Author Description

There have been few seasons by a professional sports team as bad as the New York Islanders' inaugural 1972-73 season. However, the lessons learned on and off the ice served as a crucial building block for the team's quick turnaround. And eventual, dynasty. Hapless Islanders is the first-ever book to thoroughly study this era of the team, mixing brand new interviews with those directly involved, along with archival material. And also, serving as a study of the rough n' tough playing style of the NHL at the time, Long Island history, plus, the early '70s in general. "Having covered hockey for more than a half-century, I've become accustomed to reading high-quality books about the ice game. Greg Prato's original work, 'Dynasty,' proved to be one of the very best, most comprehensive histories of the Islanders ever written. I doubted that he could follow that work with another winner. But 'Hapless Islanders' proves that Prato is a hockey historian blessed with a deluxe style when it comes to telling a good story. Bravo – again!" –STAN FISCHLER, 2024