Thirty-thousand feet up in the air and you’re dancing around in my belly. My feet are swollen, my hands tingling and I’ve already had half of my allotted amount of Tums for the day. But all I can think about is “Oh the Places You’ll Go.” It’s one of my last flights before I’m grounded. […]
The holidays are always a reminder of family for me. Over the years, we have celebrated Christmas in countless cities and small towns across the country. This year I’ll be celebrating with my husband and family in Michigan during the NHL’s three-day break. As we gear up for the Nat King Cole Christmas CD and […]
The first few days after the end of the season … I need a break. I understand why players usually respond to questions at the end of the season with comments about needing time to decompress and refocus. Eighty-two games are grueling both mentally and physically. I may only step on the ice for postgame […]
As 2017 comes to a close, let’s look back at the year for the Islanders and forward to an exciting 2018. A New Head Coach Is Named In the first few weeks of 2017, the Islanders said goodbye to Jack Capuano and hello to Doug Weight, who took over behind the bench as the interim head […]
We are only human. I have to remind myself that sometimes. Especially when things happen that are out of my control, I desperately wish I could make an impact. I do question just how human John Tavares is when he scores two hat tricks in a given week. Though, I then remember that his talents […]
“We’ll get ’em next year!” I heard a few fans shout that after the end of the Isles vs. Senators game on Sunday. It was the final regular season game and the end of the road for the blue-and-orange this season. It doesn’t matter when the season ends, I still feel sad the following few […]
The Isles are still in the hunt for the playoffs with three games to go. I know the hockey blogs with all the percentages say the chances are slim, but there is still a chance. For the team, I believe that means something. They know there were several missed opportunities to secure points throughout the […]
Two years ago today, my life changed forever. I’ve told the story probably 100 times. It comes up naturally in conversation when you’re dating someone. People will ask, “So, how did you guys meet?” I reply, “At an Islanders game.” When I moved to New York in the fall of 2014, I had no idea […]
I’m going to be completely honest and tell you, I’m exhausted. It’s been a week since the epic nine-game road trip came to a close and I still feel like I’m trying to catch my breath. The reason I’m putting this all out there is because I don’t play hockey. I cover hockey for a living and […]
Throughout the Western Conference portion of the Islanders franchise-long, nine-game road trip, the Andrew Ladd Bobblehead moved from city-to-city in my giant work bag. I did let him out for a few adventures along the way. My Hogan’s Highlights this week will be shared from the bobblehead’s perspective… WELCOME TO DALLAS Y’ALL We had a great […]
Today is International Women’s Day and I’d like to take some time with this week’s Hogan’s Highlights to express why that’s important to me. I was blessed to grow up in a family where my parents taught me I could do anything if I worked hard for it. They pushed me to do the best […]
The trade deadline has come and gone and the Islanders didn’t make any deals. However, there are a few things to look forward to in tomorrow’s Islanders game against the Stars. Hello Ho-Sang Thursday’s game will be the NHL debut of Josh Ho-Sang who was drafted 28th overall by the Islanders in the 2014 NHL […]
The Isles kicked off their franchise-long, nine-game road trip with a big win in Detroit. But Tuesday was more than just another game for me. Driving downtown from my hometown of Northville, Michigan, the signs for Detroit appear before you can really see the city skyline. But the closer I got, the more I could […]
The Isles are slowly, but surely, chipping away at the standings. As soon as Doug Weight took over as head coach, there was no hiding from the Islanders. A spot in the playoffs for the Eastern Conference is staring at the players in the dressing room before every practice and before every game. The Blue-and-Orange […]
This past weekend, Jason Chimera hit a huge milestone. In Detroit, he played in his 1,000th career NHL game. One thousand games of living out his dream. Even typing out that number, I can feel the magnitude. There are only 309 players to ever achieve 1,000 games in the NHL. The sport is grueling on […]
Usually, by the time the end of January rolls around our entire crew, and most of the team and staff, are ready for a break. The All-Star break in years past has been pretty lengthy for the Islanders too. But this year with the addition of the bye week, the team only had four days […]
Our country and the Islanders ushered in a new Commander in Chief this past week. I won’t talk about politics in this post, but I’ll share my take on the Isles’ coaching change. Doug Weight is now the interim head coach and I have nothing but respect for him. Doug has always been great to me and I […]
This past week was a reminder of how lucky I am to work for MSG Networks and to cover the Islanders. It’s the midway point of the season and usually games in January and February start running together. The road takes over, and the next thing you know, someone asks who you played yesterday and […]
The Islanders came out of the extended five-day break with two goals, and two points. It’s not what they were hoping for. I’ll be the first to admit when I first heard that every team would get a five-day break during the season outside of the All-Star weekend, I was excited. The season can be […]
The start of a new year brings different things for different people. Some like to look back at the year that’s past while others want to move on to the adventure ahead. You might not take your New Year’s resolutions seriously or you could focus on making a real change in your life. THE BEST […]
JF Berube made back-to-back starts for the first time in his NHL career this past weekend. The Islanders didn’t achieve the outcome desired, but looking back, there is something else I’ve taken away from watching Berube this season. When I saw JF before the matchup in Buffalo there was a glow about him. He was […]
It’s no secret that I think Cal Clutterbuck has one of the best names in the league. But that’s not why I’m happy the Islanders signed him to a five-year extension. I’m glad they made the commitment to Cal because I think he’s the type of player the team needs to hold on to. Now […]
Cutting Ties. At some point last year during a morning skate, Travis Hamonic looked over at me while he was riding a bike and said, “Shan, it’s time to cut ties.” I looked at him confused. What was he talking about? He went on and explained what he saw during our last visit to Detroit. […]
The connection between athletes is really cool. On a regular basis, I have the opportunity to watch the Islanders interact with one another. I’m at practices and skates, interviewing them after wins and losses. I’m there on the plane with them for hours and hours as they fly all over the US and Canada. To […]
First, I’d like to thank everyone who was so supportive of my blog post last week. When I wrote about my journey from news to sports I never expected the outpouring of support on social media and in person. I had all those emotions built up and felt I could finally share. Thanks for reading […]
This past week has been very emotional for our country. I would not describe myself as a political person, but over the last six months, no one was able to hide from the negative and overwhelmingly stressful campaigns that led up to the election. Since the results came in, there have been protests and riots […]
Frustration is no longer lying under the surface for the Islanders… it has reared its ugly head. Jaroslav Halak‘s reaction at the end of the shootout against Edmonton said it all. He slammed his sticks and the fans let out a collective, “ughhhhhhhhhhh!” It was the first time ever the Isles had lost back-to-back games […]
Tonight the New York Islanders continue their five-game home stand against the Tampa Bay Lightning. If you’re scratching your heading thinking, didn’t they just have one of these? You’re right! It’s strange how the NHL schedules can shake out from year-to-year. This season, the Isles happen to be home-heavy with 10 of their first 13 […]
Friday’s game against the Coyotes had a great billing: STROME vs. STROME. It was something brothers Ryan and Dylan had waited for their entire lives. Both high draft picks. Both talented forwards. Both living their dream playing in the NHL. We covered the two players extensively in our MSG+ pre-game show, as well as during […]
Three down, 79 regular season games to go. I overheard a fan saying that on the concourse after the Isles home-opener on Sunday and it made me think… It’s never fun when the Isles lose the first game of the season and it’s certainly disappointing when they lose to the Rangers. Follow that up with a […]
Summer is over and the smell of fall has flooded the New York area. You know what that means my friends … hockey is back! The Islanders open up their regular season against the Rangers Thursday. It seems a fitting way to kick things off. The Isles swept all four games last year against their […]
