Maven's Memories: Ziggy Palffy, Underrated Islanders Hero

The first words I ever blurted on television about an Islanders Slovakian rookie were the following:

"Ziggy zigged when he should have zagged!"
The date was April 14, 1994. The place, Miami Arena, and the subject was rookie right wing, Zigmund Palffy. "Ziggy" to the Nassaumen.

The Islanders had clinched a 1994 playoff berth two days earlier by beating the Lightning in Tampa Bay. They then flew across-state to close their Southern adventure against the Panthers at Miami Arena.
Coach Al Arbour figured this would be a smart time to check out the smiling kid from overseas and, all things considered, Ziggy didn't disappoint. Except once.
Awarded a penalty shot, Palffy lifted the crowd while speeding one-on-one against veteran goalie John Vanbiesbrouck. From my vantage point, at the other end of the rink, I rooted hard for the rookie. Already, I loved him.
Alas, Ziggy zigged and so did Beezer who made the save. It left Palffy 0-for-1 on penalty shots but with a glowing NHL career still far ahead of him.
"Ziggy was immensely skilled as a scorer and talented with the puck," says Islanders Director of Pro Scouting Ken Morrow. "His instincts were great as was his competitive fire. No question, he was hungry to score."
Not that it happened overnight.

General Manager Bill Torrey had wisely plucked him in the second round of the 1991 Entry Draft -- 26th overall. Quebec had drafted Eric Lindros first and Bow Tie Bill nabbed defenseman Scott Lachance with the fourth-overall pick.
At the time, Palffy was an afterthought. He had impressed in his native Slovakia and against European competition but few paid him much mind on the Western side of the Atlantic.
After emigrating to North America in the fall of 1993, Palffy spent most of the season in the International League with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles. He averaged a point per game with 57 points (25G 32A) in 57 games, impressing Torrey.
"We decided to give him a look-see," the GM said at the time. "It was apparent with his 83 penalty minutes that Ziggy could play it tough as well as skilled."
Apart from his missed penalty shot against Florida, Palffy went 0-for-5 in NHL games and was returned to Denver in 1995-96 for more seasoning. After 33 more minor league auditions, the Slovakian Sensation was promoted to stay.
Morrow: "It wasn't just the skill that we liked. Ziggy had no problems sticking his nose into the dirty areas. He was a star-in-the-making."
MAVEN'S MEMORIES
WRITTEN COVERAGE
Bill Torrey's Origin Story
The Heals and Flats Show
1993 Run Ends in Montreal
Unusual Draft of 1979
Isles Upset Pens in 1993
Prelude to Penguins Upset
Isles Beat Caps in 1993
1992-93 A Season to Remember
Maven's Haven
Hockey historian Andrew Podnieks, writing in his definitive book, "Players, The Ultimate A-Z Guide," lauded Torrey for picking Palffy in the second round.
"Palffy made an enormous impact with the Islanders," wrote Podnieks, "and never let up."
But his debut at the Islanders 1992 training camp proved a flop both literally and figuratively. New Jersey Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald was an Islander at the time and witnessed Ziggy's fatal failure to zag.
Fitzgerald: "We (Islanders) had a big, tough defenseman, Dean Chynoweth, who ran over Palffy in a scrimmage. I mean crushed him. The next day Ziggy didn't show up for practice.
"After that I didn't think he'd amount to much. I never dreamed he'd be the player he eventually became. It took time but eventually he turned into a darned good player; a very quiet great player."
Time was on Ziggy's side. The Isles knew he wasn't ready and some minor league experience would work in his favor. Veteran tv insider Chris Riley, who for years handled Islanders games in various gigs, had studied Palffy's rise.
"His skating became his forte" says Riley. "Ziggy's speed had him always moving and it enabled him to find openings that other forwards could not find.
"He also learned to play tough hockey. The minor league basic training led to his return to the Island. After that, he became a fixture."
For three straight seasons Ziggy would reach or surpass the 40-goal plateau.
Podnieks: "He became one of the top and most consistent scorers in the National Hockey League."
That didn't always please Mike Milbury who became General Manager in 1996. The GM and the young star occasionally fenced in their relationship especially when it came to contract negotiations.
At least once, Mike ridiculed Palffy's agent, Paul Kraus, and put a coda on their discussions with this squelch: "We hope that Ziggy will come to his senses. We have no hope that Paul Kraus will."
Despite Ziggy's consistent production, Milbury kept his needle handy. "If he (Palffy) wants to be paid like a star he'd better start producing like one."
To which the sniper shot back: "What does he think? Every day is Christmas?"
Actually, Mike speaks fondly of Ziggy as he looks back at their days together at Nassau. Asked for a Palffy scouting report, the former GM is nothing but laudatory:
"Ziggy was quick on his feet and with his hands," Milbury said. "He had a surprisingly hard and accurate shot. He may have been carefree -- maybe to a fault -- but competitive as hell when the games began."

Mike recalls a game in San Jose where the Isles and Sharks battled into overtime. The pace was blisteringly fast with Ziggy missing on a close chance and then backchecking as hard as he could.
Milbury: "Ziggy somehow regains the puck, races back into the offensive zone where he narrowly misses the winner. Again, he realizes he's got to get back to defend. Which he does to deny a Sharks chance as the horn sounds.
"Ziggy leaves the ice panting and I'm a few steps behind him. Not seeing me, he mutters to himself, 'This backchecking is (blankety-blank) killing me!' That was Ziggy."
In terms of on-ice performance, Palffy could excel with virtually any linemates. A pair of his favorites were Travis Green and Marty McInnis who once combined for a Palffy power-play goal on the night of February 27, 1997.
The shot that beat Devils legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur was a typical, fast-draw wrister. However, Ziggy's celebratory follow up was a bit of a stretch by NHL standards. He kissed Travis on Green's left cheek!
"Ziggy was skilled," adds MSG Networks Islanders analyst Butch Goring. "He reminded me of (Hall of Famer) Pavel Bure. All offense -- no defense."
No question, there was a rock star look about Ziggy -- his free-flowing hair, his shifty-ness, the flash. Fans loved him during the not-so-successful days of the Mariner-Lighthouse Isles nouveau jersey.
"Ziggy not only was an awesome player but an awesome guy as well," says fan Alan Malkin of Boynton Beach, Florida. "He was the one player who always got us out of our seats every time he touched the puck."
Another Isles fan, Matthew Torgerson of Winnipeg, puts it another way: "He could take over a game at any moment. It was a breath-taking, heart-pounding moment. The Penguins had Jaromir Jagr, but we had Ziggy!"
Analyzing The Palffy Effect, former Newsday columnist and hockey writer Joe Dionisio compares Ziggy's playing style with other Slovakian NHLers of the 1980s and 1990s. Exhibits A and B are Peter Bondra and Marian Hossa.
"Ziggy and the others remind me of soccer stars who play the 'striker' position." explains Dionisio. "He darted into holes in the offensive zone and then pounced to score with quick-strike capability.
"The main takeaway about Palffy is that he was arguably the top bright spot during an Islanders era during which stars were in short supply. He might have earned more limelight if not for his unassuming personality."
One of the most overlooked aspects of Ziggy's zoom to stardom was the fact that a relatively small player (5-10, 180 pounds) such as he could excel in a much tougher era of big guys.

An adolescent Islanders fans when Ziggy was in his prime, author Zachary Weinstock ("Rivals") called the infatuation with Palffy, Ziggy-Mania.
"His defining characteristic," Weinstock asserts, "is star-quality. It started with his nickname, Ziggy, then his swagger and the confident look on his face at all times. Palffy was a 90's Islander who carried himself like an 80's Islander."
Gus Vic, who covers the NHL for my weekly newsletter, The Fischler Report, has analyzed Palffy's game since Ziggy's promotion from the International League.
"Granted that he wasn't the most dynamic NHL personality, but Ziggy carries a name that few could forget," observes Vic. "He was a heck of a player and clearly the Islanders best offensive weapon in the mid to late 1990s."
His breakout season was 1995-96 when he scored 43 goals in 81 games and totaled 87 points. A year later he hiked his goal mark to 48 in 80 games along with 90 points.
Vic: "He was flashy, precise and the one player defenses had to pay attention to every time Palffy was on the ice. In addition, he had an odd 'edge' to his game."
By now Ziggy had mastered all aspects of the game. He was tough to check off the puck and often seemed to be carrying his club's offense.
The 1997-98 campaign proved to be Ziggy's last big hurrah at The Coliseum. His arithmetic (82 games, 45-42-87) underlines a key point: Palffy could match scoring with playmaking, easily and efficiently.
Injuries limited his production in 1998-99 while management was suffering monetary migraines. To alleviate the situation, owners opted to trade Palffy to Los Angeles along with forward Brian Smolinski.
"The grind had caught up with him," Riley recalls.
When Zig arrived in L.A. a California NHL scribe tried to instill pizzazz into Palffy's persona. Referring to rap star Puff Daddy, the writer suggested that Ziggy be nicknamed "Palff Daddy." Ziggy declared the idea offside -- by a lot!
Looking backward, the Islanders Faithful still regard Pal Palffy with consummate affection because there was nothing to dislike about this smiling Slovakian.
"We loved Ziggy when he was with us," concludes Dionisio, "and we still love the sweet memories he created; whether Ziggy zigged or zagged!"