Roy's Work On Special Teams Early Beyond Coaching

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/19/2025 08:47:00 AM |
Ultimately they have tried everything but changing the core players, when the numbers are historically bad you get someone else. It's not an assistant coaching issue when you see players painfully slow, who can't read/react, win pucks on boards, are slow in passing lanes. Holmstrom was the only forward who got to points to win pucks, and had a quick stick in the passing lanes.

New York Camp Opens

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/18/2025 02:50:00 PM |
Note-the toolbar has camp updates. Varlamov still out, Engvall out a few weeks after surgery. A ton of players/expect a ton of cuts. Gatcomb/MacLean/Ritchie/Engvall/Heineman/Cizikas-unless there are injuries expect some regulars from last season not to be here anymore.

New York Training Camp Roster

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/17/2025 10:26:00 AM |

Rookie Camp Over

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/16/2025 02:38:00 PM |
Good job on all the interviews in camp, next year they have to go play other organizations like everyone else does.
Next up main camp opens, first game Sunday at the failed Belmont experiment which Dolan is likely not going to televise.
Bloggers/two newspaper people did not ask Roy or Thompson about Bridgeport's future. Seems everyone knows what not to ask with their access at stake.
Seems like many sent a message not shaving at golf tournament.

Projecting Out The Final Roster

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/13/2025 07:08:00 AM |
Expect a surprise or two, but most of the roster is set because #44-53-18-32 are likely not going anywhere. Clearly there are more forwards then spots, not even counting anyone from Bridgeport. Shabanov will be a hit or a miss. We have seen many players sent down to Bridgeport from Russia who return home quickly if they don't play in the NHL. I don't see Ritchie in the NHL. Engvall will always clear waivers with his contract. No way Heineman does not make the team based on who Darche traded for him. I can't see Lee being traded before the deadline but #21 got his extension. Duclair is staying with his contract or heading to waivers.
Drouin-Barzal-Holmstrom/Duclair-Horvat-Tsyplakov/Lee-Pageau-Palmieri/Engvall-Cizikas-Gatcomb/Heineman-Ritchie-Shabanov-MacLean.
Pelech/Pulock/Mayfield/D'Angelo/Romanov/George/Schaefer/Boqvist
Sorokin/Varlamov/Rittich
Defense is thin on depth, they need George to win a spot, Schaefer is likely locked in.
I don't see Rittich, and Varlamov with Hogberg also likely headed to Brigeport.
Hopefully some decisions are made based on having some of the worst special teams teams in NHL history last season.
So it took 18 years to put up the name of this site on the page.

New York Notables/Prospect camp list (finally posted)

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/11/2025 08:59:00 AM |
Prospect camp opens today, and the new/improved transparent NYI are one of the last to release a prospect camp list as Shabanov is skating. I would suspect outside of Schaefer everyone not in Bridgeport will be sent back to their junior or european team. The season has begun in Europe/KHL, and is about to begin in CHL/OHL/WHL.
All I can write about Bridgeport is Oakview said a team is going to Hamilton, that could be before Leiweke had to quit, and is facing prison for rigging a bid, with the NYI former Utah affilate on the move to Trenton. This will be announced one way or another very soon. Oakview manages arena's, they don't own teams, and they operate both Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, and the renovated building in Hamilton. The silence from NYI is defening but the one year contracts make very clear they likely will not be in Bridgeport beyond this season. A prospect like Isaiah George is signed beyond next season so if he does not make the NYI he would have to report to Hamilton.
Of course Dolan is not televising games against the Flyers as usual, not even at the failed Belmont experiment as the NYI have tons of discounted parking plans with many not renewing their ticket plans, the 7pm start time will be a disaster as most of the building will be empty.

New York Notables

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/06/2025 12:16:00 PM |
Rookie camp begins next week, expect NHL camp to begin 9/18 with first preseason game three days later on 9/21.
Sorry, but I think Darche rushed trading Dobson. He had a year, and could have gotten a better offer then a player who will now be on his 4th NHL team. This was a weak draft class, not the kind you take two picks. Columbus/Habs refused to include their top prospect which is what Lamoriello wanted for Nelson. Dobson had to play this season, he had to sign a team-friendly deal, Darche had the leverage, and Dobson would have brought equal or better offers next March at the trade deadline. The correct move was to wait.
I could care less about more social media, the pathetic Long Island campaign for a team with horrible fan support on the Queens border will not bring one new fan to a building as usual with 10-11k actual people in the building. This location is not fit for the NHL. No Darche does not control social media, but the first time a player objects to being on social media will be the last. Players want privacy. Clutterbuck did his social media after his career ended, and frankly acts like this team was at the cap floor when it was near the celing since 2014-15, and new ownership was brought in with the move to Barclay's.
If people don't like that I want them at Barclay's sorry/not sorry. The attendance in 2015-16 vs 22/25 Nassau years does not lie, it was working. I could care less about things that get renovated in the future (or now like Utah) you play where people are. Since 1989 it has not worked east of the Queens border, it never has win or lose. Smith/Potvin/Bossy were gone the fairweather crowd was forced to support a team that never saw losing hockey since 1974, they were gone for good.
Darche is VP, not president, and was hired by Collins. It seems Collins runs the show, while Malkin counts empty retail village attendance which still is not fully complete.
I don't dislike anyone, it's all about the New York Islanders winning the Stanley Cup.
Blogger/not blogger, site looks professional. Will use bsky/substack as needed.

New York ELC Daniil Prokhorov/Staying in Russia for 25-26 Updated

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/02/2025 12:02:00 PM |
This does not void his new two year KHL contract with Dynamo Moskova unless he is released by that team. This also does not change his status of being selected by Sarnia in the OHL import draft. At this time it's hard to know when his NHL ELC contract begins or where he plays. There is no tranfer agreement with the KHL/Russian prospects but both sides for years have respected the signed contracts are the final word.
On 9/4 New York announced Prokhorov is staying in Russia for the 2025-26 season on loan.

Estimated Camp Openings For New York

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/01/2025 08:19:00 PM |
Do not expect college prospects to report who have school/and have to pay to attend. Some CHL/European players also don't come to camp but a few will attend.
The dates in my tweet are estimated but we know the date of the first preseason game.