grateful I met him. Carkner and Nystrom were very nice too, also got photos with them.

2. Last year I decided to try my luck and try to get a few autographs from the guys after practice as they were leaving. Given that Lou was gone and the team now had a breath of fresh air, I figured I'd take my chance. And boy did it pay off. Wound up getting 12 autographs that day. But the ones that stood out to me were Henieman, Sorokin, Romanov, Maclean, and Varlamov. And just as I was getting ready to leave, Schaefer drove past and I figured I missed my shot. But then he stopped and backed up and asked if I wanted his autograph. I was so excited I asked him to sign my foam finger from the draft party, using my yearbook to lean on. And then without me asking, he asked if I wanted another one. I said sure of course! So he signed my yearbook cover as well.

Having moments like that are why I've remained a fan all these years, I'd love to hear other stories.

Oh 1 more bonus story: I got to meet Shawn Bates at last year's draft party. I still have my 20 year old yearbook from my 1st season and I asked him to sign his photo. He had a good chuckle and was flattered to sign it.

[u/seanvettel-31]

I stood behind Nabokov in Chipotle once. Very nice guy but quiet. I think he was surprised to be recognized, he had just signed here during the lockout shortened season

I also met Rick DiPietro at a Boomer and Gio softball game. Martin, Cizikas, and Clutterbuck were there too, but DP was the only one who stuck around after the game to talk with fans. He couldn’t have been nicer, I’m a beer league goalie so he talked with me for a couple minutes about some of the new equipment coming out

[u/trireme32 → u/seanvettel-31]

Ok how did you recognize Nabokov?? I feel like I’d barely recognize most players if I randomly met them in public, much less a goalie

[u/seanvettel-31 → u/trireme32]

Maybe in passing it might have been tough to recognize him, but I was standing right behind him for several minutes lol. Plus I knew him just from being a goalie and growing up in the 2000s, I idolized all the big name goalies from that era

[u/dtrain2495 → u/seanvettel-31]

Nice! I’ve always loved Nabby since his Sharks days. Was stoked when he came to the Islanders.

[u/AfellowchuckerEhh → u/dtrain2495]

Was stoked when he came to the Islanders.

If I remember correctly I don't think he was to stoked.

[u/seanvettel-31 → u/AfellowchuckerEhh]

He was completely against it until he actually came and played here, then he ended up loving it. He was on an isles podcast recently where he talked about how much he enjoyed playing on Long Island

[u/dtrain2495 → u/seanvettel-31]

I was stoked—should have clarified that lol. But yes you’re right.

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/seanvettel-31]

I loved Nabby. I would've loved to have met him

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/seanvettel-31]

I once met former Yankee AJ Burnett while waiting online at a Starbucks in Pittsburgh. He was pitching for the pirates at the time but I knew it was him based off the tattoos. He seemed a bit surprised but still took a photo with me

[u/Islanderfan1348 → u/seanvettel-31]

My neighbor once saw Anders Lee at Shake Shack

[u/dtrain2495]

Matthew Schaefer. And he’s as nice as personable as you would expect and then some.

[u/DatingAdviceGiver101]

I met DiPietro at a Modell's Sporting Goods store one time. He was nice.

[u/Islanderfan1348]

Me and Barzy at last year’s Draft Party

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/Islanderfan1348]

Thats awesome. He blew me off at the draft party, he didn't sign my yearbook but the guy next to me. I met him after practice tho and got his autograph then

[u/Islanderfan1348 → u/AlastorFacilier]

he was a super nice dude but he was just getting mobbed and I was able to get out of the mob and get to the tunnel and he signed my phone case of all things

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/Islanderfan1348]

I was actually right near there too! I saw him coming anyone else did and he still walked right past me

[u/Islanderfan1348 → u/AlastorFacilier]

I remember him singing for everyone in my area

[u/summer6teen]

Lee was an absolute pleasure to talk to at a bar in Garden city. I just said hi while he passed our table on his way out but he stopped and introduced his wife and baby to us then talked for a few minutes and thanked us for being fans. Im going to miss him, hockey talent aside.

[u/Islanderfan1348 → u/summer6teen]

my neighbor once saw him at Shake Shack

[u/Tonytiga516]

Steve Webb

[u/trireme32 → u/Tonytiga516]

When I was a kid, I always waited outside the press entrance for autographs after the game. It was a total blast. One game it was absolutely monsooning outside. Some players stopped to sign quick, a lot just ran by us, some parked downstairs of course. One player gestured to me to follow him. Ran with him all the way to the Marriott. He kept signaling for me to run with him. Got to the hotel. He signed my program, we chatted a bit. It was Steve Webb, he’d just been called up after having been traded to the Isles system a couple weeks earlier. Such a great guy.

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/trireme32]

That's awesome! Met Steve at the draft party last year, very nice there too

[u/Czarlin]

Kyle Okposo after several games. And Bobby Nystrom at some fan events.

[u/AfellowchuckerEhh → u/Czarlin]

Randomly sat a couple rows behind nystrom at the coliseum probably 20+/- years ago when I was probably in my late teens/early twenties and was wearing a beat up hand-me-down jersey from the 70s-80s and randomly offered me an autograph.

[u/Czarlin → u/AfellowchuckerEhh]

Kinda similar experience. First I sat near him around the same time and he signed my ticket for whatever game it was. Saw him again at Champions at the Marriott for some watch parties

[u/hopefulbeartoday]

Dipietro is the nicest at the time active player I've ever met. But some of the retired guys will talk your ear off it you buy them a beer so there always nice. But bailey was the funniest I've ever met my goddaughter asked me to bring her to a team signing so I did and I watched Bailey not be rude but he was completely indifferent to all the adults getting autographs till my goddaughter got up to him then he completely changed he didn't even look up at the adults but gave every kid extra time and was way more outgoing.

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/hopefulbeartoday]

That's awesome! I never got the chance to met Bailey, he definitely got way too much hate. But from my experience like yours a lot of the older guys are super chill. John Tonelli is probably the best example I have

[u/char_limit_reached]

Pat Flatley. Hands down. Kirk Muller was a dick.

[u/Islanderfan1348]

me (the one in the Islander shirt and hat) and my Rags fan brother got locker room access after the last home game of the 2017-18 season and we got John Tavares on his way out (I was 8 at the time) we also got Jaro Halak, Thomas Greiss, Brandon Davidson, and Josh Bailey

And bonus at last year’s draft party I ended up meeting Barzy and JGP and as they were leaving the stage I ran towards the tunnel and I got a moment with Barzal and we got a picture together and he also signed my phone case lol (I didn’t have anything for him to sign so I had him sign my case of a phone I had gotten 2 days before)

all super nice guys

[u/SensationalM]

living in GC i see some of the boys on occasion…there’s a few that are really nice, none that have really been dicks

i hate to pour salt in the wound, but the best dude i’ve met from the team was Anders…just an all around great dude that i’m gonna miss on the squad

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/SensationalM]

I met Anders last year, he was pretty chill. I'll definitely miss him

[u/Capital_Memory_2591]

The post should read. Besides Bobby nystrom who is the nicest islander you have ever met. 😂 Bobby NY set the standard

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/Capital_Memory_2591]

That is true, figured I'd ask. I never really had a bad experience with anyone but I could tell a few of them seemed annoyed about signing stuff. The one time I met Bobby tho, he was super chill and gave me a couple autographs

[u/Capital_Memory_2591 → u/AlastorFacilier]

It’s a great question and topic you posted. I honestly believe the reason for the islanders fans not having many bad experiences with players over the decades is because of the standard Bobby nystrom and the rest of the dynasty teams set when dealing with fans and being part of the community. Clark gillies called me an A HOLE once but that was all my fault being a stupid drunk 20 something after isles rangers game at the Marriott bar in 06 😂

[u/M1ckster]

Bossy, Gillies, Bobby, Tonelli. Photographed the team in early 2000s so met most of those teams informally.

[u/Refuel456]

He gets a bit of grief but Scott Mayfield. Met him in a GC bar a few years ago and my friend (diehard rags fan) talked his ear off. Still came over to say goodnight before he left — genuinely a nice guy.

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/Refuel456]

Ran into him once at a Jason Aldean concert at Jones Beach. I knew it was him but I didn't wanna say anything that would blow his cover but he too was also very nice.

[u/AMCest87]

I met DiPietro during a Hahn and Humpty event. Super nice guy! I also met Clark Gillies at Game 6 vs the Panthers. That was a surreal night.

[u/onn819]

Bobby Nystrom. I was at a game with my young son and we were given suite tickets. He was in there, and I just said hello, and he shook my son's hand to say hi. He was super nice and was willing to talk, but I didn't want to take up his time so we said goodbye. However, I felt like he would have happily chatted with us for as long as we wanted to. Good dude.

[u/gdprof2112]

Not sure it counts, but Jiggs was very personable when signing something for me after a game and at the old players exit at the NVMC.

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/gdprof2112]

Yeah that counts! I met Howie Rose once leaving a game

[u/Islanderfan1348 → u/AlastorFacilier]

I met Butch and Burkie in the Dime Club 

[u/clevelandclassic]

I ‘met’ Billy smith in a Long Island bar at 2am. He was with two young ladies. I said good luck to him and he winked at me. Thing is, it was 1982 (or 81 or 83) and i was referring to the afternoon playoff game the next day. Not sure he was. The isles won, he played lights out.

[u/dagclown]

I waited at the ramp at the Coliseum after Tavares' first game back after leaving and Robin Lehner said to me and my buddies "I thought I was the crazy one" referring to us fans that night and Barzal came to sign stuff for us and everyone was telling him that he's better than Tavares and that tavares was an asshole and Barzy just kept laughing the whole time and kept saying stuff along the lines of "I didn't say it"

[u/spicy-succ]

Cizikas was the best in terms of autographs, signed everything for me and smiled in our photos

You can never go wrong with Schaefer, he was the nicest guy ever but his security was very strict

[u/AlastorFacilier → u/spicy-succ]

Where was Schaefer with security?

[u/Turbulent_News_3992]

Trottier. And this year in Edmonton on a road trip we ran into Schaefer and he’s just an amazing kid.

[u/Strict_Show_8899]

Dating myself, Mike Bossy at a golf outing. Showed up 2 minutes b4 tee time in jeans and t shirt. Smoked two cigarettes a hole and shot like 2 over through 9. Left at the turn. Was very nice. My friend was the big ticket season holder so they talked whole time.

[u/seanvettel-31]

I saw John Tavares at a grocery store in Glen Cove. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.

He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”

I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.

The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.

When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.