The Skinny on 66

While the Islanders did not make a move at the trade deadline there will be a new face in the lineup when the Isles face Dallas on Thursday night.

Joshua Ho-Sang, already recalled twice this week, will make his NHL debut.  Ho-Sang, the 28th overall pick in 2014, will become the 26th first-rounder from that draft to make it to The Show.  Ho-Sang earned his call-up by going 10-26-36 in 48 AHL games; he was leading the Sound Tigers in assists at the time of his recall.

Ho-Sang, who earned AHL Player of the Month honors with a 5-10-15 (+9) February, will be the first Islander to wear #66 in a regular season game.

However, some great research by Josh Millard uncovered stories of two others who wore 66, although not in a regular season game.

• According to the team's training camp guide, Billy Smith wore #66 in the 1973-74 Islander training camp.   (Gerry Desjardins was listed as #65, and Chico Resch was #86.)

• Gilles Thibaudeau wore the number in the Isles 1989-1990 Yearbook.  When the regular season started, Thibaudeau wore #38. 

Gilles Thibaudeau

(Thibaudeau was only with the team until a December 20th trade with Toronto brought Jack Capuano into the Islander organization for the first time.  Cappy never appeared for the Isles, and after playing 14 games for Springfield, was traded to Vancouver)

61 remains the lowest number never worn in a regular season game by an Islander; 65 and 69 have also never been worn.  Of the 98 possible uniform numbers (99 is retired league-wide) #66 is the 82nd to be used by an Islander.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick