Neck guard sales jump after Sask. hockey player slashed by skate
22h ago
More adult players are now investing in the protective equipment.
A U.S. television station asked six New York Islanders fans how they felt about John Tavares, the superstar who left the NHL team as a free agent to join the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“We thought you were a class act,” said one fan. “Turns out it was all an act.”
For nine seasons Tavares embodied the Islanders, insisting he wanted to stay with the team that drafted him first overall in 2009. The fans, judging by the TV report, used to believe him. Now they call him names, including “Pyjama Boy.” That’s because Tavares, after signing with Toronto, distributed via social media a picture of himself as a youngster wearing pyjamas bearing the crest of his home-town Maple Leafs.
Tavares has played his former team once, losing 4-0 in Toronto in late December. Despite Tavares’ departure, the Islanders and Maple Leafs have been neck-and-neck in the standings.
His first game back in Long Island is slated for Thursday in Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders will likely produce one of those obligatory videos thanking Tavares for his previous service, but it looks like not all the fans are in agreement.