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Hockey is less than a week away. The 24 playoff teams finalized their rosters and arrived in their hub cities. The excitement is in the air around here.
Islanders News
- The Islanders landed in Toronto and are probably, at this point, in the bubble. Here’s who they brought. [Isles Roster]
- LOOK: The Islanders seem to be starting a folk band in the bubble. [Isles Photos]
Paparazzi caught a few members of the traveling band arriving in Toronto pic.twitter.com/FKPThWh0XJ
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) July 27, 2020
They got Eberle too! https://t.co/fJ8GOLHK8B pic.twitter.com/C7sqkUtWiy
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) July 27, 2020
- The top line of Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal, and Jordan Eberle was set in stone before Training Camp even started. Their chemistry is back already, too. [Islanders]
- Barzal and the rest of the team are excited for what lies ahead in the exhibition game against the Rangers and the play-in series against the Panthers. [Newsday | Islanders]
- In his pre-departure notes, Arthur Staple didn’t have the Islanders leaving behind Kieffer Bellows or Oliver Wahlstrom, but he probably didn’t think they’d only take 30 players, either. [The Athletic]
- And even when it seemed like the Islanders made their cuts, he still thought Bellows was in. But alas... [The Athletic]
- Bubble life, away from their families, will be a mental grind for many Islanders, like Scott Mayfield, who was supposed to get married on Saturday. [Newsday]
- But they were fed up with the scrimmages and ready to play some real games. [Newsday]
- Speaking of scrimmages, here are some notes and scenes from their last two days of Phase 3 Training Camp. [Day 12 | Day 13]
- WATCH: Coach Barry Trotz and GM Lou Lamoriello spoke to the media after the last day of Phase 3 Training Camp. [Islanders]
- Lamoriello expects the atmosphere to be exciting, comparing it favorably to the Yankees-Nationals opener from Thursday night. [Newsday]
- Everyone keeps asking Lamoriello about Sorokin and he keeps telling them that Return to Play, not Sorokin, is his focus right now. [Newsday]
- Now that the Kraken have a name, Noel delves into potential expansion protected lists for the Islanders. [LHH]
- LISTEN: Isles frontman Jon Ledecky and Oakview Group CEO Tim Leiweke were among the guests on a recent episode of The Hot Stove, discussing UBS Arena and the future of the team.
- And finally, Stan Fischler recalls when the Islanders shocked the Penguins in 1993. [Maven’s Memories]
Elsewhere
- Besides RTP, the big news of late has been now-former Arizona GM John Chayka’s messy divorce from the Coyotes over a potential new opportunity. There’s definitely multiple sides to this story. [Sportsnet]
- Chayka seemingly wanted out of Arizona, despite having just signed an extension in November, and the organization claims it didn’t take away any of his responsibilities: for example, they said it was a lie that he wasn’t invited to the team’s dinner with Taylor Hall. [AZ Coyotes Insider]
- LISTEN: Rick Dudley, GM of many former teams and most recently an executive with the Hurricanes, learned something new from each of his career stops. [The Athletic: The Full 60]
- The broadcasters will be in a unique situation during the RTP tournament, as well. [The Athletic]