It snowed last week- a lot.
So, with nowhere to go, and the good sense to stay put, I sat in my chair and watched NHL Hockey.
One of those games, which was the key entry on my ProLine ticket, was the Islanders at Nashville.
Truthfully, with the comings and goings of local sports, I don’t follow the NHL closely til Spring, but even though I knew this as fact in the back of my head, I was still struck by the absence of Joshua Bailey.
Bailey was a first round selection of the Owen Sound Attack as an underage, 19th overall in 2005.
After tying an Owen Sound franchise record for goals in a game, he was dealt to Windsor where he was a significant part of a Windsor team that went from eye-sore to contender during Bailey’s days with the team.
In 2008, the New York Islanders drafted Bailey 9th overall, and rather than return him to the Spitfires for his last two years, both Memorial Cup Championship years in Windsor, he stayed on Long Island
Late in his rookie season, I saw him play against the Leafs at the Air Canada Center and he was the Islanders best offensive player.
Over the course of 2 years, Bailey scored 26 times, but this year, during a 13 game Islander skid in which he was held pointless, New York sent him to their AHL team at Bridgeport.
I’m sure Josh Bailey will return to the NHL, I certainly hope so, maybe even with the Islanders.
But what does it say about the state of the NHL when you can play regularly as an 18 year old and a 19 year old, but then get banished to the minors when you’re 20 ?
I’m Fred Wallace