Islanders Wives Shop for Toys for Holiday Hospital Visits 

While the New York Islanders were up north in Montreal, the team’s wives and girlfriends were turning a Target in Westbury into the North Pole.

The wives and girlfriends were shopping for toys on Tuesday morning that the team will hand out to children in hospitals during the holiday season later this month.

“To be able to do this for kids who are in need and kids who are having a tough go, it's just a really great thing that we can do,” Sydney Martin said. “It's something as simple as just giving them a toy and having the guys bring it to them and put a smile on their face. It means a lot to us, and we love to do it every year.”

The annual toy shopping event is one piece of the Islanders holiday initiatives, which includes food drives, toy drives, Thanksgiving meal handouts and more. Between Sparky the Dragon wheeling around a kid’s sized shopping cart, or being wheeled up and down the aisles, Tuesday’s early morning event offered the chance for a little silliness, while supporting a good cause.

“It really puts us in the holiday spirit, and we're excited to be able to put some smiles on children’s faces of the hospital,” said Alexa Serowik.

There are a few philosophies when it comes to selecting the perfect toy. There’s nostalgia, picking up classics like Barbie, Uno, Hot Wheels and other toys from their respective youths. There’s research, with the team moms already dialed into this year’s most popular toys.

“The one-to-four-year-old age group is my cup of tea,” said Martin, who has two young daughters. “We were just doing teenagers, and I'm like, I don't know what's cool anymore.”

Karley Nelson opted to bring some experts with her, as her son Beckett and daughter Addie tagged along to help pick out toys.

“I brought my little elves here,” Nelson said. “It's nice to have some helpers who know the ages and what kids want.”

Legos and bracelets were the consensus picks among the Nelson’s, but Karley Nelson also wanted to make sure that her kids were part of the Islanders overall mission to give back to the community.

“I think it's important for them to see too that there are kids who don't have everything that they have,” Nelson added. “It’s fun for them to pick up things that they might want and give to other kids.”

Whether it’s the Islanders wives, girlfriends and kids picking out the toys, or when the players themselves delivering them in a couple of weeks, the giving spirit is in full effect in the organization.

“What the Islanders do throughout the season, and how much time they dedicate to the communities shows that they're just not a hockey team,” Grace Lee said. “They run through the veins of the community.”