#new-york-islanders

#new-york-islanders

The New York Islanders are beginning a new era with a new general manager in Mathieu Darche and a potential superstar for the foreseeable future in defenseman Matthew Schaeffer. The hope is that the Islanders can make a leap in the Metropolitan Division standings, and make it back to the playoffs after missing out last season. For Islanders fans, they have even more reason to be hyped for the upcoming season.

The New York Islanders and collectible culture company cllct rolled out their new Game Originals line this week, and it's got fans buzzing-and maybe double-checking their wallets. On the one hand, the concept is awesome. You can literally buy the gear the boys wore on the ice. Game-used jerseys, gloves, skates, even pucks from special moments. It's the kind of stuff you dreamed about as a kid, and now it's sitting there behind the glass at UBS Arena and online at IslandersGameOriginals.com.

"Yeah, I mean that's exactly what it is - just a fresh perspective," defenseman Tony DeAngelo said after practice. "He's giving us some looks from his time in Colorado. They had a lot of success with their entries and puck movement, so hopefully we can piggyback off that. We know we have the talent to do it, it's just about execution."

Being close to here, I live like 20 minutes away, I was fortunate to train with like, Barzal, Lee, and Pageau like all summer,

"Yeah, it was awesome," Ritchie said after day one on Long Island. "I think it's a really good group of guys. A lot of talent, a lot of great prospects here. So, it's been a lot of fun so far. Good way to get the juices flowing before camp for real training camp."

First reported by Anthony Di Marco of The Daily Faceoff, Laperriere joins the Islanders as a professional scout after guiding the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL for the past four seasons. The 51-year-old led the Phantoms to the playoffs three times in four years. His coaching stint in Pennsylvania followed a lengthy tenure as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he spent nine seasons shaping their systems and working with young talent.

When the New York Islanders take the ice for training camp this September, one of the new faces to watch will be forward Joey Larson. The 24-year-old Michigan State product signed a one-year entry-level contract with the club earlier this summer, officially beginning his professional career with a chance to make an impression on Long Island. He was the state of Michigan's "Mr. Hockey" winner as the top player in the state in 2019 while playing for his hometown Hartland High School.

We're a quarter of the way through the 2000s, and the game of hockey has evolved so much since the turn of the millennium. While it's been 42 years since the NY Islanders last hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup, the organization has put together a few teams that have made a run in recent times. Though the Islanders teams of the 1980s may never be replicated, the franchise has produced some of its most talented players in its 52-year history.

Let's start with Alexei Yashin and Carol Alt. When Alt, a renowned supermodel and actress, dated Yashin in the early 2000s and for many years after. Their glamorous pairing coincided with Yashin's tenure as the team's marquee acquisition, putting a rare spotlight on the franchise during a period of transition, and left us wondering if we should wear more turtlenecks.