As Expected, Isles Trade Guerin

Mar 5th, 2009 | By Brian Bohl | Category: New York Islanders, Top Story

UNIONDALE, NY- Instead of a slew of comings and goings, the Islanders made just one anticipated deal before the NHL’s trade deadline Wednesday.

General manager Garth Snow’s only move was an expected transaction, as the Islanders traded Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a conditional draft pick. The Isles will receive no worse than a fifth round pick that could be bumped up to a fourth-round choice if the Penguins qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Should the Pens win a postseason round and Guerin appears in half of Pittsburgh’s games, the Islanders will receive a third rounder. The fifth-round selection originally belonged to Tampa Bay.

“The entire Islanders organization has the utmost respect for Bill Guerin and we sincerely thank him for his time on Long Island and as the team’s captain,” Snow said.

Before the 3 p.m. deadline, NHL clubs completed 22 trades totaling 45 players and 21 draft picks. But the Islanders did not make any more trades after shipping out the team’s captain. Snow held on to impending free agents Doug Weight and Andy Hilbert and also kept defensemen Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek, who were rumored to be on the trading block.

“As a seller, you can’t make a trade for the sake of making a trade,” Snow said in Room 6 at Nassau Coliseum, the same site where two years ago the Isles shocked the league by acquiring All-Star Ryan Smyth for a stretch-run deadline deal.

Guerin became the 11th captain in franchise history when he signed a two-year deal before the 2007-08 season. He was one of just two Isles to crack the 20-goal mark in last season, notching 23 goals and 21 assists in 81 games. He tallied 39 goals in 142 games for the Islanders, including career goal No. 400 earlier in the current campaign. The 38-year-old will be joining his seventh team after agreeing to waive his no-move clause to go to a Penguins team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals last spring.

“Billy brings that veteran presence,” Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero said. “He’s a right winger with a right shot, and he can still skate. I talked to him this afternoon after the trade and I told him what I was expecting of him. He’s a goal scorer. Billy Guerin can play with good players and score goals - he’s certainly done that in the past. I think we have the players for him to play with and support him.

“He has size. We wanted to get bigger and we wanted to get a little bit stronger up front and I believe that’s a good fit. Hopefully it’s a good move for both of us.”

The move settled a situation that dominated talk around the Islanders after Snow pulled Guerin from the ice before Saturday night’s against Buffalo. Guerin skated in the pregame warmup but was not on the bench for the opening faceoff. He also was held out of Monday’s victory over Colorado, fueling trade speculation that had reports suggesting Guerin could be headed to Montreal or Washington.

“I had a conversation leading up to the warm-up and after contacting Bill’s agent and talking it over a little bit, it was in everyone’s best interest that he probably shouldn’t play and when I say we, I mean the three of us…really didn’t want to risk bill getting injured,” Snow said.

Snow left open the possibility for re-signing Hilbert and Weight and said he never intended to conduct whole-sale changes despite the Isles league-low 47 points and 20-36-7 record.

“We’ll do whatever we have to do to be better,” Snow said. “We weren’t going just go in and have a fire sale. If we identify a free agent to be as someone as we can re-sign, we’ll take that road.”

Last year at the trade deadline, the Penguins also made a move at the deadline before playing the Islanders. The same press room at Nassau Coliseum was where the Pens announced Marian Hossa’s acquisition, which propelled Pittsburgh into the finals. Entering Wednesday night, the Pens were clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot with 72 points and 17 games remaining.

“They’re playing great; I’m really looking forward to it,” Guerin told TSN. “I’ll just go in and be myself. They get you for a specific reason. The best thing you can do is just go and be yourself and support the leadership that they have there. It’s a great opportunity for me.”

On a side note, Guerin’s acquisition comes on the same day the Pens assigned former Islander Miroslav Satan to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Satan was subjected to trade rumors last deadline but the Isles kept him for the remainder of the regular season and let him leave as a free agent over the summer.

More Moves Besides Guerin; Islanders Send Down Sim

UNIONDALE, NY- Garth Snow pulled off a blockbuster two years ago when he packaged prospects and a first-round draft pick for All-Star 40-goal scorer Ryan Smyth. But two years later, the only trade deadline move the Islanders made was shipping Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a conditional fifth-round pick that might turn into a third-round choice.

While the Guerin deal didn’t exactly dominate headlines around the league, it still ended days of speculation about the 38-year-old winger’s future. Snow also completed some minor deals yesterday, assigning Jon Sim to AHL Bridgeport and activated defenseman Thomas Pock and center Nate Thompson from injured reserve.

Impending free agents Andy Hilbert and Doug Weight were retained and Snow said both players could be offered contract extensions. The third-year general manager said the opportunity to shop veterans at the deadline was a unique experience.

“No, not disappointed or frustrated,” Snow said about the lack of deals. “For me it was the first time as GM that I’ve been in this situation where we were sellers…first year we were buyers, last year we were two back from a playoff position…putting a price tag on certain deals…if it happened we would have seriously considered it obviously this year with the situation we were in we were looking obviously to be a seller.”

Islanders management touted this season as a youth movement where developing prospects would be valued more than wins and losses. Yet some player conflicts with first-year head coach Scott Gordon led to trading 24-year-old defenseman Chris Campoli and Mike Comrie in a trade to Ottawa that netted a late first-round pick.

When a club enters the deadline sporting an NHL-low 47 points and a 20-36-7 record and will not likely tout a 30-goal scorer for a second consecutive season, Snow suggested there is no list of untouchables on the roster.

“Obviously there is no one who is untradeable the same way Wayne Gretzky got traded, anything can happen…you can’t in a situation we’re in being in 30^th place, have a lot of players who are untradeable.

“We have a good foundation of players who are returning and we can get healthy now, and over the summer and be flying when training camp arrives. But now obviously the team is playing well, we have a lot of younger players and the veterans who have done an admiral job in tough situations. We are here to win hockey games too.”

While Campoli was traded off Long Island, 34-year-old Brendan Witt will continue to call Nassau Coliseum his home. While that move might cause some people to question the consistency in touting a youth movement, Snow said Witt still has value to the team despite his public criticism of Gordon’s system earlier this season.

“To me Brendan Witt is what the Islanders are looking to be. He’s tough he plays with a lot of heart, selfless; he’s a good leader in the locker room. He’s a player we’ve had here for a few years now and were happy he’s back for two more.”

Snow did not immediately name a success for Guerin, who was the 11^th captain in franchise history. He did praise the former 40-goal scorer for embracing the captaincy when he signed a two-year contract before the 2007-08 campaign.

“He’s a great leader,” Snow said. “It’s tough for me because Bill is a good friend of mine, it’s a tough part of the job for me when you have to do a move like this, with a player whose a close friend.”

HOFSTRA RALLIES LATE BEFORE FALLING TO FSU

Tallahassee, FL --

The Pride moved the tying run to the plate as late as the seventh inning against Florida State but still fell to the sixth-ranked Seminoles, 10-4, in the final game of a season-opening four-game set at Dick Howser Stadium Sunday afternoon.

Senior second baseman Tom Legregni (Paramus, NJ, pictured) accounted for three Pride runs in a two-RBI effort in the matinee, though Hofstra still dropped to 0-4. Jason Stidham added a pair of RBI doubles and Stuart Tapley went 2-3 with a game-high three RBIs as the Seminoles improved to 4-0 after completing the series sweep.

Three first-inning Florida State doubles pushed two early runs across for the Seminoles against senior starter Nick Panzarella (Three Bridges, NJ). Stidham and Tapley lined consecutive RBI two-baggers and catcher Rafael Lopez added a two-run single in the second to give the Seminoles a 4-0 edge.

Legregni jump-started Hofstra's offense in the third, following Mark Stuckless' (Kanata, Ontario) leadoff single by lining a hard double that bounced off the right-centerfield wall for a RBI.

The infielder then generated another run on the base paths, stealing third base and cruising home on Lopez's throw that sailed into leftfield to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Sophomore Scott A'Hara (Downingtown, PA) did his best to support Panzarella in the fourth, making a full-extension backhanded diving catch in the left-center gap following a leadoff double. Despite the defensive support, Mike McGee and Stidham followed with back-to-back RBI doubles to chase Panzarella after 3 1/3 innings.

Panzarella, the Pride's regular centerfielder, was charged with six runs in falling to 0-1. McGee, who is the Seminoles usual slugging leftfielder, posted the quality start. The righty did not allow a runner past first base after the third, surrendering two runs (none earned) on five hits in six innings, improving to 1-0.

Florida State, a 2008 College World Series qualifier, tacked on one run in the sixth, though reliever Jeff Guthridge (Bel Air, MD) minimized the damage by inducing Ohmed Danesh to hit a bases-loaded fly out to left, keeping the score at 7-2 heading into the seventh. Guthridge, a junior, allowed just one run and two hits in 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.

Hofstra's patience at the plate paid off in the seventh when Florida State's Bo O'Dell walked the first two batters and gave up a single to load the bases. John Kenny (Franklin Square, NY) then worked a walk to force in a run, prompting Seminoles Head Coach Mike Martin to summon Brian Busch.

Busch forced a fly out to left before Legregni's fielder's choice plated A'Hara for Hofstra's second run of the inning. With runners on the corners, junior Matt Prokopowicz, the Pride's 2008 home run leader, stepped to the plate as the tying run in the seventh before Busch recorded the strikeout to keep it at 7-4.

That rally was the Pride's last salvo. Florida State broke the game open in a three-run seventh to secure the win for the four-time ACC champions.

Hofstra will next play Friday when its heads back south to take on North Carolina State for a three-game set. The Pride's home opener is set for March 7 with a doubleheader against Dartmouth.

" >Click here to see video of Hofstra Head Baseball Coach Patrick Anderson -30-

FLORIDA STATE EDGES PRIDE IN NIGHTCAP, SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER

Recap | Box Scores
Tallahassee, FL --

Junior Rob Kumbatovic (Hillsborough, NJ) limited Florida State to just three runs on nine hits in a complete game effort and the Pride came tantalizingly close to pulling an upset, though the Seminoles escaped with a 3-2 victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader Saturday at Dick Howser Stadium. The Pride (0-3) dropped the opener, 21-7.

Kumbatovic gave his team a chance to beat the seventh-ranked Seminoles, throwing exactly 100 pitches and logging four strikeouts, including a punch out of Stuart Tapley to end his evening, marking his fifth complete game since 2008.

The Pride putting the tying run on second with one out in the ninth. Mark Stuckless (Kanata, Ontario, Canada) tried to advance to third on a pitch that skipped away from catcher Rafael Lopez, though the backstop retrieved the ball in time and threw out Stuckless at third for the second out. Closer Jimmy Marshall picked up the save with a strikeout two pitches later.

Hofstra led 1-0 in the fifth and, after falling behind, put the potential go-ahead runs on base in the sixth and seventh innings, putting a scare in the 2008 College World Series qualifiers. The Pride nearly pulled off its first win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 15 Old Dominion at home on March 7, 2006.

While Kumbatovic found a rhythm, Florida State freshman Sean Gilmartin also was crisp in his first collegiate start, limiting Hofstra to seven hits in six innings. The freshman southpaw exited in the seventh as the pitcher of record after logging four strikeouts as the four-time ACC champion Seminoles improved to 3-0.

The Pride supported Kumbatovic (0-1) by breaking a scoreless tie in the fifth. Senior Tom Legregni (Paramus, NJ) executed a hit-and-run double by going the other way, putting two runners in scoring position with one out. Junior Matt Prokopowicz (Massapequa, NY) got the job done the next at-bat, recording an RBI groundout to short that plated Stuckless for a 1-0 Hofstra lead.

But Mike Meschke quickly brought the Seminoles even, lining an opposite-field single to tie it up in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Holt followed that up by ripping a RBI double down the third base line before Kumbatovic settled down and got the strikeout to end the fifth, keeping the deficit at 2-1.

Hofstra had a chance to do some damage in the sixth, putting runners on the corners before a double-play ended the threat. Florida State took advantage of the clutch pitching. Mike McGee, who had a three-RBI game in the season opener, extended Florida State's lead to 3-1 by lifting a solo home run to left in the home half of the sixth.

Hofstra answered right back, loading the bases with two outs in the seventh to chase hard-throwing reliever Tyler Everett. Righty Brian Busch came in and the Pride quickly pushed across a run on a passed ball to make it 3-2. That would be as close as the visitors would get, leaving two runners in scoring position heading into the seventh inning stretch.

A pitcher's duel in the nightcap was the dichotomy of the slugfest in the twin bill's opener. The Seminoles jumped out to an early lead en route to a 21-7 Game 1 victory. While Hofstra's pitchers struggled, junior Matt Wynn (Oceanside, NY) provided a gutsy effort to spare the rest of the bullpen. The natural outfielder tossed 1 2/3 innings in relief to preserve the pitching staff for the nightcap.

Florida State didn't accumulate many hits through two innings, but timely hitting allowed the Seminoles to surge to a 10-run lead. Hofstra walked eight batters and hit two more through the first two frames. Jason Stidham's bases-loaded two-run single through the right side opened the scoring. Two bases-loaded walks and Tyler Holt's bunt single up the third base line contributed to the six-run first that chased senior starter Bobby Neelon (0-1) after 2/3 of an inning.

Neelon (Needville, TX) nearly got out of the inning with just two runs before a throwing error extended the inning. Just two of his six runs were earned.

Scott A'Hara (Downingtown, PA) entered in relief and also struggled finding the strike zone. The lefty escaped a bases load jam in the first and nearly duplicated the feat before Rafael Lopez launched a grand slam over the right-centerfield wall that followed two walks and a hit batsman. All nine Seminoles starters scored at least one run by that point.

Tapley added a three-run shot that fell just in front of the leftfield scoreboard in the third and Ohmed Danesh took A'Hara deep over the right-centerfield wall for a pinch-hit three-run shot, extending the advantage to 16-0.

Senior centerfielder Nick Panzarella (Three Bridges, NJ) put the Pride on the scoreboard in the fourth, driving in Dion Pouncil (Chicago, IL) via a single against Florida State starter John Gast. Panzarella logged a two-hit game and also reached on an error in the fifth that knocked Gast out of the game, though he still received credit for his second RBI by moving the runner in from third with a ground ball to the right side.

Freshman catcher Gianni Masci (Franklin Square, NY) made his first collegiate hit count one inning later, pulling the ball down the leftfield line for a two-run single in a five-run Hofstra fifth in the seven-inning contest.

Hofstra will conclude its four-game set against the Seminoles Sunday afternoon. First pitch from Mike Martin Field is set for 1 p.m.

" >-30-Click here to see post-game comments from Hofstra Head Coach Patrick Anderson

Some Pregame Tidbits

After hanging tough with the nationally ranked Seminoles in a season-opening loss Friday, the Pride will get two more cracks today at Fla. State.

Some pregame notes:
Hofstra's lineup is the same as the first game except for the DH spot, where switch hitting Dion Pouncil will bat sixth against Seminoles left-handed starter John Gast. Lefty-hitting Jim Best was the DH for Opening Day and could see action as a pinch hitter or in the second game.

Bobby Neelon, the 6-5, 200-pound righty, will look to lead the Pride to a win over Florida State, which qualified for the 2008 College World Series. Neelon struck out 54 batters in 61 innings last season and wil get the start in Game 1.

Hofstra will wear the same blue hat with gold H for both games. The club is wearing it's blue uniforms with gold letter in the first game and will switch to its full gold uniforms for the nightcap.

The Seminoles drew 5,601 fans at Dick Howser Stadium for Opening Day, which would rival a midseason crowd at a Long Island Ducks game and would beat many other attendance numbers for the professional Atlantic League. That number exceeded the high crowd of the Hofstra football team this season and would be more than Hofstra's Mack Sports Complex could hold for a basketball game.

Don't feel too bad if you're in New York. While it may not be snowing in northern Florida, it is still 61 degress. So no, it's not pool weather just yet.

Click here to access live stats of the game. Go to where it says "baseball vs. Hoftra 1 p.m., click on the "GT" button under coverage to bring up Game Tracker for real-time updates.

Greetings from Dick Howser Stadium

Hello everyone.

I'm in sunny Tallahassee with the Hofstra baseball team for the season opening trip against Florida State.

As a graduate assistant in Hofstra's athletic communications, I'm the sports information director for the team. As an assignment for Chris Botta's class, I am doing some live blogging for today's doubleheader.

The cage around home plate is being disassembled as we speak. Game time for the opener of the twin bill is set for 1 p.m. The first game will be a full nine-inning affair and the nightcap, set to start at 5 p.m., will be seven innings per NCAA rules.

Please feel free to check out the previous entry for my game story off the Hofstra website and the video interview with Pride Head Coach Patrick Anderson.

PRIDE DROPS SEASON OPENER TO NATIONALLY RANKED FLORIDA STATE

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Recap | Box Scores
Tallahassee, FL --

Hofstra built an early two-run lead over nationally ranked Florida State, but the Pride couldn't stave off a surging Seminoles offense in a 9-3 Opening Day loss in front of 5,601 fans at Dick Howser Stadium.

Senior rightfielder Mark Stuckless (Kanata, Ontario) provided a spark atop Hofstra's lineup, going 3-5 with a run scored and a RBI. Junior third baseman Matt Prokopowicz (Massapequa, NY) also added a RBI single against a Seminoles team that qualified for the 2008 College World Series and entered the game ranked sixth by the Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

The Pride still fell to 0-1 while Florida State's Mike McGee registered three RBIs in a 3-4 showing from the third spot, improving the Seminoles to 1-0.

The Seminoles erased a two-run deficit by showing patience at the plate in a four-run fourth inning that gave the visitors a 6-3 lead it would not relinquish. The eighth and ninth hitters got on with a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively, before a bunt single loaded the bases with no outs.

Starting pitcher Brody Fontaine (Amenia, NY) induced a pop out before Mike McGee flicked a two-run single to the left side. The southpaw responded by recording a big strikeout and nearly escaped further trouble when Tommy Oravetz grounded to short. But Chris Mentrasti couldn't field a tough hop for a single, though Tyler Holt raced around second and slid home safely on a throwing error for Florida State's third run.

That play chased Fontaine after 3 2/3 innings. Kevin Rigopoulos entered in relief and walked the first two batters, including issuing D'Vontrey Richardson a bases-loaded free pass that capped the four-run rally before getting out of the jam without further damage. Fontaine (0-1) struck out two batters and surrendered seven hits.

Hofstra jumped out to a two-run advantage, tagging Seminoles starter Geoff Parker (1-0) for three runs off four singles in the second spurred by three straight one-out singles.

Stuckless added a RBI single that fell just in front of the centerfielder, marking Hofstra's first RBI of the season. After a strikeout, Prokopowicz ripped a run-scoring single to left that plated John Kenny for a 3-1 lead, bringing Parker's pitch count to 52 after two innings. The right-handed hurler settled down shortly after, going five innings while allowing six hits to pick up the win.

The Pride came just a few feet away from starting the new campaign with a homer. Stuckless drove the first pitch into the top of the high right-centerfield wall for a season-opening double. Hofstra moved Stuckless to third on a groundout and brought him home on a strikeout thanks to Parker's two-out wild pitch that allowed Stuckless to cross the plate and Mentrasti to advance to first for Hofstra's first run of 2009.

Florida State answered right back in the home half of the first, scoring an unearned run off Fontaine via Jason Stidham's sacrifice fly to shallow centerfield. Panzarella's throw home was in time but a tough bounce over the catcher allowed Oravetz to slide in safely for the tying run.

Patrick Anderson made his head coaching debut for the Pride while Florida State's Mike Martin entered his 30th year with the Seminoles.

Hofstra's last Opening Day victory came against Delaware State in 2002 and the school is 22-31 all-time in first games for which statistical data is available. The Pride will get three more chances at the four-time ACC champions, starting with a doubleheader Saturday. Game time for the twinbill's opener is set for 1 p.m.

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" >Click here to see post-game comments from Head Coach Patrick Anderson