Ziggy Palffy
By Stan Fischler
If there was such a thing as an Islanders rock star on ice, his name was Zigmund Palffy; better known to one-and-all in Nassau as "Ziggy the Great."
A Slovakian by birth and an Islander via the second round (26th overall) of the 1991 Draft, Palffy hit his National Hockey League stride in the Fisherman Logo Era of the late 1990's.
One of his fans was Zachary Weinstock, co-author of “Rivals,” and a former Coliseum season ticket-holder.
"Ziggy's foremost characteristic," wrote Weinstock, "was 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."
After a pair of part-time NHL seasons gave him confidence, Palffy entered 1995-96 as a regular. Ex-Isles Cup-winning hero turned pro scouting director Ken Morrow remembered how the star was born.
Morrow: "It wasn't just his skill -- which was abundant -- there was more. Ziggy had no problem sticking his nose in dirty areas. He was a star in the making."
In his breakout 1995-96 season, he scored 43 goals and mastered almost all aspects of the game. He was tough to check off the puck and often seemed to be carrying the club. Plus, his passing was as accurate as his shooting.
Former Newsday columnist Joe Dionisio was as impressed with Palffy's "unassuming personality" as he was with Ziggy's skill.
"He reminded me of soccer stars who play the 'striker' position," Dionisio recalled. "He darted into holes and then pounced to score with quick-strike capability."
Not that the slippery Slovak was without his flaws. Backchecking was not Palffy's favorite aspect of the game. He once said, "backchecking kills me!" Then he'd score, and all was forgiven.
"Ziggy," remembered ex-Islander-turned-broadcaster Butch Goring, "reminded me of (Hall of Famer) Pavel Bure. All offense -- no defense."
No problem. The fans loved his rock-star look, free-flowing hair, shifty-ness and Ziggy's overall flash. All those qualities glittered when he wore the Mariner-Lighthouse Isles nouveau jersey.
Among the post-dynasty marquee Islanders, Palffy succeeded Pat LaFontaine and Pierre Turgeon. For three straight seasons he would reach or surpass the 40-goal plateau wearing a confident smirk as he weaved around defenders.
Palffy's most critical boss, Mike Milbury, often ripped Zig's defensive flaws but loved him just the same.
"Ziggy was quick on his feet and with his hands," Mike asserted. "He had a surprisingly hard and accurate shot -- as well as being carefree to a fault."
Then, a pause and a smile: "But as competitive as hell when the games began!"