Rosner: Thanks For The Support This Islanders Season
Stefen Rosner thanks the New York Islanders faithful for the tremendous support this season.
The New York Islanders' 2023-24 season is officially in the books.
And, wow, it felt like a long one.
A lot transpired this season on the ice, with the struggles early, then the coaching change, with a six-game winning streak pulled everyone back in before a six-game skid looked to be their death sentence.
Then, a run for the ages, going 8-0-1 to close out the year, punched New York's ticket to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Islanders may have deserved a better fate against the Carolina Hurricanes, but they were beaten by the better team and now have a tremendous amount of work to do before the 2024-25 season begins.
Off the ice, for me, this season was a special one.
Leaving a toxic place at the tail-end of last season, I found a home at The Hockey News alongside the legendary Stan Fischler and David Kolb, two people who I'm not just thrilled to call mentors, but friends, too.
In addition to The Hockey News, I had the privilege of being hired by NHL.com as an independent correspondent covering the Islanders and the teams that came through Elmont this season.
Thanks to Brian Compton, Barry Rubinstein, and Bill Price for taking the chance on me, and I look forward to continuing in that role in 2024-25.
I also had the opportunity to continue co-hosting Hockey Night in New York, a live show alongside my pal Sean Cuthbert, which has grown exponentially, and I couldn't be prouder.
Credit goes to him for how hard he works at pre and post-production. You guys can't hear it, but I'm giving him a few stick-taps right now.
All these opportunities come back to one thing, and that's you.
Whether you interact on social media, read my work at both stops or tune in for the Islanders' chats on Twitter or X—whatever we are calling that thing now—it's all meant the absolute world.
How you all have collectively supported my work has been something out of a dream.
The Islanders fan base is a tight-knit community, and meeting so many of you, whether for a second or a few minutes in the halls of Belmont, is the best moment of my night at the rink.
Growing up on Long Island, Nassau Coliseum was my second home.
Like many hockey players, I dreamt of playing in the NHL, completely ignoring my small stature. But there came a point when that dream wasn't going to be a reality, and I pivoted to the media side of sports.
More stick-taps to SUNY Cortland for paving the way.
If I sat here and said this job was "easy," I'd be lying. It's a grind but not one that I ever take for granted...ever.
I owe a lot to my girlfriend Alyssa, who, in 2018, told me," Why don't you start a Twitter account and talk about the Islanders?"
I had no idea what Twitter was, but I pursued it and went to work.
She's my rock because this job is time-consuming to the definition, and if news breaks, news breaks, and plans are put on hold. Like with anything, there are tough times and sacrifices, but she always made sure to say how proud she was of me and to keep grinding.
And for that, I'm truly thankful.
Once getting on the Islanders' beat, I could never have expected the support that's come my way. Over the last 2.5 seasons -- joining the beat halfway through the 2021-22 season -- I've lived out a dream, and I don't plan on stopping that dream anytime soon.
Thanks for allowing me to do what I love every day, and I hope you enjoyed the coverage.
And thanks to the New York Islanders organization for welcoming me in with open arms, from Kimber Auerbach to Jesse Eisenberg to Julia Winberg on the PR side to Cory Wright, Rachel Luscher (who has a really bright future), Kathryn Howell, Matt Lange, Tyler Brosious, and everyone else on the media side, for making coming to the rink very entertaining.
Lastly, I have to thank the other members of the beat.
Contrary to popular belief, we do all get along and work with one another, and it's been a great team to be a part of.
I was thinking of waiting to write this until after the NHL Draft and the start of free agency, but while we have a quick break in the schedule, I wanted to make sure you guys know how much the support truly means.
More to come,
Stefen Rosner