New York Islanders: 3 players who are gone but not forgotten
These ex-New York Islanders are gone but not forgotten.
Every so often, when I think about the New York Islanders, I think about the players that came before this exciting team that has taken the ice the last couple of years.
Watching the team religiously in the mid-2000s, I was able to see some fantastic players, despite the team’s overall struggles. Over time, those players that I came to love came and went. Unfortunately, most of the players that did leave the island saw their careers fall apart following their departure.
Take a trip down memory lane with me as we take a look at three individuals that, for me at least, will always come to mind when I think of my childhood Islanders.
Rob Schremp
Known for his silky mitts, Rob Schremp was a spectacle anytime it was him against an opposing netminder. That came more often than not during the shootout. Despite playing just under 90 games for the Islanders from 2009-2011, he definitely left his mark with his creativity.
As you can see, he was deceptive, using head fakes and a quick forehand move to finish in tight.
But besides the abundance of shootout goals, Schremp scored one of the sickest goals you will ever see at the NHL level.
With 17 goals and 30 assists over his time on the island, he was in no way an offensive juggernaut. Schremp was one of those players that dominated in every league but the National Hockey League. After leaving the Islanders, he would dress in 18 games for the Atlanta Thrashers, picking up just four points.
That would lead to the end of his time in the NHL, as he made stops in the Swedish Elite League, the Kontinental Hockey League, and different professional levels in Switzerland.
He did try to make a comeback in 2015, as he played for the Portland Pirates, the Florida Panthers AHL affiliate at the time. The then 29-year old scored 21 goals and picked up 21 assists in 71 games but found himself back in Sweden shortly after that season.
His statistics end with a phenomenal 2017-18 season in Austria, with Salzburg EC as he looked Barzal-Esque, racking up 38 assists, along with nine goals in 36 games. He officially announced his retirement in November of 2018.
In August of 2020, Schremp moved to Latvia, signing with HK Mogo of the Latvian Hockey Higher League.