On February 27th, 2007, the New York Islanders made an unlikely trade deadline deal, acquiring the expiring contract of Ryan Smyth for prospects Ryan ‘O Marra and Robert Nilsson, as well as a 1st round draft, pick that year.
I was just a seven year old at the time and was just learning about hockey, but when I found out about that trade, everything changed. That was the trade that got me into hockey.
As my dad called me over to the living room that day, as I was sorting my hockey cards in my binder by team, I ran into the living room with excitement, not knowing what was about to happen, and that’s where my father broke the news.