Anders Lee embodies Islander spirit

Loyalty.  That was one of the few things Anders Lee said last season after being chosen as the new captain of the New York Islanders.  He spoke about loyalty and how much it meant to him that he had the ‘C’ stitched onto his jersey.  Anders Lee embodies the New York Islanders and what they’re about.

Any Islander fans should be proud to have this man as their captain.  He is a hard-working, hard-nosed winger who will take every inch given to him and fight for every puck.  He isn’t afraid to get into scraps, can score with the best of them and is everything a team looks for in a leader.  He went on Sirius XM over the week and spoke of how he never wanted to leave the Islanders;

Anders Lee @leeberr09 of the @NYIslanders was on @SiriusXMNHL earlier today. #Isles https://t.co/F3l2nu3fHT pic.twitter.com/BxEtpm78bh

— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) July 3, 2019

It speaks volumes of how Lee spoke so highly of the organization, Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz.  Hell, even Robin Lehner, who spoke of the difficulties he encountered while unsuccessfully trying to get a new contract with the Islanders, had nothing but positive things to say about the organization.

Having a player speak so highly of an organization is important in building a new reputation for a team that hasn’t had the best one.  The Islanders were always looked at as an afterthought in the New York market and Anders Lee has possibly opened the door for free agents to be more open about looking at Long Island as a destination.

They may have whiffed on Artemi Panarin but that doesn’t mean that the positivity surrounding the team won’t have an affect on other players.  Anders Lee embodies the spirit of each Islander fan and he is a tremendous ambassador for the team and the National Hockey League.  His Jam Kancer in the Kan foundation is a top notch organization and he’s one of the most charitable players in the league.  Thank you Anders for staying, and thank you for never wanting to leave.