Nystrom, Islanders honored at Viscardi Center

ALBERTSON, N.Y. -- The spotlight has been Bobby Nystrom's birthright since his overtime goal in Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup Final gave the New York Islanders their first of four consecutive NHL championships,

He was in it again Thursday.

The retired forward, known as "Mr. Islander," was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Henry Viscardi School at The Viscardi Center during their 56th annual Celebrity Sports Night.

Dressed in a gray blazer and blue and white tie, Nystrom thanked students and faculty for keeping a 46-year tradition going and the lift the Islanders get from children with severe physical disabilities inspiring enough to return again and again.

"I think the most important thing is the longevity of this place and what they do with the kids," Nystrom said of the nonprofit that opened in 1962. "It was something that we looked forward to every year and I think the kids loved it also. We also had the opportunity to watch the kids develop, and that's one of the most rewarding things to me."

The Islanders were honored for their 50th season and a relationship forged by a chance meeting during a 1976 practice, when a woman at the time dating defenseman Gerry Hart suggested to Viscardi Center's president an annual wheelchair hockey game against the students.

Hart died May 13 at the age of 75. Tributes were paid to Hart, Clark Gillies, Jean Potvin and Mike Bossy, four members of the 1970s Islanders who have died since January 2022. Nystrom was to return to Florida on Friday to deliver the eulogy, last seeing his friend two days before his passing.

"He just had a very good way of meeting people," Nystrom said. "I'll say tonight in my speech that we're the best fans in the world. They treated us like kings."

Active players are viewed as royalty by Viscardi students and their parents, but don't get any favors during games. Competition is fierce and determination immense with no thought about the opposition playing hockey at the highest level.

"One of our first events was here and one of the students that I played against is here tonight," said Steve Webb, an Islanders forward from 1997 to 2003. "I told him, 'You guys played pretty intense and I've probably still got some bruises on my shins from that.' It was pretty impressive.

"It's the overall community the kids have here. That's giving people the opportunity to soar in an environment. They have comfort and they have people that support them and can assist them during the journey. That radiates for everybody when we walk in the door."

New York Governor Kathy Hochul congratulated the Islanders through a taped message for their commitment to the Viscardi Center. The efforts of UBS Arena to create an inclusive barrier-free design providing accessibility to the disabled were also celebrated by Dr. Chris Rosa, Viscardi president and CEO in a wheelchair since age 12 because of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy.

Rosa called for a recommitment to funding and support, and relived what will be the 43rd anniversary of Nystrom's overtime goal at Nassau Coliseum on May 24, 1980. Weeks after lifting the Stanley Cup, the Islanders returned to Viscardi for another game of ball hockey. Forty-three years later, the passage of time delivered another thank you for being true heroes.

"It's important for these communities and for the kids that are able to come to the school here and get to experience different sports and different opportunities for them," Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock said. "The work they do here is amazing and just being able to come out this night and show my support is huge. I look forward to doing that more in the future."

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