Lee tries to fill the Islanders’ Tavares-size hole
New captain has a lot of credibility with tough slug to the pros
The New York Islanders selected left-winger Anders Lee in the
2009 National Hockey League draft five rounds after picking John Tavares first overall.
A few months later, Tavares was in an Islanders uniform, on his way to leading the team in points in the 2009-10 season.
Lee, from Edina, Minn., headed the Green Bay Gamblers of the U.S. Hockey League, where he led the team in scoring. Then it was three years at Notre Dame, including two as the captain.
Lee did not make his Islanders debut until April 2013, scoring in his first game. But he spent 59 games with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Bridgeport, Conn., over the next two seasons before becoming an Islanders mainstay. He also completed his degree in management consulting at Notre Dame in 2014.
This season, Lee, 28, is attempting fill the void left when Tavares departed for the Toronto Maple Leafs via free agency.
Fresh off a 40-goal season, Lee is among the team’s leading scorers again. And, hours before the team’s opener, the new coach, Barry Trotz, anointed Lee to replace Tavares as the captain.
“I didn’t see it coming,” Lee said of the announcement, which was made in front of the team. “I was flooded with emotions.
There were a bunch of hugs from the boys, and then it was back to work.”
It does not come as a surprise that Lee commands such respect from his teammates. And, through his leadership, the team is off to a strong start without Tavares.
The Islanders, who missed the playoffs the past two seasons, are 10-8-2 after Wednesday’s 5-0 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden and have forged a 7-1-0 record in divisional games heading into Friday’s road contest against the Devils.
“It was an easy decision putting the ‘C’ on Anders,” said Trotz, who won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals last season. “The tough thing for Anders is that he is basically replacing the face of the franchise. There comes a burden with that initially. And then there comes a comfort with it.”
Lee received congratulations from several previous Islanders captains including Denis Potvin, Clark Gillies, Bill Guerin, Michael Peca and Tavares.
“J.T. said some really nice things that showed his confidence in me,” Lee said of Tavares, who is a close friend. They attended each other’s weddings this past summer after Tavares’ departure after nine years with the Islanders roiled the team’s fan base.
“You work your whole professional hockey career to make a personal decision, and he earned it,” said Lee, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
“John was a great locker-room guy with an unbelievable work ethic and focus. These are big shoes to fill.”
Through 20 games, Lee has six goals and nine assists after scoring 74 goals over the past two seasons.
Forward Jordan Eberle joined the Islanders before last season in a trade from Edmonton, where Connor McDavid was 19 when he became Oilers captain. Eberle said Lee’s path to success gave him added heft with his teammates.
“You look around the league, and most teams have that superstar kind of guy coming out of junior who eventually takes over a team,” Eberle said.
“Leezy is a feel-good story who has worked his way up and up and up. He’s been in the minors. He’s been everywhere. He is a great guy who works hard, qualities you look for in a leader.”
Lee’s team-building efforts extend off the ice. He came into the season with a heavy heart after the death of a friend who became the inspiration for Jam Kancer in the Kan, Lee’s charity Frisbee tournament to raise money for pediatric cancer patients. The third annual event took place at Barclays Center after Sunday’s loss against Dallas and was dedicated to Lee’s friend Fenov Pierre-Louis, who died in July at age 17.
Pierre-Louis had become close with Lee and his wife, Grace, over the past two seasons, and even accompanied Lee to Denmark in May during the world championships before his health worsened.
“Fenov was one of those people who come into your life and change everything,” Lee said. “No matter how hard his days were or how much pain he was in, he never showed it or took it out on anybody. He just put a smile on and cared for other people.”
Lee’s efforts helped raise more than $125,000 as teammates with their wives and families stayed almost four hours after a loss to the Stars to participate.
“This is why this day is so worth it,” Lee said. “I knew Fenov would be with us. I remembered him in every way I could.”
Rangers defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk was moved enough to contact Lee through social media and replicate the Kan Jam fundraiser event last season. Zach Bogosian of the Buffalo Sabres followed suit, and this season, Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller, former Rangers, will hold one with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season.
Islanders left wing Matt Martin said Lee’s talent for bringing people together aligned with his rise to the captaincy.
“He’s someone who cares about people, and it’s more than hockey,” said Martin, who returned to the Islanders last summer after two seasons with Toronto.
Potvin, who captained the Islanders to four Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983, said he spoke with Lee shortly after he became the 15th captain in team history.