Josh Bailey’s hockey journey picked up another milestone on July 12, when he was inducted into the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame.
Bailey was one of 15 new members in the Class of 2026, honored in Troy, N.Y., with a group that included National Hockey League alumni, front office executives, reporters and others who made their mark on the sport, among them former general managers Don Maloney and Neil Smith.
The recognition gave Bailey a chance to look back on a career that unfolded entirely in New York with the Islanders, where he played all 15 of his NHL seasons from 2008 to 2023. He said the day was a welcome surprise and a chance to spend time with family while hearing from people who have spent years around the game.
"We had a really nice time with my family," Bailey said. "We enjoyed listening to different speeches from people who have been around the game for a long time."
Bailey’s place in Islanders history is hard to miss. He skated in 1,057 games for the club, making him one of only three players to reach 1,000 games with the Isles. Drafted ninth overall in 2008, the Canadian forward became one of the franchise’s most durable and productive players, ranking third in games played (1,057), fourth in assists (396) and seventh in points (580).
He said that kind of longevity didn’t happen in a vacuum.
"I had people who believed in me throughout my time here with Garth [Snow], Lou [Lamoriello] and a number of different coaches, so the timing of it all worked out," Bailey said. "I always had a great group of guys in that locker room who supported me and each other.
Everything just kind of came together and worked out well. I'm very lucky."
For Bailey, staying with one team carried real meaning. The 36-year-old said wearing only one jersey in his NHL career was something he valued deeply, especially because it came with the Islanders.
"It was one of the greatest honors of my life to put on that jersey and play my entire career here in front of this fan base," Bailey said. "As a kid growing up in Ontario, I didn't know much about Long Island or the history of the team when I got drafted. I've lived here longer than anywhere else in my life, and it really feels like home."
His best regular-season stretch came in 2018, when he was named to the NHL All-Star Game after putting up a career-high 71 points, including 18 goals and 53 assists, in 76 games.
Bailey also delivered in the postseason. He totaled 50 points, with 16 goals and 34 assists, in 71 playoff games and was a key part of the Islanders’ runs to the third round in 2020 and 2021. In the 2020 playoffs, he led the team with 20 points, scoring twice and adding 18 assists in 18 games.
He also had two playoff overtime winners, including the Game 1 goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2019 Eastern Conference First Round, when he finished off a rebound on the play tied forever to Brendan Burke’s “Game 1, to the Island” call.
Bailey is still a familiar voice to Islanders fans. Before the 2025-26 season, he joined the team’s radio broadcasts as an analyst, a role he said he never expected to take on.
"It was never something on my radar," Bailey said. "I love watching the game and analyzing it. Alan [Fuehring], Cal [Clutterbuck] and Hicks [Thomas Hickey] do such a great job, so they made my job very easy coming in."
He has stayed on Long Island since retiring and said the support from the organization and the fan base has meant a great deal to him and his family.
"My family and I love it here, and it's become our home," Bailey said. "It's got the perfect mix of everything.
You put all those factors together, and it's just a fantastic place. I'm proud to have played here for so long."
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Islanders Prospect System Suddenly Looks Better Than Anyone Expected
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For an organization that has spent plenty of time hearing about its shallow pipeline, that kind of representation matters. Ritchie, acquired from Colorado in the Brock Nelson trade, gives the group another high-end piece, while Eiserman remains one of the more intriguing names because his long-term value will depend on whether he can grow beyond being known mainly as a shooter. Wheelers rankings do not solve anything for the Islanders in the short term, but they do suggest the talent base is deeper and more interesting than it has been for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Just Reignited The Noah Dobson Debate Islanders Fans Know Well
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Mike Matheson is part of that same conversation, and his situation only sharpens the contrast. His five-year extension has pushed him into more of a shutdown role, even as the offense has cooled, which is the sort of tradeoff teams live with when they believe the rest of the package still works. Josh Anderson and Phillip Danault also factor into the broader evaluation, but for Islanders readers, the real hook is the way Dobsons name keeps surfacing whenever Montreals roster math turns into a referendum on value, usage, and what a team thinks it is actually buying. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Schedule Has A Few Dates Fans Will Circle Immediately
The Islanders 2026-27 schedule gives fans plenty to mark down before the puck even drops, starting with a Sept. 30 opener in Toronto and a home opener three days later against the Devils. From there, the calendar is packed with the usual Metro grind, including four meetings with the Rangers, plus a slate that mixes later start times, back-to-backs and the kind of road/home rhythm that can quietly shape a season long before spring arrives.
There are also a few dates that stand out for reasons beyond standings math, especially the first look at former captain Anders Lee and the games that come with it. Add in matchups against teams coached by Pete DeBoer, and the schedule has the feel of one that will keep Islanders fans checking the calendar as much as the box scores, with a handful of nights carrying a little more weight than the rest. [Read more 🡒]