As John Tavares spoke at the media event, he sounded mature, committed, driven. He shot down negative perceptions of the New York Islanders and lauded owner Charles Wang and general manager Garth Snow. He was unafraid to speak of the Stanley Cup and restoring the franchise to glory.

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“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I go to the rink every day with a big smile on my face.”

But this wasn’t Monday, when he was named captain of the Islanders. This was exactly two years ago.

The news hadn’t broken yet, but Tavares was about to sign a six-year, $33 million contract extension.

This was when he was still just shy of his 21st birthday and the Islanders were coming off a 14th-place finish in the Eastern Conference, one point out of the basement. This was before the Islanders ended their playoff drought, the old Coliseum went from empty to full and he became a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player.

The Islanders are cool again. They have a young, up-and-coming team. They scared the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round last season. They’re playing the Rangers at Yankee Stadium in January and moving to Brooklyn in two years. It’s easy to say nice, hopeful things about them now.



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But Tavares loved the Islanders before they were cool, loyal to them for drafting him first overall in 2009, willing to climb from the bottom. He said nice, hopeful things when it was hard.

Which is why the ‘C’ is so fitting. And just a step.

“They’ve showed a lot of faith in me, so I thought it would be great to be a part of bringing the Islanders back to what they were once upon a time,” said Tavares last week in New York. “To be a part of something like that, it would be something pretty special. It’s a great challenge, a great journey, and it’s been a great ride so far.”

So far.

“We’re still right in it,” he added. “We still haven’t accomplished a whole lot. We still have a lot to prove.”

* * * * *

Not long ago, Islanders players could hit the Chipotle near the airport on the Island and order their burrito bowls in anonymity. The dynasty days of the early 1980s were history, not tradition. Four straight Stanley Cups? The Islanders hadn’t made the playoffs for five straight seasons. Worse, they had been a laughingstock for so long in so many ways.

“I don’t think anyone had a clue who we were,” said winger Matt Moulson. “Then you start winning and people are like, ‘Who are these guys?’ ”

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