Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro said he's had a slow summer while rehabbing his left knee, but one particular date has kept him motivated and focused -- the season opener against the Devils.

"I'm not so worried about being 100 percent for training camp, I'm more worried about being ready October 10," DiPietro said at an interview and autograph session in Manhattan Wednesday. "I'm really optimistic and hellbent on being there for the first game."

DiPietro, who had an arthroscopic procedure in June, also underwent season-ending surgery on his right hip (his left hip was operated on the previous year) in March. While some have worried about his durability, especially so early into his 15-year contract, DiPietro said it's "tough calling them injuries," and that they represent normal "wear and tear" more than anything.

DiPietro said his knee took top priority this summer, and that his hip wasn't his biggest concern. "It's the second one I've had done, and it's definitely bothered me," DiPietro said. "The All-Star Game was definitely the pinnacle of the injury, but the left one felt great last year after I had [the procedure] done, the right one feels fantastic now, and as bad as it was not making the playoffs, it was good to have that extra month to get that out of the way."

Known as a fierce competitor who can barely stand watching games from the bench, DiPietro said he hopes last season's injuries won't translate to less ice time or a more stringent monitoring of his workload.

"I've said it before, but I want to play every game," DiPietro said. "We'll see what they have in store, but all I can control is trying to play well and force their hand."

One person he'll have to convince is the Islanders' new coach, Scott Gordon.

"Everyone I've talked to who has played for him has absolutely loved him," DiPietro said. "He's young, he's energetic, he's determined to win at all costs, and he's really focused on figuring out what we need to do to be successful, get us an identity right off the bat, and continue to hold guys accountable."

From what DiPietro has read about Gordon's plans for the team, he's looking forward to the upcoming season.

"He wants to put in a fast, up-tempo style and a lot of pressure, and that's good," DiPietro said. "We're going to have a young team, a fast team, and that's going to be exciting."

Read Newsday's full story here

Katie :)

--This past week, Gordon has been busy with a lot of the logistical stuff like hammering away training camp plans and looking for places on Long Island (although his family will remain based in Atlanta), but he has had a chance to get acquainted with his new coaching staff. The primary objective from this point forward, Gordon said, is seeing how the other coaches analyze and break down the other teams in the league, rather than their own team. Gordon wants to see how they all game plan for opponents and gauge how their philosophies mesh with his own. This next week, Gordon said, will be spent getting to know the players. While he has met and spent some time already with Bill Guerin, Chris Campoli, and Frans Nielsen, he'll call and introduce himself to the others and briefly talk to them about last season, and presumably, the one ahead.

--When I asked him areas he would like to improve, Gordon said the goal differential was his biggest target. Obviously, the Islanders need to improve on both sides to whittle away at this problem, but Gordon said the Isles defensive system will be a bit different, one that relies on lots of support and not as many of one-on-one matchups. The other target, and this comes as no surprise, will be the power play. As Gordon said, a PP is designed to fail, but success comes from the ability to create opportunities. Gordon said the team is solid in net, has a good mix of forwards who have an element speed, and has "better than average" level of skill on defense, including a good mix of d-men that can get the puck to the forwards to aid the transition game. The key, Gordon said, will be to pinpoint the weak spot of an opponent's PK to attack off the rush. Gordon conceded many teams stack four guys back, making it difficult to carry in the puck, but that the decision when and where to attack, and whether to carry it in or dump it in, will be the PP unit's responsibility to evaluate what the opposition will give.

Also, The Islanders names Chris Dey President of Business operations. Dey, who used to be responsible for Sales, Marketing, and Event operations, will now oversee all business operations.

--Katie Strang

"Mark, I've got a lot of respect for ya...but it's none of your damn business."

Seriously.

Mark was a good sport about it, but it made me wonder whether the organization is trying to avoid another potential Nolan situation in the future...remember, "So Ted, you are heading into the last year of your contract, and you still haven't been notified about the possibility of an extension..." Yeah. I'd be interested to hear what you all think in terms of how many years Gordon got. As Mark pointed out, multi-year can mean two, and it can also mean 15 (as we all know the organization has famously shelled out before).

All in all though, it was a nice day at the Coliseum...great turnout, although with media members, you never know if that has anything to do with the availability of free food:)

Here are just another couple tidbits about Gordon from the day that won't make it into tomorrow's story

-Just in general, he was a very nice guy who was gracious enough to stay more than two hours after the press conference (and I don't even think he ate lunch) to speak with reporters. Gotta appreciate that.

-He did seem to be pretty nervous, but NOT overwhelmed. Big difference. He said there's no real media coverage in Providence, so the contingent at the presser today was probably a bit different for him, but said he was more nervous about that than the actual coaching part...that he seems to be very confident about.

-He said he's a good communicator and someone that has ample experience dealing with kids, so yes, this does seem to be a logical fit. He basically said his whole job with Providence was dealing with a youth movement, so while it will inevitably be a bit different at the NHL level, he's dealt with it before.

-He seems pretty intent on incorporating speed into this team. He talked about his experience using "overspeed" and pushing players out of their comfort zone in practice to improve this area. He also said, after watching three taped games from Bridgeport last year, that the one thing that impressed him watching the kids, was that element of speed.

-I asked him if he had any time to review the team's struggling power play (of course that is awfully premature for him to have had strategic outlines already, I know). While he did not reveal specifics, his reaction to the question revealed he KNOWS it's a problem that desperately needs fixing, and fast.

--Katie

The whole thing was panned as a circus of epic proportions until the Islanders surprised everyone in the NHL by making the playoffs thanks to some bold moves by Snow and a good coaching job by Nolan. When hostilities between Snow and Nolan flared last season, it provided another opportunity to knock the hockey-by-committee approach.

As much fun as that might have been for anyone with access to a computer keyboard, all the arguments about Wang’s outside-the-box approach have been rendered moot. The so-called committee quietly dissolved in the middle of last season as Snow assumed the leadership position for the franchise and formulated a long-term rebuilding plan. Snow then parted company with Nolan before finally naming his own man, Scott Gordon, as coach of the Islanders today.

In terms of organizational structure, the Islanders once again are NHL conformists, operating in the traditional way. Having learned first-hand about the difficulty of trying to build a championship contender through free agency, Snow now has a plan in place to develop young prospects, and in Gordon, he has a partner committed to the same approach.

Some might find fault with Snow for choosing a coach who is unproven at the NHL level when he had so many veteran coaches from which to choose. Without knowing much about Gordon beyond his resume as the AHL coach of the year last season in Providence, I was leaning toward former Toronto coach Paul Maurice because he succeeded in similar circumstances previously with Hartford/Carolina.

But Gordon fits the bill as a teacher and communicator who has spent the past eight seasons working with prospects at Providence, including the first three as an assistant. He also was a head coach for six seasons in the ECHL and the old IHL. Most importantly, Gordon is Snow’s guy. They hit it off in a way that convinced Snow they can be an effective team with the same objective.

Progress may be slow at first with a team that lacks scoring punch. Young players will have to produce in major roles, and veterans will have to show they still have enough left in the tank to lead effectively. But Snow is convinced the Isles have a goaltender in Rick DiPietro and a solid veteran defense that will allow them to compete beyond the low expectations for the coming season.

If it doesn’t work out two or three years from now, there won’t be any committee to spread the blame. The Islanders are Snow’s show now. He orchestrated this whole process from soup to nuts, possibly to the surprise of those who underestimated him when he ascended straight from the locker room to the GM’s post. From now on, the buck stops with Snow.

Islanders general manager Garth Snow is expected to sharply narrow his long list of candidates over the weekend and reach a decision on a successor to Ted Nolan early next week, an NHL source said. When contacted by Newsday, Tortorella politely declined to comment on his role in the Isles' search process.

Although Tortorella was coming off a season in which the Lightning had the worst record in the NHL, he had a winning record in the previous four seasons, including the 2004 Stanley Cup title.

As a former Rangers assistant who also served as head coach for the final four games of the 1999-2000 season, the fiery Tortorella would have added spice to the local rivalry.

But there also would have been a question about whether his hard-charging style and impatience would have worked with a team planning to fill some major roles with developing prospects from the organization.

Tortorella certainly helped turn the Lightning from an also-ran into a power, but that success also means he can take his time waiting for an opening with a team closer to title contention than the Islanders while collecting the final year of his Tampa Bay contract, valued at a reported $1.3 million.

With Tortorella out of the Isles' picture, the other candidates who have interviewed with Snow include former Atlanta coach Bob Hartley, former Toronto coach Paul Maurice, former Lightning assistant and Boston coach Mike Sullivan, current AHL coach of the year Scott Gordon of Providence, former Los Angeles coach Marc Crawford and Isles assistant Gerard Gallant. The search should conclude about a month after Nolan's July 14 departure

For some reason, the NHL permitted Chris Simon to play even though the enforcer still was under suspension for swinging his stick at the Rangers’ Ryan Hollweg the previous season. Now, Simon is in Russia, and Hollweg left the Rangers as a free agent. The two teams won’t see each other until it counts in their first regular-season meeting Oct. 27 at the Coliseum.

The Islanders have reduced their preseason schedule from nine games last year to seven this season. They will play a home-and-home set with the Devils, which should help prepare them for the season opener Oct. 10 at the Prudential Center. The preseason schedule also is expected to include a game at Moncton, New Brunswick, where training camp is held, plus games in London, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Florida and Boston.

ISLES FILES: AHL coach of the year Scott Gordon is scheduled to meet with Islanders GM to interview for the head-coaching vacancy today…The club is hosting an open house tonight at the Coliseum, where the movie “Miracle” will be shown on the scoreboard. Defenseman Chris Campoli will be on hand to meet with fans, who also can shop for various season-ticket packages.

Gervais has gone without a goal for two straight regular seasons, although he got one in the playoffs last year at Buffalo. But when healthy, he has been a steady defender with some puck-moving skill.

Injuries limited Gervais to 60 games last season, but he averaged exactly 20 minutes of ice time per game. With the addition of free-agent Mark Streit, there is some question about how Gervais’ role on the third pairing might be affected. At the moment, it appears he might be the seventh defenseman, which could mean some time in the press box. But as the Islanders learned last season, you can’t have enough defensemen. They used 12 different defensemen last season because of injuries.

Under the circumstances, the deal Gervais received looks fair for everyone concerned. His first-year salary equals the qualifying offer of $522,500. He will earn $800,000 and $900,000 in the next two seasons.

Gervais turns 24 a week before the regular season begins on Oct. 10, and when this contract is up, he will have one more year until he reaches unrestricted free agency. His signing means that Snow most likely is done adding players to the NHL roster at least until training camp. All that’s left now is the choice of a coach.

Hartley once coached Snow at Cornwall in the AHL, and the two have maintained a good friendship ever since to the point of exchanging fairly regular e-mail messages. There’s little doubt Hartley meets Snow’s criteria for a coach in terms of discipline and providing structure and technical expertise. But the major question for Hartley is whether he has the patience for a long-term development project and the willingness to rely on young players in major roles.

After a 0-6 start with Atlanta last season, Hartley quickly was replaced behind the bench by Thrashers GM Don Waddell. That seemed like a short leash for a coach who led the Thrashers to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history the previous season, but it was clear Hartley had little support from the players in the locker room. He was thought to be a candidate for the Ottawa job recently, but there was speculation that Senators star Dany Heatley, who once played for Hartley, was against it.

Still, Hartley’s resume includes one thing that can’t be ignored – the 2001 Stanley Cup championship he won with Colorado during a highly successful five-year run. Hartley’s interview follows that of former Toronto coach Paul Maurice on Monday. Former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella and former Lightning assistant Mike Sullivan also have received permission to interview with the Islanders, and Snow’s list also includes former Colorado coach Joel Quenneville, AHL Providence head coach Scott Gordon and Islanders assistant Gerard Gallant.

ISLES FILES: If anyone is so devoted to the Islanders that they have a team-related tattoo, Newsday would like to know about it. Reporters long have been known as “ink-stained wretches,” but staff writer Barbara Barker is working on a fun story about fans who could say the same about themselves. If you have an Islanders tattoo and would like to be part of Barbara’s story, please e-mail her at barbara.barker@newsday.com. Thanks.

The $525,000 average salary might turn out to be quite a bargain for a 24-year-old player for whom the Islanders have high hopes. In 16 games with the Islanders last season, Nielsen had only two goals and one assist, but he received fourth-line time, averaging 8:42 per game.

Nielsen is considered a very smart player, and he developed real chemistry at the AHL level with left wing Jeff Tambellini, who recently signed a two-year deal with the Isles that also is a one-way contract. In 102 AHL games, Nielsen totaled 30 goals and 52 assists for 82 points.

General manager Garth Snow was especially impressed with Nielsen’s play last season, when he centered the so-called “Kid Line” between Tambellini and Blake Comeau. That group had a stretch of about seven games, where Snow felt they were the Islanders’ best, most energetic line. He believes Nielsen’s role could be expanded to include penalty-kill and possibly some power-play time.

Nielsen’s signing leaves defenseman Bruno Gervais as the only unsigned restricted free agent who received a qualifying offer. However, Gervais attended the Islanders’ rookie minicamp Friday morning as a spectator and said he is in top condition and has recovered from the injuries that cut his season short after 60 games. Negotiations are progressing amicably.

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The reduction from eight to six games per season against division rivals was made to ensure teams would meet every team in the opposite conference at least once per season, and they will play three teams from the opposite conference twice to fill out the 82-game schedule.

The Islanders open the season Oct. 10 at New Jersey and meet St. Louis the following night in the home opener. Details of the home schedule that will most interest Islanders fans include 15 games on Saturday and nine matinees, five of which are on holiday dates plus two Sunday afternoon games. Normal starting time for night home games is 7 p.m.

Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh, featuring former Islanders Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedetenko teaming with stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, makes its first Coliseum visit on Nov. 8. Seven of the Isles’ first 11 games are at home, but December will be a rough month as they play nine of 14 on the road. The toughest stretch is in March, when the play six straight on the road (broken into two trips) to begin a span in which they play 10 of 14 on the road before wrapping up the season with home games against Philadelphia and Boston on April 11-12.

Here’s the full schedule (All times Eastern):

Oct. 10 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Oct. 11 St. Louis, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 Buffalo, 2 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18 at Florida, 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 Dallas, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25 Carolina, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Oct. 30 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 Montreal, 7 p.m.
Nov. 3 Columbus, 7 p.m.
Nov. 4 at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Nov. 6 at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Nov. 8 Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Nov. 11 Philadelphia, 2 p.m.
Nov. 13 at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 15 Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Nov. 17 Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Nov. 21 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Nov. 22 at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Nov. 24 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 26 Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Nov. 28 at Boston, 12 p.m.
Nov. 29 Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Dec. 4 at Washington, 7 p.m.
Dec. 6 Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 9 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Dec. 11 at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Dec. 16 Washington, 7 p.m.
Dec. 19 at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Dec. 23 Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Dec. 26 Toronto, 7 p.m.
Dec. 27 at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Dec. 29 at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Dec. 31 Florida, 2 p.m.
Jan. 2 at Phoenix, 9 p.m.
Jan. 3 at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
Jan. 5 at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Jan. 8 at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Jan. 13 N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Jan. 15 Boston, 7 p.m.
Jan. 17 New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Jan. 19 Washington, 2 p.m.
Jan. 21 Anaheim, 7 p.m.
Jan. 29 at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 Florida, 7 p.m.
Feb. 3 Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Feb. 5 at Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 7 at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 10 Los Angeles, 7 p.m.
Feb. 11 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Feb. 14 at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Feb. 16 Pittsburgh, 2 p.m.
Feb. 18 at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Feb. 19 Carolina, 7 p.m.
Feb. 21 New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Feb. 25 at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 26 Toronto, 7 p.m.
Feb. 28 Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Mar. 2 Colorado, 7 p.m.
Mar. 5 N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Mar. 7 New Jersey, 2 p.m.
Mar. 8 Phoenix, 3 p.m.
Mar. 10 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 12 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 14 at Boston, 1 p.m.
Mar. 15 at Chicago, 3 p.m.
Mar. 20 at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Mar. 21 at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Mar. 25 Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Mar. 27 at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 28 Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Apr. 1 at Washington, 7 p.m.
Apr. 2 Montreal, 7 p.m.
Apr. 4 Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Apr. 7 at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Apr. 9 at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 11 Philadelphia, 2 p.m.
Apr. 12 Boston, 5 p.m.

Trottier is a stand-up guy, and he certainly wasn’t going to take a slap at a friend on his way out the door. That reaction not only is understandable, but it’s admirable. But when he read his comments in Newsday, Trottier realized it might appear as though he was at odds with general manager Garth Snow and the organization.

That’s not the case. As director of player development, Trottier is intimately involved in working with the very prospects that Snow is attempting to introduce to the Islanders’ lineup. In our conversation, Trottier emphasized how happy he is in that role, how excited he is to work with the kids and the fact that he is very much in agreement with the direction set by Snow.

Relating a talk he had last season with center Frans Nielsen, Trots said that the modest Nielsen perceived himself as a candidate for the third or fourth lines. Trottier said: “I told him, ‘Frans, you have skills. You can be a second-line center. Can you be first-line? You have to work very hard, but anything is possible.’”

Trottier went on to explain how he feels it’s important to give positive encouragement to the prospects, especially now that they can see a future in the Islanders’ organization, not only this season, but in the ones ahead. If you look at the roster, several veterans are in the final year of their contracts, and there should be many openings in the future. Trottier expects to be a part of the development process in the hope of doing his part to revive a franchise he once led to prominence.

ISLES FILES: The NHL just made the formal announcement that the next Winter Classic will match Detroit and Chicago on Jan. 1, 2009 at Wrigley Field. As part of the release, NHL commissioner Gary Bettmann thanked the Yankees and New York City for their interest and promised to hold future discussions to hold the Winter Classic at the new Yankee Stadium. There was no mention of either the Islanders or the Rangers or, for that matter, the Boston Bruins. Hopefully, that means the Isles, who originated the idea of closing Yankee Stadium with a game between themselves and the Rangers, still are under consideration for a future Winter Classic that would showcase one of the NHL’s most bitter rivalries.

In case you missed it on the Live Chat earlier this morning, I mentioned that the 2008-09 schedule coming out on Thursday has the Islanders opening on the road at New Jersey and then playing their home opener the following night against St. Louis. The schedule begins a week later this season on October 9. The Isles’ home schedule also includes quite a number of Saturday night games and several matinee games, including a number of holiday dates.