Listen to Greg Logan on HNLI Tomorrow at 3:30 PM!

Be sure to tune into a special guest event on Hockey Night on Long Island tomorrow, 3/28, at 3:30 PM EST as Steve and guest co-host Ken Rosenblatt (Islanders Outsider Blog, NYI Blog Box) will be joined by Greg Logan, the Islanders' Beat Writer for Newsday. We will talk with Greg about the Lighthouse Project, including Thursday's Educational Outreach meeting and of course New York Islanders hockey. They will look ahead to the remainder of the season and continue to preview the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal. As always, listeners are encouraged to call in, IM us and participate in the HNLI Chat Room during the show. Be sure to tune into what should be a great episode of HNLI tomorrow, 3/28, at 3:30 PM EST. To listen, click here.

Lighthouse Meeting Commentary

Just returned home from the Marriot and I am still trying to take in everything that was brought up at this evening's public forum on the Lighthouse project. For a complete recap of tonight's event (virtually speaker-by-speaker), check out Chris Botta's entry on Islanders Point Blank. As for my blog, just a few notes:

-Charles Wang proved tonight why he is such a successful businessman. He is one of the most charismatic people I have ever seen. His wit and humor made Charles seem just like a regular guy. During the Q and A portion of the evening, Wang told an anecdote about asking Mike Milbury when halftime was during his first game as the Islanders' owner. At another point, Charles Wang looked up in mock prayer at the mention of the first overall draft pick. There were half a dozen times when he had the room in stitches. Still, despite some comic relief, Wang showed his commitment to this project and gave the genuine impression of doing something great for Long Island.

-The crowd was overwhelmingly pro-lighthouse, almost affirming Kate Murray's stance that this was more of a pep rally than a constructive meeting. I happened to be seated next to the lone anti-lighthouse couple in the building. As Uniondale residents, the pair was extremely angered about the congestion and traffic that this type of development would create. At one point, the woman stood up and said that she "didn't want this in her backyard" to which an obnoxious lighthouse supporter yelled "LEAVE". I truly wish this couple had more of an opportunity to voice their opinions and weren't so severely outnumbered.

-All of the politicians who spoke were in favor of the project and basically said the same things. The representative for the district of Uniondale, Kevan Abrahams, was particularly insightful in his support of the project. He urged his constituents to express their concerns at this point so that they can be worked out and won't ultimately interfere with the big picture. He encouraged his residents to look at the project as the area's stimulus package and to think about the drastic effect that a vacant coliseum could have on property values in the area.

-There was a major focus throughout the night on how Long Island is "losing its future" in the sense that many Long Islanders between the ages of 24-34 are moving off the Island or not coming back to Long Island after going away for college. As a high school senior, I was particularly intrigued by this topic. Tom Suozzi asserted the fact that young people are looking elsewhere due to a lack of housing for rent on Long Island and that the residential area surrounding the Coliseum would be an optimal place for young people on Long Island. While I'm not sure where I will be after college, I certainly know that I would consider a development like the one proposed in the Lighthouse project.

-Overall, it was a very interesting night. I think many fans expected something huge to happen tonight, but I don't think we saw anyone drop a major bombshell. Suozzi told us bluntly that if the project doesn't happen that it would be nearly impossible for the team to continue playing the Coliseum, but I don't think this was really news. As far as a time frame goes, October seems to be the make or break month for approvals. Tom Suozzi said, however, that we should know by mid-April just how well things are progressing. Well.....lets cross our fingers.

Feel free to comment with any questions about the meeting or any commentary of your own

Come Support the Lighthouse

Make sure to be present at what Islanders Point Blank blogger Chris Botta is calling "the most important Islanders event of the decade". Charles Wang, Scott Rechler, and the rest of the Lighthouse Project team are holding a major meeting in support of the Lighthouse Project this Thursday at 7pm at the Marriott next to the Coliseum. This is sure to be a major event for the Lighthouse Project and there is a notion among Isles' fans that this Thursday is going to be much more than just a pep rally. Charles Wang just might have something up his sleeve. HNLI hosts Alex and Steve will be there Thursday night to catch all the action and you should be there too.

p.s. Be sure to check back here after the meeting for commentary and analysis.

HNLI Saturday with Lighthouse Hockey

Catch your weekly dose of Hockey Night on Long Island this Saturday at 3:30 PM EST. Hosts Alex and Steve will be joined by Dominik of Lighthouse Hockey for an hour choc' full of the latest happenings in Islander Country. The exciting agenda includes the new contract for Tim Jackman, the John Tavares sweepstakes, the big buzz surrounding the Lighthouse Project, the backup goaltender debate, and much more. You can also be a part of the HNLI team by calling in, shooting over an IM, or joining your fellow fans in the Hockey Night Chatroom. It is going to be an exciting bit of banter this weekend on Hockey Night on Long Island....don't miss it!

P.S. We'll make sure to have a bit of back-and-forth about March Madness and fill you in on just how busted our brackets are so far.

HNLI Game Chat & Post-Game Episode Saturday

Be sure to spend your Saturday afternoon with Hockey Night on Long Island as the Islanders take on the Boston Bruins in a 1 PM EST matinee.

GAME CHAT
While watching the game, be sure to log into the Hockey Night on Long Island chat room for Isles-Bruins banter throughout the entire game. Both HNLI hosts and listeners will be present and the discussion will be fast and furious. It should be fun so make sure you follow the instructions, make a listener account, and join the chatroom at 1 PM EST on Saturday.

HNLI On Air Post-Game
Immediately following the game (3:30 PM EST), hosts Alex and Steve will hit the airwaves for your weekly dose of Hockey Night on Long Island. Joining hosts Alex and Steve to recap the day's game and talk Bruins hockey is Matt Kalman of "The Bruins Blog". Matt is the Boston-area chairman of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and has followed the Bruins' beat for years. Needless to say, he should provide plenty of great insight.

In addition to talking about the day's game, the guys will cover all of the latest in Islanders country. The phone lines, IMs, and HNLI chatroom will all be open for you to give us your two cents, so be sure to interact with HNLI. HNLI Saturday is going to be a blast for Isles fans, so tune in right after the game for an hour of awesome hockey talk.

HNLI Follows Big Win with Youth, Tavares, and Lighthouse Chatter

Saturday's post-game episode of Hockey Night on Long Island was another awesome hour of puck talk as hosts Alex and Steve covered a wide array of topics. Aside from recapping the Islanders' 7-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils with John Fischer of "In Lou We Trust", the episode covered the recent NHL debuts of a few Islanders, the latest in the John Tavares sweepstakes, and a very informative Lighthouse Project discussion with Nick of "Let There Be Light(house)". If you missed any or all of Saturday's HNLI, be sure to check out the archive on the show page or search "Hockey Night on Long Island" in the iTunes music store to subscribe to the podcast.

HNLI At-A-Glance
-Hockey Night on Long Island will return to the airwaves on Saturday, March 14 at 3:30 PM EST following the Islanders' matinee against the Boston Bruins.

-The HNLI Chatroom will be open throughout that game against Boston for live banter throughout the game with both HNLI hosts and listeners. The game gets underway at 1 PM EST.

HNLI Post-Game Saturday

Be sure to tune into Hockey Night on Long Island this Saturday immediately following the Islanders' day game against the New Jersey Devils. HNLI will hit the airwaves at 4:30 PM EST for an hour of commentary, analysis, and banter regarding the game and everything new in Islanders Country, including the latest Lighthouse threats. Joining hosts Alex and Steve for some back-and-forth regarding the game will be John of the "In Lou We Trust" Devils blog. You can also give us your two cents on all of the day's topics via phone, IM, or the HNLI chatroom. So, be sure to tune into HNLI post-game at a special 4:30 time this Saturday!


Update: At 5:10 PM, we will be joined by Nick of Let There Be Light(house) blog to talk about all the news surrounding this project.

HNLI Deadline Coverage: The Aftermath

Despite it being a lighter trade deadline than in past years, this year's NHL Trade Deadline was an absolute blast. Hockey Night on Long Island covered a lot of the news as it broke for 90 minutes and it was an extremely fun episode for both hosts and listeners alike. If you missed it and still need to satisfy your fix for trade deadline analysis and commentary, feel free to check out the archive.

More analysis to come...but the highlight of deadline day hands down for me was Brian Burke's reaction when pressed for details on the Leafs' last unconfirmed trade of the day. I hope I can get a clip of that posted on this site very soon. Stay tuned.

THE GUERIN TRADE:
I received a comment on my facebook wall from a long-time HNLI listener asking my opinion on the Guerin trade and I thought it summed everything up pretty well:

Michael wrote at 4:02pm
Alex, don't you think you guys should've gotten a little more for Guerin? Maybe one more draft pick or even a prospect?

Alex wrote at 5:26pm
Well, considering all of the hype around Guerin being traded over the past few days I would've hoped for more, but quite frankly I think the Islanders got around fair market value. There was no way the Isles could take Guerin back after this saga and the relationship he has had with Gordon and his contract is soon to expire anyway. While it was a letdown compared to some of the other deals of the day and certainly compared to the hype that was surrounding Guerin over the weekend, I think Garth did what he had to do and got what could potentially become a third rounder.

Don't get me wrong...at first wind of this trade I was pretty frustrated, but after looking it over and seeing the climate of this year's deadline, it puts things into perspective.

Of course, all of us in Islander country now have added incentive to keep rooting for Bill Guerin as every win his new team gets brings the Isles one step closer to a Third Round draft pick.

Best Deadline Day:
In this salary cap era, teams generally tend to fall into one of two categories at the trade deadline. First, there are the buyers. These teams are trying to stock up for the playoff run by picking up the pieces that will put them in the league's upper strata. Then, there are the sellers. These teams, of course, are out of playoff contention or close to it and are stocking up on assets for the future (younger players, prospects, and draft picks). With that said, here are HNLI's deadline day standouts.

Best Buyer:
Alex's Pick: Calgary
Steve's Pick: Calgary

-Acquired Olli Jokinen
-Acquired Jordan Leopold

Best Seller:
Alex's Pick: Phoenix
-Sent Derek Morris to the Rangers for Kalinin, Dawes, and Prucha
-Sent Dennis Carcillo to Philadelphia for Upshall, 2nd Round Draft Pick

Steve's Pick: Colorado
-Sent Leopold to Calgary for Nycholat, Wilson, 2nd Round Draft Pick

HNLI Live Trade Deadline Coverage WEDNESDAY

This Wednesday at 3 PM EST marks the NHL trade deadline and one of the most exciting times on the sports calendar. Be sure to spend Deadline Day with Hockey Night on Long Island. Hosts Alex and Steve will hit the airwaves immediately following the deadline (3 PM SHARP) with all of the latest on the deals that went down, last minute information, and plenty of commentary and analysis. With trade talks surrounding several Islanders, including Bill Guerin, and many notable names around the league, it is sure to be one crazy hour of hockey talk.

Like always, HNLI invites you to join the Deadline Day banter via phone, IM, or the HNLI chatroom. So, when the clock strikes 3 on Wednesday afternoon, be sure to tune in to Hockey Night on Long Island!