The team, owned by the New York Islanders Hockey Group, purchased $50,000 worth of Mega Millions tickets in honor of the team’s 50th anniversary.
In a statement, co-owner Jon Ledecky announced why the Islanders made the purchase:
MORE: Patrick Kane trade destinations: Exploring possible options
In total, the $50,000 were worth 25,000 tickets. While they ultimately didn’t cash, it was a nice thought from ownership.
The Islanders, who were founded in 1972, are entering this season after a disappointing 2021 saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in four years. They had improved upon their previous finish the past three seasons running, ending in a Stanley Cup loss in the 2020-21 season, where they took the Lightning to seven games.
Perhaps the Islanders can look into doing this again when the Mega Millions jackpot is back up to $1 billion. It coinciding with the team’s 50th anniversary was certainly a nice bit of serendipity, and the hope was fun — for the short time it lasted.
