Pat LaFontaine joins the NYIBC for a Members Only Q&A Session

by Carter Bentivenga

HUNTINGTON, N.Y.- Pat LaFontaine, the third overall pick of the New York Islanders in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, stopped by on Thursday the 30^th at the Huntington American Legion Post, to speak with members of the Islanders Booster Club on Thursday.

LaFontaine spoke for nearly an hour and a half, answering a variety of questions about his playing career, his life as an Islander and more. LaFontaine, 59, made his debut with the Islanders in 1983 and played parts of eight and a half seasons on the Island before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres early in the 1991-92 season. Despite his stint in Buffalo and a brief stretch with the New York Rangers in 1997-98 during his Hall-of-Fame worthy career, LaFontaine made a point in calling the Island his home.

“Home for me is here on Long Island”, LaFontaine told booster club members. “Even when I was traded to Buffalo, we’ve kept our Montauk house. We’ve lived in Suffolk for over 40 years.”

LaFontaine also mentioned the connections he has to the current wave of Islanders, namely with Lou Lamoriello, the team’s current President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. The two won gold together as part of Team USA in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, with the U.S. beating Canada in a best-of-three series. In that same breath, he also praised Lamoriello and former bench boss Barry Trotz for returning the team to a past that the alumni have been yearning for: a world class organization with a commitment to being a winner. “I was so glad that he (Clark Gillies) got to see the return of the culture that was around when we were winning Stanley Cups,” LaFontaine said. “I was so excited to know that guys like him and Bossy got to see it come back.”

LaFontaine also made his thoughts known on the current Islanders team under Lamoriello, making a point of noting a strong suit of the group: character in the locker room.

Additionally, LaFontaine made a point of praising current ownership for revitalizing the connection between the team and its long list of historic alumni members. “I tip my hat to Jon (Ledecky) and Scott (Malkin). It’s greatly appreciated by the former players,” he said. He would also go on to mention his personal value of the importance of players being involved in the community, saying “Connecting with the community should be a priority. Players need to feel connected.”

LaFontaine was also asked about an honor bestowed on him in recent seasons, as he was named one of the National Hockey League’s 100 greatest players as part of the league’s 100th season initiative back in 2016-17. LaFontaine shares the honor with former teammates and franchise legends Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, and Bryan Trottier, as well as childhood idols in Guy LaFleur and Gilbert Perreault and current Isles bench boss Patrick Roy. “I still pinch myself,” he said when asked about being in that group. “When I was a kid, I looked up to players like (Gilbert) Perreault and (Guy) LaFleur, so to be considered with those guys is a tremendous honor.”

Furthermore, LaFontaine spoke about one of his most iconic moments as an Islander, and one of the most memorable moments in Stanley Cup Playoff lore to this day: the Easter Epic, as the Isles rallied from a 3-1 series deficit against the Washington Capitals. Game 7 would need four overtimes before LaFontaine rifled a shot past Capitals netminder Bob Mason from the blue line. As of 2024, that game still stands as the longest Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Playoff series on record, and it remains as only the second Game 7 to ever require three or more overtime frames before a winner was crowned (the only other being the semifinal between the Rangers and Boston Bruins in 1939).

“They were saving everything, it was like they were stopping beach balls,” LaFontaine mentioned, commenting on the goalie duel between Mason and Islanders goaltender Kelly Hrudey. “It was kind of surreal, we were kind of on autopilot to keep everyone’s adrenaline up.”

Finally, LaFontaine commented on what makes Islanders fans different from the rest of the NHL’s faithful. “When you bleed blue and orange, you have a different DNA,” he said.

Thank you again to Pat for taking the time to talk to the club and its members!

Pat also has his own children’s foundation called The Companions In Courage Foundation, through which they strive to give courage, friendship, compassion and support to those children and families who are overcoming illness and life-threatening obstacles. Recently, the foundation celebrated their 1,000,000^th assist, as they call it, helping children in their battle.  To learn more about the work that they do, visit their website right here.

As the meeting progressed, the Booster Club had a raffle for various prizes, and in addition, Pat also provided a magnum of his “Pinot Line” win to be given to a winner. As a result of the raffle, and a 50/50 draw, we raised nearly $1,500 for Pat’s charity. We also want to thank both Pat and Jim Johnson from the CIC16 foundation who helped bring this event to fruition.

To join the Islanders booster club for the 2024-25 season, the membership form will be available after July 1st. For more information, check out the club’s website, or check them out on Facebook and Instagram and X.