Islanders Name Streit Captain

  Owner Charles Wang and General Manager Garth Snow announced Wednesday at that Nassau Coliseum during a press conference that defenseman Mark Streit will lead the team as captain in 2011-2012.

"Throughout his three seasons with the Islanders, Mark has been a steadying presence in our dressing room," Snow said in the statement. "He is constantly pushing himself to be the very best and demands the same from his teammates. Mark is a leader both on and off the ice and we are pleased to name him the 13th team captain in Islanders history."

  Mark Streit has been the best player on this team since his season debut with the Isles’ in 2008-2009, where he led the team in points with 16 goals and 40 assists with 56 points. The following year, he finished third in points with 11 goals and 49 points.

"It's truly an honor to be named captain of such a historic franchise with a rich history," Streit said in a team-issued release. "To follow in the footsteps of so many legendary leaders that represented the Islanders is a role I am excited to fill. It is a privilege to be considered one of the leaders of this team and I'm committed to taking this team to the next level."

  2010-2011 was that of a tough one for the 33 year old, having missed the entire season after sustaining a shoulder injury in September during an inter-squad match, before the season even began. Regardless of the time lost, Streit is very much deserving of this honor.

  Streit plays a complete game as a defenseman, not being limited in any capacity. Streit’s on-ice awareness and hockey sense are at elite levels in terms of NHL defensemen, and his skating ability is exceptional. His deadly shot and puck moving ability makes him a sound powerplay quarterback, something the Islanders missed greatly last season.

  The 13th captain of the storied franchise, and the first Swiss born player to bear the “C” in the NHL has plenty of experience with leadership. Streit is the current captain of Team Switzerland, a position he has held since 2006. He most recently captained the team in the 2009- 2010 Olympics, where he collected 3 assists and was the clear-cut best player for the team. Prior to being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft (262nd overall), Streit captained the Swiss League based ZSC Lions Zurich where he collected 14 goals and 43 points in 44 games before being drafted.


  The captaincy decision was just as obvious as the last, when veteran Doug Weight captained the team in the last two years of his career. The interesting topic is what the future has in store in terms of team leadership.

  The trend has been for a lot of teams these days to name young and rising stars to play the leadership role. Many speculations led to the 1st overall draft pick of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft of the Islanders, John Tavares.

  While Tavares is extremely mature and poised for a 21 year old with the weight of a franchise on his shoulders, it’s certainly not time to add more to his plate. The ownership and management groups in Long Island have made some rather sketchy decisions in the past, but this was a very wise choice to let Tavares sit back and focus on his own game – rather and guide a whole team of kids.

  Tavares’ time will likely come as team leader, and despite this being such a youthful roster, there are plenty of veteran faces that will help guide this team mentally and verbally. Along with Mark Streit – who is like an off-season acquisition himself having missed all of last year, the Isles’ added veterans Brian Rolston and Marty Reasoner to the roster on the off-season. Players like these don’t need a letter on their jersey to be leaders, just as Tavares doesn’t need the “C” to establish himself as the Islanders’ future.

“It’s not just one thing about Mark we feel is going to lead our team, but numerous things,” Islanders Head Coach Jack Capuano said. “I have the utmost respect for the discipline that needs to take place as the coaches leave that locker room and we know Mark is going to be there… I know mark is going to do a fantastic job.”

  Streit has 5 NHL seasons under his belt now, having played only for the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders. In 361 games he has notched 52 goals and 162 assists for 214 points and a -11rating. In 74 World Championship games he has 8 goals and 36 points, and in his 15 Olympic appearances he has 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points.

  Streit’s play is that of a true leader, and so is his attitude. The Islanders have a lot of work to do, but they are fortunate to have a guy like this on the blue-line, leading the team by example.

“You do your work on the ice and during the games just lead by example,” Streit said. “You work hard, you sacrifice for the team, and you do everything possible to win hockey games. That’s how I think I will do it.”

“We have a great chemistry and our future looks bright,” Streit said. “The future is now. We want to win games. I think we should put the rebuilding part behind us and go out and show what we can do… We are kind of an underdog but we want to do some damage, we want to win some games.”

- Kendall Grubbs