|| 2007 || Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

news

SHOW STOPPERS - Frans Nielsen - # 51

A Weekly Posting of a Sound Tiger who played for the Islanders this Season

May 25, 2007

On September 13, 2006, Frans Nielsen boarded a plane from Copenhagen Kastrup International Airport in Denmark to LaGuardia International Airport to embark on his first professional season with the New York Islanders. Nielsen hoped to make history as the first player from Denmark to play in the National Hockey League. Selected in the third round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Islanders, Nielsen played five seasons in the Swedish Elite League compiling 59 points.

At camp, Nielsen was placed on "Team Torrey," under the guidance of Islanders assistant coach Dan Lacroix (Team Torrey head coach), where he was paired with Jason Blake and Miroslav Satan. Nielsen played well throughout camp, but lacked the experience of playing in North America with the smaller rinks and the physical game.

After camp, Nielsen was sent to Bridgeport to gain some experience and was paired with 2006 AHL All-Star, Jeff Tambellini. The two quickly jumped to the top of the team's leader boards. During the final nine games of December, Nielsen was on a tear, registering at least one point in each contest. Ready to continue his streak into the New Year, Nielsen got a phone call from Islanders head coach, Ted Nolan, informing him that he would accompany the big club to Carolina to play in his first NHL game. As word traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to Denmark, reporters were quickly calling for press passes to attend the historical moment in Denmark history.

Nielsen played a regular shift for a total on-ice time of 7:38 in his historical night. He would play one more game with the Islanders before returning to Bridgeport to continue his point-a-game scoring streak, which eventually ended January 15, tying the team record, of 12 straight games. Nielsen recorded 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points in 54 games with the Sound Tigers last season. He had a +7 rating, trailing only Tambellini who was a +10.

With injuries occurring on the Island mid-way through February to Alexei Yashin and Shawn Bates, Nielsen was once again recalled along with Tambellini. On February 24, in a matinee game against the Montreal Canadiens, Nolan paired the two with Richard Park, to see if they could create some of the same chemistry at the NHL level that they had in Bridgeport.

2:43 into the first period Nielsen fired a backhand on net that Montreal net-minder, Jaroslav Halak saved. Halak was unable to control the rebound and Tambellini, who beat Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov to the puck, batted it in out of mid-air past Halak for the quick 1-0 lead and Nielsen's first NHL point. Halfway through the second period, Frans would register his first NHL goal when he took a pass from Park, walked around Halak, and fired a shot into the net giving the Islanders a 3-1 lead. His goal was the game-winner and Nielsen was selected as the first star of the game. The win was crucial, because the Islanders needed every point they obtained during the regular season to qualify for the playoffs.

Talk about when you got the call to join the Islanders.
It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. I wanted to play the systems well and make sure that my line did not get scored against. Any offense that we produced would only have been a bonus.

What did it feel like to make history as the first player from Denmark to play in the NHL?
Most players who make their NHL debut just have to worry about playing the game and not making any mistakes. The fact that I was making history back in Denmark added a lot of pressure, but I liked it. My name going down in history as the first player from Denmark to play in the NHL is nice, but I hope that once my career is over I remembered for more than that. I want to be remembered as a player who worked hard for his teammates, giving everything I had to win a Stanley Cup.

What is it like to play in an Islanders vs. Rangers game?
I played my second NHL game at the Garden and the atmosphere was a lot of fun. Seeing how much the two teams don't like each other created a lot of intensity, making each shift that I had important to break the puck out of our zone cleanly and try to create some offense.

Describe your first NHL point and goal and what it was like to be the first star of the game against Montreal?
On "Tambie's" goal I was able to retrieve the puck from behind the net and spin out front. I sent a back-hand shot on goal and the rebound bounced off Halak's shoulder and fluttered in the air. Next thing I knew I saw "Tambie" tap the puck in, out of the air and we had the quick lead. On my goal, Park fed me a pass in the slot that I was able to wait-out Halak and walk around him to fire the puck into the open net. The adrenaline soared in my body when I shot that puck. I could not have fired it any harder. When time expired and I was heading back into the locker-room I was told to wait around because I was the first star. The Islander fans were great and when I was interviewed on the ice, I don't even remember what she (Deb Kaufman) asked me, I was so excited.

What do you feel you need to improve on to become an everyday player in the NHL?
I need to put on more size both in my legs and upper body. When I would take face-offs against some of the guys in the NHL, I would lose draws because they would over-power me. I plan on improving my overall strength for next season so that I win draws because I can out-muscle my opponent in the face-off circle or in the corners. There are plenty of hills in Denmark that I enjoy sprinting up to improve my endurance and overall leg strength.