Josh Bailey’s hockey résumé picked up another line Sunday night, when the former Islanders forward was inducted into the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame.
Bailey led a class that also included former New York Islanders and New York Rangers general manager Neil Smith, a nod to two careers that made a real imprint on the game in New York.
The honor arrives less than three years after Bailey’s 15-season run with the Islanders ended following the 2022-23 campaign. That final season carried its own significance: Bailey became only the third player in franchise history to appear in 1,000 regular-season games for the Islanders, joining Denis Potvin and Bryan Trottier.
A first-round pick at No. 9 in the 2008 NHL Draft, Bailey grew into one of the most familiar faces in Islanders history. He played 1,057 regular-season games for the club, finishing with 184 goals, 396 assists and 580 points while carving out a reputation as one of the team’s most reliable and durable players.
His best offensive year came in 2017-18, when he put up a career-high 71 points and earned the lone NHL All-Star selection of his career.
Bailey’s impact wasn’t limited to the regular season. In 71 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Islanders, he scored 16 goals and added 34 assists for 50 points. Two of his biggest moments came in overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, with winning goals in both 2019 and 2021 that became part of the Islanders’ playoff run under coach Barry Trotz.
Before the ceremony, Bailey talked about what it meant to spend his entire NHL career with one organization.
"It's special. I feel very proud to have played my whole career there," Bailey told Matthew Blitner before the ceremony.
"I know that fan base inside and out. I think we went through some tough times and some good times.
Just a great place to play hockey."
He also pointed to his family’s continued ties to Long Island and the sport’s growth in the area.
"Now my kids are kind of coming up through the ranks of the minor hockey there," Bailey said. "I feel like hockey's really grown in general on Long Island.
It's fun to see. I've loved the game for a long time, and I'll get to share with my kids and see it grow.
Just to have been a part of the team for as long as I was is nothing but good memories."
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Lee said he never really saw himself wearing another sweater, which is part of what makes this move hit differently for Islanders fans. He also made clear that the decision was not made lightly, with several clubs involved in free agency before Utah emerged as the fit that made the most sense for him and his family. Even so, the emotional weight of saying goodbye to teammates he called "my guys" is hard to miss, and it leaves the Islanders facing the familiar challenge of moving on from a player who was supposed to be part of the ending. [Read more 🡒]