Islanders Go Holiday Toy Shopping

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If John Tavares were shopping for himself, he'd be buying something Batman related. For Travis Hamonic, it'd be a fishing set, and for Anders Lee, it'd be Lego and Hot Wheels.
But Tavares, Hamonic, Lee and the Islanders weren't at Toys R Us on Monday morning to satisfy the urges of their inner child, they were there to buy toys for kids in local hospitals during the holidays. When it was all said and done, the Islanders bought 565 toys for kids that they'll deliver on Dec. 21.

"We're shopping for kids who are in hospitals who could use a little gift to brighten their day up," said Anders Lee. "Giving them a nice little gift is something we look forward to."
The Islanders filled their carts with all sorts of toys, from Finding Dory dolls for the little ones to Virtual Reality headsets for the teenagers. They brought their wives and girlfriends to help them buy gifts for the girls, but of course, since they were basing it off their own likes, they had to throw in a few hockey sticks.
"I would have been so happy to get that when I was younger," said 19-year-old rookie Anthony Beauvillier. "I feel like I was there two or three years ago."
Beauvillier - a toy-shopping rookie - was playing 1-on-1 mini-sticks with News 12 reporter Erin Colton, as the Islanders did satisfy some urges of their inner child. Lee wound up driving through the aisles in his Cadillac power wheels - the 6-foot-3, 228 lbs. winger barely fitting in the mini car.

But buying - and testing - the toys is only half of the Islanders' charitable holiday plan. On Dec. 21 they will hand deliver them to kids at Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan hospitals, the most important community event of the season for the Islanders.
"It's wonderful, we always talk about the hospital visits and how much they mean to us," Lee said. "Meeting these kids who have so much courage and bravery going through what they are and seeing how strong they are.