New York Islanders legend Pat Lafontaine coached San Jose Sharks forward Justin Bailey in high school.

New York Islanders legend Pat Lafontaine coached San Jose Sharks forward Justin Bailey in high school.

Bailey played for the Long Island Royals 16AAA team during the 2011-12 season. Lafontaine was the head coach, with another former NHLer, Steve Webb, as the assistant coach.

"I lived here in the Long Island area," Bailey told THN. "I went to high school on Long Island for a year, and [I have] some buddies who live out here. I know with Pat, we were mostly going to New York Rangers games, but it's definitely cool to be playing here."

The Sharks take on the Islanders tonight at UBS Arena. Bailey said his friends and family, including his parents, made it to the game against the Rangers on Sunday. 

Bailey attended St. Anthony's High School on Long Island while playing for LaFontaine's team. 

"It seems like it was just yesterday I was playing for that team," Bailey said.

Bailey told THN that he lived with LaFontaine and his son Daniel. Bailey and Daniel would finish the season tied for the team lead in points. 

"It was a pretty fun year," Bailey told THN. "We had a good team back in 16U. I got to learn so much from Pat. Just between the car rides to and from practice and being able to pick his brain for a year at 16. It was a time when I was looking forward to the draft and other things. It was pretty special."

Pat LaFontaine made that season extra special for his players. He partnered with the NHL to make a TV show to follow the team that season. It was filmed in a similar style to NFL's Hard Knocks.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iooox0Fyv8[/embed]

"That was the first time in my life that I was around someone who every day, every week, was looking at a different angle of something in hockey," Bailey said about Pat. "Just the way that he would see games and break games down. It was pretty special to be around."

Steve Webb gave Bailey a different perspective on the game of hockey.

"We had Steve Webb there as well. Our coaching staff had a lot of NHL experience," Bailey said. "He was huge on the mental and recovery part of the game, even before it was popular back in 2012."

Bailey has had an injury history throughout his time in the NHL. He has had surgery done on each shoulder that kept him out for an extended time.

"Mentally, injuries are tough. [Webb] was someone who was a huge help for me back in the day," Bailey said. "Having the two perspectives of two NHL guys who are two different players definitely helped me at a young age." 

Bailey is back on Long Island with the Sharks and will skate with more emotions tonight.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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