Pat LaFontaine will be the next inductee into the Islanders Hall of Fame.
The club announced Thursday that LaFontaine’s induction will take place on Dec. 13 ahead of their game against the Lightning.
His induction ends, officially, a rift between No. 16 and the organization that dates back to 1991-92, when LaFontaine demanded a trade amid contract negotiations that were going nowhere. He was sent to the Sabres ahead of that season in a deal that brought back Pierre Turgeon.
LaFontaine’s 287 goals as an Islander are tied for seventh in franchise history, and his 566 points rank ninth.
On a per-game basis, LaFontaine is third all-time in franchise history, behind only Mike Bossy and, ironically, Turgeon.
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Though LaFontaine was honored at Nassau Coliseum in 2006 and brought in as an advisor to owner Charles Wang, he resigned out of protest after six weeks when Neil Smith was fired as general manager.
LaFontaine was omitted from the Islanders’ 40th anniversary celebration in 2012, but in recent years, he has been a more frequent face at UBS Arena and at alumni events.
An Islanders Hall of Fame nod, however, was missing from his resume until now.
After a long dormant period, the Isles began introducing players into their Hall of Fame again last season, when Brent Sutter was given a place in the Ring of Honor.
LaFontaine will now follow.