Rosen performs 'Make It Through' to help Sophia's Cure

Original Article Written by me on March 26, 2011, published by the New York Islanders Official Website

At 17 years of age, most teenagers are enjoying their last few years of being a teenager.

But not Robbie Rosen. At 17 years of age, Rosen, a Merrick native, has experienced something that many can only dream about. Rosen set out to become a contestant on American Idol this past summer and he did so well, he made it all the way to the final 16 contestants.

Now, back on Long Island, the New York Islanders invited him to sing a song that he wrote specifically for a two-year old with a terminal illness. On Saturday, March 26, 2011 during the second intermission of the Islanders-Philadelphia Flyers game, Rosen sang his new song “Make it Through” for his new inspiration, Sophia Gaynor. He also signed autographs for Islanders fans on the concourse.

Gaynor, who turned two years old on February 27, suffers from the most aggressive form (Type 1) of SMA, Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

According to SophiasCure.com, “SMA is the leading genetic killer of children under the age of two. It is a terminal, degenerative disease that takes away a child’s ability to walk, stand, sit, eat, breathe and even swallow. It is usually inherited as an autosomal recessive trait (a person must get the defective gene from both parents to be affected).”

Rosen was excited to sing his new song tonight for his new inspiration.

“I had the most fun of my life on American Idol; it was an amazing experience and atmosphere. I was asked to do something for Sophia and I was happy to offer my music. Her story really touched my heart and I wrote this song for her in two days. I [couldn’t] wait to sing it tonight,” Rosen said. 

Performing for this cause is something Rosen said he was proud to do.

“This [was] a very special night for me because being a part of a competition is so different than something like this. I’m really supporting something so special. I’m trying to save this girl’s life and it is really different than singing in a competition with other singers. This is a totally different feel, I love those emotional songs and this is one of them,” Rosen said.

Nerves were not an issue for Rosen, and he didn’t believe it was any more difficult to put on his performance as it was to perform on stage in front of millions of Americans. “The stage is like my home, I [wasn’t] nervous at all. I love this and I love influencing people with my music,” Rosen said.

Rosen isn’t just a singer though; he is also an AP Honors student with an A+ average at Calhoun High School. He was selected to All-State vocal jazz and he has been “playing baseball my whole life.” He was voted All-County as a third baseman and switch hitter for Calhoun. “Sports and music are my two biggest things,” Rosen said.

Sophia Gaynor might be fighting for her life at the young, ripe age of two, but Rosen’s song lets her know she isn’t in it by herself. “I wrote this song to say ‘together we will be behind Sophia and we will make it through no matter what it takes to do it. She will make it through,’” Rosen said.

Camp Anchor Remembers Lost Counselors

Original Article Written by me on January 15, 2011, published by the New York Islanders Official Website

If you ask anyone what the most important aspect to any successful organization is, they would probably tell you one word: teamwork. Its importance can never be understated and in the case of Mike Mulhall, Paige Malone and Jamie Malone, their teamwork with Camp Anchor was a big reason for the success of that organization. The camp’s name is an acronym for Answering the Needs of Citizens with Handicaps through Organized Recreation.

The Malone sisters and Mulhall had been working with Camp Anchor, a year-round recreation social program for children and adults with special needs supported by the town of Hempstead, N.Y., since they were about 14 years old. They worked there until their lives were tragically taken last July 15 in a horrific car accident while on their way to help the children who they loved to spend their summers with.

“Everyone loved Mike so much, he was the greatest guy,” said the camp’s coordinator Joe Lentini. “It was a tremendous loss losing him. Not only was he a co-worker, but also he was a friend to so many people. For us he was like one of our kids. He had been working for us since he was 14 as a volunteer and through college too. He just graduated college and became a specialist at the camp. Jamie and Paige were similar situations, had worked there for many years.”

Camp Anchor runs year-round, and during the school year they run programs every day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. including weekends. During the summer they have a six-week summer day camp in Lido Beach, N.Y., where the kids are transported to from all parts of the town of Hempstead. They have an array of recreational activities during a seven period day that include art, music, sports, fitness, and aquatics with help from their convenient beach side location. The camp gives the parents a rest from the difficult task of raising their children and it gives kids a social outlet.

Mulhall didn’t only give his love to these kids; he also shared it with his love for the New York Islanders, his favorite team. When the Islanders heard about this, it prompted the team to host a Mike Mulhall Night for Thursday night’s contest against the Ottawa Senators to honor his life.
   
“Mike would’ve loved it,” Lentini said. “Any opportunity to honor them, show them they’re still with us and we think about them all the time is a good thing. We are at the part of the mourning stages of celebrating their lives. That is the reason this night was so important for the camp.”

They wanted to be able to bring everyone together to honor Mulhall, who played college hockey at the University of Scranton, and they couldn’t think of a better way to do so than at the arena of his favorite hockey team. Most of Mulhall’s very large family was in attendance for the event, as well as many of the Camp Anchor staff and participants. “It means a lot for all of us to come together to honor him,” Lentini said.

On Thursday night, the Camp Anchor team stationed themselves on the concourse in hopes of garnering the attention of other Islander fans to ask them to donate money to the Anchor Building Fund, a non-profit organization raising money to build a recreation center at the camp facility. The parents and Rotary District 7250 have raised $1 million and the Town of Hempstead is chipping in $6 million, leaving Camp Anchor close to the amount they need to start building the recreation center. The building will include a gym, stage, kitchen, dining area, computer room, handicapped accessible toilets, and many other essentials.

The camp needs this building to further their cause of helping these special needs people and to give them the full experience. During the school year they have to rent space from schools and, as a result, have to work around that school’s schedule, but when there is an event at that school, the camp has to look elsewhere for their activities. It is becoming increasingly difficult to transport the kids at a moment’s notice.

The summer weather also causes some concern. When the weather is dangerous, the kids can be transported to the movie theaters or on field trips, but only if the camp knows in advance about incoming inclement weather. If the weather changes rapidly, it is very difficult to get the kids out, leaving a very precarious situation for everyone involved.

“We never get enough space for what our needs are because we are so big,” Lentini said. “We really need our own recreation center and we’ve been fundraising for that for the last three years. The center will be named after Paige, Jamie and Mike.”

The camp will do anything to keep the memory of these prized individuals alive. “We did scholarships through fundraising in their name and the building will be named after them. Anything we can do to move forward with that is a great thing and this is a night that can help make that happen,” Lentini stated.

The New York Islanders work with groups and foundations such as Camp Anchor to give them the exposure necessary to raise enough money and to make others aware of the needs of these people. If you would like to make a donation to help get this recreation center started, you can forward any check to:

Rotary District 7250 Foundation
Att: Anchor Program
P.O. Box 202
Glen Head, NY 11545

or

Camp Anchor Parent Association
630 Lido Beach
Lido Beach, NY 11561

Thrashers Grab Schremp Off Waivers

Former New York Islanders forward Rob Schremp was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Thrashers today. 

Schremp, a former first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers and New York native, had 10 goals and 12 assists in 45 games played with the Islanders this season.

The Islanders placed Schremp on waivers on Friday after being unhappy with the forward's offensive output on the season, but because of the weekend waiver rules that don't enable a player to be claimed over the weekend, Schremp was in the lineup on Saturday night against the Washington Capitals.

Schremp is quick and has fantastic hands. He is smooth around the net and is a crisp passer. Unfortunately, he was unable to translate that to the expected great success scouts thought he would be out of the draft.

On a personal note, I will miss the guy. He is one of the funniest people in the NHL and a great personality in the locker room that loved going to battle for his teammates and his teammates loved him.

I understand hockey is a business and from a business stand point this needed to be done, but I am genuinely upset by this today.

He worked very hard every day and, although he battled a knee and back injury in his two years on Long Island, he battled every night. He is a good friend and I will miss him. Good luck in HotLanta Schrempy!

Martin Will Not Play First Spring Game

If you're one of those Yankees fans that was worried when the Yankees signed Russell Martin to be their starting catcher because of his long, but recent, injury history, you should be just that, concerned.

No, actually you shouldn't be very concerned, but at first glance you have every right to be.

I read the headline that Martin would miss the first spring game because of his ongoing recovery from offseason knee surgery and I immediately said "oh great, here we go." But then I read on and discovered that it is just precautionary and just part of the recovery process that Martin is going through.

"I don't think he's quite ready to go and I'm not going to rush him,'' manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. "He still talks about [his knee] doesn't quite feel the same as it did before. I told him, I want to know when you're 100 percent. Because I don't want any setbacks with him. When I put him in, I want him to be ready to go.''

The 28-year-old Martin passed a physical before signing a one-year, $4 million contract in December to replace Jorge Posada behind the plate. But within a matter of days, it was announced he would undergo surgery to repair "a small meniscus tear'' in his right knee, the same surgery both Posada and CC Sabathia underwent in the offseason.

At the time, general manager Brian Cashman said, "It's not a serious surgery at all,'' that Martin's recovery would take two to three weeks and that the catcher would be "back to normal within a month.''

But now, nine weeks after the surgery, Martin is still feeling discomfort. Worse, on Wednesday, he added three ominous letters to the mix: MCL, as in medial collateral ligament.

"I injured my MCL in the offseason,'' Martin said. "But the surgery wasn't for the MCL, it was for the meniscus. When they looked at my knee they saw that I had a meniscus issue as well, so in the time it would take for the MCL to heal, the surgery would heal, so they might as well do it. It was just a prevention type thing.''

Whatever the real extent of the injury, it has so far prevented Martin from participating in the full range of catching drills -- he has not taken part in blocking drills yet -- and will keep him out of the first spring training game at least.

Coupled with the injuries that marred his 2010 season with the Dodgers -- Martin tore his right hip labrum on a slide last August -- it raises the possibility that Posada -- penciled in as the full-time designated hitter for this year -- may still have use for his catching gear after all.

Girardi refused to say who would catch on Saturday -- Francisco Cervelli, last year's backup, and rookie Jesus Montero are the likely choices -- but Posada put the gear on for the first time Wednesday and is scheduled to catch his first bullpen of the spring on Thursday.

"We're just keeping Jorge's catching skills sharp,'' Girardi said.

Girardi said he was not sure when Martin would be well enough to catch in a game.

"I hope it's just three or four days, but if it takes more, it takes more,'' he said.

"It's still a little bit stiff, it's not 100 percent yet,'' Martin said. "But how it felt the first day compared to now the progression has been really good. This is more a conservative-type thing, to make sure I will be ready. Instead of getting started too early and having a setback and missing the early part of the season, which I do not want to do. I want to be out there from Day 1."

Let's be realistic here and don't over react. Martin will be fine and behind the dish when Opening Day 2011 comes around 35 days from now.

He is coming off knee surgery. Yeah, it was a minor surgery, but people rehab differently than other people and just because Sabathia and Posada are fine now, doesn't mean Martin is 100% yet.

Once you go under the knife once, you are never the same again, no matter how minor the surgery is. If Martin can get back his hitting ability, which I really think he can with Kevin Long as his hitting coach, he will be a huge asset in the No. 9 hole in the Yanks lineup.

Don't read much into this, folks. Martin will be fine.

Islanders Keep Taking Hits, Poulin Now Out for Season Too

Rick DiPietro has already been knocked out of action -- literally -- and now the New York Islanders have lost their backup goalie.

Kevin Poulin dislocated his left knee cap and will require surgery that will keep him out for the remainder of the season, the team announced on Wednesday.

Poulin hurt himself in warmups before the Isles' 5-3 loss to the Maple Leafs Tuesday night. He left Nassau Coliseum on crutches and underwent an MRI Wednesday.

Mikko Koskinen was the emergency starter in the nets for New York.

The Islanders also announced that forward Jeremy Colliton has a rib injury that will keep him out two weeks.

DiPietro was decked by the Penguins' Brent Johnson in a rare goalie fight last week. He is out four to six weeks with facial fractures and knee swelling.

Is it just me or does this feel like 2008 all over again? But seriously, this is painful. Poulin hurt himself when he got his skate caught in a rut at the net in warm-ups before the game against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

Now the Isles get to see just what they got when they drafted Koskinen in the beginning of the second round in the 2009 Amateur Draft, let's see what the kid has. If his play in Bridgeport is any indication of what things might be like in the NHL, then Koskinen could be in for a wake up call.

DiPietro Out 4-6 Weeks with Broken Face

It went from embarrassing to serious very quickly for Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro, who announced Friday he will miss 4-6 weeks because of numerous facial fractures resulting from a punch he took from Penguins goalie Brent Johnson during Wednesday’s 3-0 loss in Pittsburgh. DiPietro lost the fight to Johnson after that one punch to his cheek.

To watch the fight, click here.

On top of that, there’s swelling again in DiPietro's surgically repaired left knee, which very much puts in jeopardy the rest of the beleaguered netminder’s season.

“It’s unfortunate and frustrating and every other emotion you can throw in there,” DiPietro said at the Coliseum while in street clothes. “You don’t ever want a broken face to be the reason for extra rest, but you keep telling yourself everything happens for a reason. I’m not sure what that reason is yet, but I’m sure at some point it will come to the surface and make when we win the Stanley Cup that much sweeter.”

The original X-rays taken on DiPietro’s face in Pittsburgh came back negative, but upon returning to New York, the CT scan showed multiple fractures.

“I can’t sit here and tell you how long it’s going to take my bones to heal,” DiPietro added, “but I’ll drink a lot of milk and say a lot of prayers and hopefully this thing heals up quick.”

DiPietro has a 7-10-4 record with a 3.36 goals-against average and .890 save percentage in 21 games this season.

I don't even know what to say. I hope he heals quick because Ricky is the nicest guy and deserves better. He works so hard and is the ultimate teammate. Hopefully he comes back in top shape and can stay healthy for the future.

Sanchez Will Not Need Shoulder Surgery

Mark Sanchez ended several weeks of speculation about his injured throwing shoulder, delivering a final verdict Thursday night -- no surgery.

The New York Jets quarterback, who underwent an MRI exam the day after the AFC Championship Game, said he received the news this week from Jets doctor Ken Montgomery, who consulted with shoulder specialists.

Sanchez said he was "absolutely" relieved to hear the news; the last thing he wanted was another offseason of rehabilitation. A year ago, he spent most of the offseason rehabbing from knee surgery.

"They were just really pleased with the way things have healed," Sanchez told five reporters before a promotional appearance at a resort hotel. "The swelling and bruising type stuff is gone, so they're really happy about that. ... That's good news."

Sanchez is planning to have one more shoulder exam with the team doctor before March 3, the day before a possible lockout would begin. In the meantime, he said the doctors prescribed "active rest," meaning a regimen of rehab exercises and stretching. He threw lightly earlier this week.

"[Montgomery] said it's not going to be a sit-around-and-see-how-you-feel-in-August-type thing," said Sanchez, relaxed and in good spirits. "I said of course not. I'm committed to the team, number one. I'll do everything I can mentally and physically to be ready to play, and I know I will."

Sanchez hurt his shoulder Dec. 19 at Pittsburgh, although he never missed a play. He underwent an MRI exam the following day. For the remainder of the season, the team referred to it as a "sore" shoulder.

Sanchez battled through the injury for the next five games, including three postseason starts. He admitted "it was painful, but nothing I couldn't handle." He was limited in practice, but he actually played well with the injury. He said he didn't take any painkilling injections.

With a possible lockout looming, Sanchez said he will look to organize informal workouts with teammates, perhaps a reprisal of the "Jets West" camp he hosted last offseason near his home in Southern California.

Sanchez arrived in the North Texas area for a whirlwind of pre-Super Bowl activities. He admitted it was weird to be so close to the Super Bowl site after falling one game short. He issued a quasi-guarantee for 2011.

"We expect to be right where we were, and one game further," he said, adding, "It was weird, just seeing the Super Bowl logo everywhere, seeing the Steelers' logo. It's like, 'Man, we were so close.'"

Cano Signs on as the Latest Boras Client

It just got that much harder to re-sign Robinson Cano once he is ready to become an unrestricted free agent. The Yankees All-Star second baseman has hired super agent Scott Boras as his agent, a source told ESPNdeportes.com.

The All-Star second baseman and Boras had a meeting Friday in San Pedro de Macoris, Cano's hometown, and they even played some ball before a crowd of onlookers.

Cano, who finished third in AL MVP voting for 2010, was previously represented by agent Bobby Barad.

In 2011 he will play the last year of his $30 million contract signed in 2008. New York has options for $10 million and $14 million in 2012 and 2013.

Cano, 28, has a .309 career batting average in six seasons with the Yankees. He hit .319 with 29 home runs, 41 doubles and 109 RBIs and scored 103 runs in 2010, receiving the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

Boras is known for being extremely demanding in negotiations and general managers often are scared away from signing top players because of that. Boras gets the very best for all of his clients and even though he may be tough to negotiate with, the Yankees will not let that get in the way of resigning their star second baseman in the future.

Andy Pettitte Hangs 'Em Up

Andy Pettitte, who has toyed with the idea of retirement since the 2006 offseason, has officially decided that his time has come and he will announce his retirement tomorrow during a press conference at Yankee Stadium.

Pettitte, baseball's all-time leader in postseason victories (19), flew to New York yesterday afternoon and is scheduled to make his announcement official Friday morning.

His decision, which the Yankees did not try to talk him out of, is another blow to the team's rotation, the first being when Cliff Lee chose to pitch for the Phillies.

The Core Four is down to three. Jorge Posada, moving from catcher to DH this season, is probably not going to be back in 2012. Mariano Rivera has two more years on his new deal, while Derek Jeter has three and an option for a fourth.

"It is just one more person gone from that special time in New York," said former Yankee warrior Paul O'Neill, who won four championships with Jeter, Pettitte and Rivera.

Pettitte added a fifth ring in 2009, but the Yankees now go into 2011 in an unfamiliar role -- they are not the favorites to win it all. In fact, they have a rotation short on sure things.

Even with Pettitte, the rotation had question marks; now the hole he leaves is gaping. As of now, Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett, Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre follow CC Sabathia.

General manager Brian Cashman, who did not return a call but is expected to attend today's news conference, said all winter he assumed Pettitte wasn't going to pitch in 2011. He brought in Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia in the last week on minor-league contracts to compete for a rotation spot.

Nova, 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in his career, is in position to win the Yankees' fourth starter spot. The fifth slot is up for grabs between Garcia, Colon and Mitre. The Yankees do feel they are stocked with potential starters in the minors, but the best of the best -- Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances -- are more likely to arrive in 2012 than 2011.

Cashman could add another past-his-prime guy like Kevin Millwood, but to really replace Pettitte, especially after failing to sign Cliff Lee, Cashman will likely need to practice patience. Still, the Yankees will be waiting to pounce on any top-of-the-line starter, via trade, that becomes available.

But although Pettitte had said he was leaning toward retirement, there was hope within the organization that he would return for a 17th season. After all, Pettitte had vacillated in previous years and decided to return each time. Hope increased when he recently began throwing at his home in Deer Park, Texas.

"I'm really sad that Andy is going to retire,'' said Posada, who caught Pettitte from 1995-2003 and 2007-10. "He was so much more than a teammate to me - he was one of my closest friends. I admire everything that he has accomplished as a Yankee, but Andy was someone who always put the team first. I'm going to miss him deeply."

Pettitte finishes his career 240-138 with a 3.88 ERA in 16 seasons - 13 with the Yankees - and likely will be remembered for his performances when the pressure was most intense. He went 19-10 in the postseason, winning all three series-clinching games in the Yankees' run to the 2009 World Series title.
His 203 victories as a Yankee trail only Whitey Ford (236) and Red Ruffing (231).

Pettitte was off to the best start of his career in 2010 - 11-2 with a 2.70 ERA - before suffering a groin injury in his first start after the All-Star break. It cost him nine weeks of the season, and he finished 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA. He then beat the Twins in Game 2 of the ALDS and lost Game 3 of the ALCS to Lee and the Rangers.

Instead - he said then and at other times when asked about it - his decision would come down to family. He and his wife, Laura, have three sons and a daughter.

"Those off-days get hard, trying to fly home to see your family for a day, 24 hours. That's a tough deal," Pettitte said in October. "The kids are getting to an age where I want to be home."

After this morning's news conference, Pettitte will head there, presumably for good.

Pettitte's retirement really comes as a shock to no one because he never has waited this long to decide in years past and when he walked out of the clubhouse after the Yankees series-clinching Game 6 loss to the Texas Rangers in the ALCS he told his teammates "I probably won't be back."

He is arguably the greatest clutch pitcher of all-time, but that is a debate for another time. His value to the team is often understated, just ask O'Neill. "He's going to be missed more as someone for the younger guys to lean on," O'Neill told ESPNNewYork.com. "He's going to be missed every fifth day, but I still think and feel Andy was the leader and lot of people didn't realize it."

"Usually, someone you consider a big-game pitcher has a fiery personality, but Andy was laid back until he took the mound," said O'Neill, now a Yankees broadcaster on YES. "He has been the staple of that pitching staff. Even with bigger names and everything, people looked to him. I think he is going to be missed in that respect as much as pitching the important games."

The Yankees right now have placeholders to fill in for Pettitte. A big-time, big-game starter is tougher to find. Especially one who might never have led the rotation, but was a leader in the clubhouse.

Freddy Garcia Signs with Yanks on Minor League Deal

Like I predicted, the Yankees added competition to their fight for the fifth starter's role as the signed former Mariner and White Sox pitcher Freddy Garcia to a minor league contract.

Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre are among the other candidates in the mix for spots in manager Joe Girardi's rotation. Garcia, Nova and Mitre will have to fight off challenges from recently acquired right-hander Bartolo Colon and several prospects the Yankees believe are nearly big league ready.

Garcia will receive a $1.5 million base salary if he makes the big league club. He can earn $3.6 million in possible incentives, topping out at 30 starts, according to a source. It also lets Garcia opt out by March 29, according to a report.

This move is a better signing and potentially more rewarding than the signing of Bartolo Colon but as the saying goes "the best of people come out when there is competition for their job." Garcia has fought through numerous shoulder injuries over the last few seasons, three to be exact.

He bounced back from three injury-interrupted seasons to pitch well for the White Sox last season. The Yankees got a close-up look at him when he threw seven impressive innings to beat them in Chicago on Aug. 27. Garcia also lost at Yankee Stadium in late April.

Garcia enjoyed successful, durable years early in his career with Seattle. He went 17-8 as a rookie in 1999 and was 18-6 with an American League-leading 3.05 ERA and 238 2/3 innings in 2001. He was an All-Star for Seattle in 2001 and 2002.

Garcia has the ability to be a lights out starter when he's on, but the problem is he isn't always on because of his ongoing shoulder injuries. Garcia's deal is a better deal for the Yankees than the Colon deal because Garcia is younger, weighs less and has a better repertoire than Colon does.

I think Garcia is possibly the best candidate to win the fifth starter's role because of his experience and his big-game ability. He has pitched in the postseason and has experience in a playoff run, as he was a part of the Mariners team that won 116 games in the 2001 season.

My prediction is that Freddy Garcia will be sticking around longer than Bartolo Colon will be this Spring Training.

Isles Re-up Moulson for Three More Years

Forget all the trade rumors of Matt Moulson going to the Boston Bruins. Forget the talk that the Islanders can't afford Moulson and that he doesn't want to stay on Long Island.

Why forget it, you may ask? Well, the Islanders have signed Moulson to a three-year contract extension worth $9.4 million that will kick in after this season.

Moulson, 27, has 29 points (17 goals, 12 assists) in 49 games this season in his second season with the Islanders.

Last year, the North York, ON, native led all Islanders in goals (30), while also establishing career highs in assists (18), points (48) and games played (82). Moulson has yet to miss a game through his two seasons with the Islanders, currently leading the team with 131 consecutive games played.

Moulson decided that the loyalty factor was a big deal and remained loyal to the team that gave him his first real shot in the NHL. Moulson is thrilled to remain on Long Island for the next three years, as he continuously stated that it was the place he wanted to be.

“I’m extremely excited to be a part of the team for the next three years,” Moulson said. “I love this organization. I love the guys that are a part of it. I’m just happy I’m not going anywhere.”

Signing the contract was extremely important to Moulson. It means he’ll get the opportunity to continue working with a team where he has built a strong bond.
 
“We’re a tight bunch of guys,” Moulson said. “We’re like a family. It’s tough to leave people like that. I love the fans, love the area. I love Long Island. So this is somewhere that I wanted to be, somewhere my wife wanted to be and we’re just extremely excited to be able to be here for the next three years.”

That closeness between the players is what makes this signing even more special. It's also that closeness that enables the guys to want to go to battle for each other every night. As players and teammates, they depend on each other to keep working hard to move the team in the right direction and to hopefully, in the not-to-distant future, bring the Stanley Cup back to Long Island.

“We want to win for each other,” Moulson said. “We’re like a family inside that locker room. Obviously winning is a lot more fun, but when it’s with guys you’re close with, it’s even more special. We’re never going to lose hope, we’re never going to stop working and I think we’re just growing closer and closer each day.”

Moulson being locked up is a great sign for an Islanders franchise that has an uncertain future. The team is in search for a new arena but have been unable to obtain one. Their lease with Nassau Coliseum runs out after the 2015 season.

Signing Moulson was so important for the Islanders because it shows Islanders faithful that their team is committed to keeping and developing their young star talents and that they will not be stopped when they want to pony up some cash for their young guns.

This also keeps their franchise face, John Tavares, very happy because it keeps the best friends together. Tavares and Moulson have been roommates and linemates since they both came to the Islanders and they have developed a chemistry that can't be understated.

With 33 games remaining in the season, Moulson now can put all his focus into setting a new career high in goals - he currently has 17 in 49 games. His previous career high was 30, set last season in Moulson's breakout campaign.

“Hopefully I can just be part of a group of guys that gets this team back into the win column and back in to the winning tradition of the Islanders,” Moulson said. “I’m just honored and thankful to be a part of that. We still have a lot of games to play this season. And I’ve worked on a lot of things to get wins this season. So every single day, for everyone on the team, hopefully we can just continue to grow and mature as players and as a team to develop something special.”

Now that Moulson will be on the Island through 2014, he will have that chance to bring the winning tradition back to Long Island.

Yankees Sign Bartolo Colon to Minor League Deal

So the Yankees decided they needed a new starting pitcher for their rotation. They have signed 38 year-old starting pitcher Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal. 

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Colon will earn $900K in the majors and has the right to be released if he isn't on the team after Spring Training.

Colon, 38 in May, last pitched in the majors for the 2009 White Sox. He started 12 games for Chicago and posted a 4.19 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 44.4% ground ball rate in 62 1/3 innings. Before that he pitched for the Red Sox, where he was effective for a seven-start stint in 2008. Colon's last standout season came in 2005, when he won the Cy Young Award for the Angels.

Colon, 37, didn't pitch in the majors last season. He last appeared in the majors in 12 games for the White Sox in 2009, going 3-6 with a 4.19 ERA.

In 13 major league seasons with the Indians, Montreal Expos, White Sox, Angels and Red Sox, Colon has a 153-103 record with a 4.10 ERA. He averages 7.0 strikeouts and 3.1 walks per game for his career.

The Yankees lost out on free-agent left-hander Cliff Lee, leaving the rotation thin behind CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett.

General manager Brian Cashman has said the team is searching for another starter, but he also has called the free-agent market, after Lee, a weak one.

I don't see Colon making the team out of Spring Training and I see the team signing other pitchers to fill the spot they are hoping Colon is able to fill himself. He is vastly overweight, very old and hasn't pitched a full season in the majors since 2005.

He also has numerous injuries that usually are the kiss of death for pitchers, and that's been proven right so far, such as shoulder and elbow injuries.

This signing is a security blanket for if they aren't able to sign anyone else and it's a great signing with no risks because if he doesn't make the team, he gets cut and not paid but if he makes the team and pitches well the Yankees get a fifth starter for $900,000.

My money is on him getting cut, though, as I said. We'll see once Spring Training finishes up at the end of March.

Isles Suspend Nabokov After He Fails to Report

The New York Islanders have suspended recently claimed goalie, Evgeni Nabokov, for failing to report to the team. The 35-year-old goaltender signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on Jan 20.

As per the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, if a player claimed off waivers in this situation does not report to the team he was claimed by, he will not be permitted to play for another team in the NHL that season.

Nabokov’s agent, Don Meehan, never contacted the Islanders to request the professional courtesy of not claiming the goalie off the waiver wire. There were no calls to suggest that Nabokov would not report to the Islanders if they selected him. There was only word, sent out via the national hockey media, that Nabakov wanted the opportunity to be a No. 1 goaltender somewhere.

So the Islanders, with one injured goalie (Nathan Lawson), one still attempting a comeback (Rick DiPietro) and one top prospect better served in the minors (Kevin Poulin), claimed Nabokov. He did not report. Nabokov is within his rights to blow off the Islanders, but he could have handled this better.

Two other issues regarding Nabokov: calling a member of the media and taking a shot at a team - “I was like, ‘Wow, what’s the point”? he told Pierre Lebrun of ESPN about the NYI claiming him - before speaking with Garth Snow was bad form from a solid professional. Also, the goalie told Lebrun that he hasn’t skated in a while. He hasn’t played since November. He is 35. When, exactly, is he going to be ready to help the Islanders or any other NHL team? It’s almost February.

Of course, Nabokov has every chance to make it right should he decide to report to the Islanders this week.

Islanders Claim Evgeni Nabokov, Nabokov Not Reporting?

The Detroit Red Wings were desperate for a goaltender. They lost Chris Osgood for six to eight weeks with a sports hernia injury and starting goaltender Jimmy Howard has been out with a knee injury.

Their current starting goaltender, Joey MacDonald, is not exactly someone that comes with a lot of faith, just ask Islanders fans about his 2008-2009 horrid season with the team.

So with those thoughts in GM Ken Holland's mind, he set out to sign the best available goaltender on the market to alleviate the pain caused by the losses of Osgood and Howard by signing 35 year-old former Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov after he was released from his contract in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

The Red Wings signed Nabokov to a one year, $570,000 contract for the remainder of the season and the only thing between Nabokov officially signing with the Red Wings was him clearing waivers.

The rules of the waivers system are that Nabokov is offered to the other 29 NHL clubs (in reverse order of the standings) at the same price the Red Wings signed him for. If he clears waivers without another team claiming him, then he becomes property of the Red Wings.

The problem for the Red Wings is the New York Islanders have claimed the goaltender and he is now property of the Islanders.

Nabokov is a great fit for the Islanders because they have a glaring need in the net since they traded Dwayne Roloson on New Years Day. Since then, Rick DiPietro has been sidelined with a groin injury and the flu, Nathan Lawson has been shoddy in net and Kevin Poulin is only 20 years-old. The part that confuses many, though, is that the Islanders are in third-to-last place in the NHL, so why would they block the Red Wings like that?

That's not the part I am here to focus on, I am focusing on the effect this signing has on the other Islander goalies and how it helps Kevin Poulin.

With the signing of Nabokov, the Islanders have the capability to send Poulin back to the AHL to develop more, as many see him as the future netminder of the franchise. Poulin has held his own since being called up, but could use some more seasoning in the AHL. They can also send Lawson back to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers so he can back-up Poulin. The signing of Nabokov gives the Islanders the ability to keep Rick DiPietro healthy by splitting the starting duty between the two netminders.

The problem the Islanders now have, though, is Nabokov is refusing to report to the team.

As per the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, if a player claimed off waivers in this situation does not report to the team he was claimed by, he will not be permitted to play for another team in the NHL that season. Also per CBA rules, Nabokov cannot be used as an asset in a trade to another team, now that the Islanders have plucked him off the waiver wire after he signed a contract with Detroit.

If Nabokov fails to report the Isles have two options: they could suspend him for not reporting, but that probably won't accomplish much, or they could put him back on waivers. The latter option means the Wings -- and other NHL clubs -- now have a second shot at landing Nabokov.

Isles GM Garth Snow thinks Nabokov will, in fact, report. “They are making his jersey as we speak,” Snow said. “We have reserved a flight tomorrow for him to get to Long Island as soon as possible.

“Every thing is on the up-and-up,” Snow said. “I am waiting to speak to the player, but we have spoken to his agent Don Meehan and, as a veteran in this business he knows what is to come next.”

Islanders Trade Roloson to Lightning

First, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Now, onto the news. The Islanders have traded 41-year old goaltender Dwayne Roloson to the Tampa Bay Lightning for 22-year old defenseman Ty Wishart. Wishart will report to the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Wishart, 22, was the San Jose Sharks’ first round draft choice, 16th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by the Lightning in the deal that sent defenseman Dan Boyle to the Sharks. Currently in his third professional season, the 6’4”, 222-pound defenseman from Belleville, ON, has 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 31 games with the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League.

The Islanders’ newest defenseman has played in five career NHL games, all with Tampa Bay, and recorded one assist with an even rating. In 173 career AHL games with Norfolk and the Worcester Sharks, Wishart has 14 goals and 43 assists for 57 points. Before turning pro, Wishart played four years of junior hockey in the Western Hockey League with the Prince George Cougars and the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Roloson has a 6-13-1 record this season with a 2.64 goals against average (GAA) and a .916 save percentage. The Simcoe, ON, native has a 196-229-42-33 career record with a 2.64 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 532 NHL games. Roloson is just the 11th goaltender in NHL history to play a game after his 41st birthday.

This could turn out to be a good deal for the Islanders because long term, Wishart projects as a top pairing defenseman who plays a lot of minutes and who contributes at both ends of the ice.

Wishart has excellent size, is mobile and has the hockey sense to be a dominant defenseman. He possesses good offensive tools with a heavy shot and good vision in the offensive zone. He does not play the punishing game that is expected of a player of his size, but he is a skilled defender who knows how to use positioning and angles to his advantage. Wishart has continued to improve in two seasons at the AHL level and is on the cusp of being NHL-ready.

I am willing to bet that Wishart comes up to play full-time for the Islanders in a few weeks and when he does, he probably will play big minutes.