Josh Bailey’s No. 12 Needs to Be Retired by the Islanders

“He hits the post. They score. Josh Bailey! Game 1 to the Island!” That’s the call of perhaps his most famous moment as an Islander: his overtime winner in the opening game of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs that set the Islanders en route to a sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins. His regular-season performance may not be at the same level as players whose numbers hang from the rafters, but his playoff performances are. While he will forever be remembered for his overtime goal in 2019, his double-overtime goal (also against the Penguins) in 2021 is another lasting memory. In the team’s two playoff runs that ended in Eastern Conference Final losses, he scored eight goals and 33 points in 41 games. His ability to step up in big moments will keep him enshrined in franchise history.

Bailey’s Legacy About More Than Just Points

Playing on John Tavares’ line, he put up a career-high 71 points in 76 games in the 2017-18 season before failing to come close to that success again. However, his case does not depend entirely on point totals. Bailey played a pivotal role in the franchise’s growth and success, and that should be rewarded.

He is one of three players (along with Bryan Trottier and Denis Potvin) to suit up in more than 1,000 regular-season games for the Islanders, and ranks seventh all-time in points in franchise history. He played more games as an Islander than five players who have had their numbers retired and has more points than two skaters who have their numbers retired. While this should mean that Tavares will, one day, see his number 91 hang from the rafters, Bailey has something that most players don’t: loyalty.

For Bailey, it was never about the money despite a rising salary cap and higher salaries being awarded to free agents; it was about representing the Blue and Orange. When looking at the players with the most NHL games played with a single franchise, Bailey places amongst some elite company. He sits 59th in the category, ahead of current and future NHL Hall of Famers such as Zdeno Chara, Claude Giroux, and Bobby Hull.

In the age of blockbuster trades and shocking free-agent signings, rewarding a player for their loyalty might signal to future free agents that the Islanders organization treats their players right, both on and off the ice. Since getting traded Bailey has yet to play a professional regular-season game elsewhere. He signed a professional tryout contract with the Ottawa Senators in the preseason but was later released.

Today, he’s a free agent who should be signed by any team looking for a strong locker room presence for a playoff run. While his name has been virtually nonexistent in the media, he is likely to still be receiving some interest at the NHL level. Regardless of whether he suits up again, his resume on the Islanders has given him a legacy not many players can match. Retiring his number 12 would cement that legacy.