This Day in Isles History: Oct. 21

October 21, 2018: Longtime New York Islanders owner Charles B. Wang passed away at the age of 74.

Wang purchased a stake in the Islanders in 2000 and served as majority owner until 2016, when he became a minority co-owner.
Wang was dedicated to keeping the Islanders on Long Island, recognizing the team's importance to the area. He played an integral role in the Islanders securing a new home - UBS Arena - at Belmont Park and upgraded team facilities, including Northwell Health Ice Center, which he turned into a top-tier NHL practice facility.

"Charles loved the Islanders unconditionally," Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky said in 2018. "The arena at Belmont Park will be just one of his many legacies left to the team and to Long Island. His unique personality, his wonderful sense of humor and his extraordinary wisdom will be greatly missed."

Charles Wang was enormously philanthropic, supporting various health and education initiatives and building Smile Train into the leader in the eradication of cleft lip and palate in third world countries. Smile Train provides free surgeries for more than one million children in developing countries around the world who suffer from cleft lip and palate. Mr. Wang was the founding member, Chairman of the Board and leading force behind the foundation.

From his Islanders obituary in 2018:

Charles' ownership of the team, along with his commitment to youth, led him to create Project Hope, an international program to develop ice hockey in China to lead the way for the growth of hockey outside North America. In 2016 the program was rolled out to more than ten northern provinces in China. The New York Islanders, in partnership with Project Hope, became the first NHL team to host an international youth hockey tournament, providing young athletes with the opportunity to play against teams from other countries, experience different cultures, and develop lasting friendships.

Fans can read more about Wang's philanthropic ventures and business pursuits here.