Islanders Hockey Returns: Rookie Games Tonight and Tuesday

It's not the adult team but it will work for hockey-starved minds. As part of the weeklong Islanders Rookie Camp, tonight and tomorrow night the Islanders kids will play the Bruins rooks at Nassau [gloriously unsponsored] Veterans Memorial Coliseum at 7 p.m. EDT.

The games will be audio streamed at the Islanders official site and a live video stream will be at MSG.com.

Mikko Koskinen will start in goal tonight -- man, it's just fun to say that phrase again -- and is expected to play the full 60. Here's what else we know (lineups, lines), and what else is going on in hockey:

Islanders News

• Bridgeport Sound Tigers coaches Brent Thompson and Eric Boguniecki will be behind the bench tonight.
• Jack Capuano says the Islanders older prospects need to grab the bull by the horns in this camp, and show they want to make the big club. Bonus "Breakfast Club" quote: Don't mess with the bull; you'll get the horns.
• Sticking with the Islanders site, they have a bunch of video interviews from prospect camp, including Casey Cizikas, Ryan Strome, Nino Niederreiter, Mark Katic.
• And one more, from the weekend: Strome and Niederreiter discuss life at camp for #5s.
• Ryan Strome knows he needs to prove himself at camp. That's from Newsday, but...
  
• ...Not On the Islanders Beat: Islanders beat writer Katie Strang has left Newsday to cover hockey for ESPN. And by "hockey" I mean "Rangers and whatever else goes through the Garden." Arthur Staple fills in at Newsday. Paging Greg Logan, paging Greg Logan...
• SNYPB's latest interview is a preview with Greg Wyshynski, the daddy of Yahoo's Puck Daddy.
  
• The Checking Line: Bailey's clock is ticking.

Around LHH: Sadly, the only surviving hockey player from the Lokomotiv crash has succumbed to his severe burns. This isn't a surprise, but it's still another punch to the gut. | Completely unrelated, discuss your Center Ice and GameCenter Live trade tips and ordering info. Never hurts to help a brother out with which service works best, when to order, etc.

Hockey News

• Discussing the curious New York Post report that the Devils have left themselves exposed to possible bankruptcy [FanShot]. If this story has legs, I look forward to the Devils joining the auto punchline menu from click-trolling columnists north of the border.
  
• Drew Doughty isn't making anyone nervous or anything. Not at all.
• The Short Island Smurfs have announced Ryan Callahan is their new captain. We can safely say that is a solid choice.
• Could Nikita Filatov be the next low-risk, high-reward story in the NHL? Only if he's as cool as Grabner.

Rosters/Lines for Tonight

Here are the rosters the Isles listed for tonight's first game.

New York Islanders

#    Pos  Player                          2010-11 TEAM
1    G      Mikko Koskinen         Bridgeport (AHL)
45  G      Anders Nilsson         Lulea (SEL)
60  G      Kevin Poulin               Bridgeport (AHL)
8    C      Ryan Strome              Niagara (OHL)
24  D      Calvin de Haan         Oshawa (OHL)
25  LW   Nino Niederreiter      Portland (WHL)
33  D      Benn Olson               Cincinnati (ECHL)
41  C      David Ullstrom          Bridgeport (AHL)
46  D      Matt Donovan            U. Denver (NCAA)
48  D      Anton Klementyev     Bridgeport (AHL)
49  RW   Rhett Rakhshani      Bridgeport (AHL)
53  C      Casey Cizikas           Mississauga (OHL)
54  C      Tony Romano            Bridgeport (AHL)
55  D      Aaron Ness               Minnesota (NCAA)
56  LW   John Persson           Red Deer (WHL)
58  D      Brenden Kichton      Spokane (WHL)
59  LW   Brett Gallant              Bridgeport (AHL)
61  LW   Mitchell Theoret        Niagara (OHL)
62  RW   Tyler McNeely           Northeastern (NCAA)
63  D      Art Bidlevskii              Regina (WHL)
64  D      Andrey Pedan            Guelph (OHL)
71  D      Mark Katic                   Bridgeport (AHL)
77  LW   Kirill Kabanov             Lewiston (QMJHL)
81  C      Justin DiBenedetto   Bridgeport (AHL)

Some exciting names on the B's roster below. Check Stanley Cup of Chowder for perspective from the Cup champs' side.

Boston Bruins
#    Pos  Player                                    2010-11 TEAM
70  G      Michael Hitchinson             Providence (AHL)
71  G      Jared DeMichiel                  S. Carolina (ECHL)
48  D      Zach McKelvie                     Army (NCAA)
50  RW   Jared Knight                        London (OHL)
51  C      Ryan Spooner                      Kingston/PBO (OHL)
53  D      Dougie Hamilton                Niagara (OHL)
56  D      Marc Cantin                         Mississauga (OHL)
57  RW   Yannick Riendeau             Reading (ECHL)
58  F      Carter Camper                    Miami-Ohio (NCAA)
61  LW   Craig Cunningham            Portland/Van (WHL)
66  RW   Tyler Randell                       Kitchener (OHL)
75  LW   Anthony Camara                 Saginaw (OHL)
76  C      Alexander Khokhlachev     Windsor (OHL)
78  D      Ryan Button                         Seattle (WHL)
79  D      David Warsofsky                 Boston U (NCAA)
80  C      Dylan Hood                          Moose Jaw (WHL)
81  C      Kyle MacKinnon                  Providence (NCAA)
82  C      Adam Presizniuk                Union (NCAA)
83  F      Calle Ridderwall                 Notre Dame (NCAA)
84  LW   Conor Stokes                      Kingston (OHL)
85  D      Charlie Dodero                   Sudbury (OHL)
86  D      Kevan Miller                         Vermont (NCAA)

...and they listed the Isles lines as remaining the same for the third straight day:

Rhett Rakhshani-David Ullstrom-Justin DiBenedetto
Nino Niederreiter-Ryan Strome-Tyler McNeely
Kirill Kabanov-Casey Cizikas-John Persson;
Brett Gallant-Tony Romano-Mitchell Theoret

Mark Katic-Calvin de Haan
Matt Donovan-Aaron Ness
Andrey Pedan-Art Bidlevskii
Brenden Kichton-Benn Olson

Do check back tonight for live game-threading.

Are you ready? Oh, indeed. Indeed.