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The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Islanders are one of three NHL franchises in the New York City metropolitan area along with the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers, the latter of whom the Islanders maintain a rivalry with, known as the Battle of New York. The team was founded in 1972 during the 1972 � 73 NHL season as part of a bid to keep the rival World Hockey Association out of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum where the Islanders have played since their founding. The Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cup championships between 1980 and 1983, the eighth of the nine dynasties recognized by the NHL in its history. However the team has not won a division title since 1989 � 90, and their last playoff series win was during the 1992 � 93 NHL season. The future of the team, according to many commentators, depends on the success of the Lighthouse Project development plan, which would include a new arena for the Islanders. Eight former members of the Islanders have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, seven of whom-Al Arbour, Mike Bossy, Clark Gillies, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, Bill Torrey and Bryan Trottier-were members of all four Cup winning teams. Pat LaFontaine was the most recent inductee, having been honored in 2003. |