Good afternoon, Islanders Country.
In the latest episode of “The Red Line,” Phil Farber (@PhilzFacts) and David Tuchman (@TuckOnSports) are back ahead of the start of the 2024-25 season.
The Isles made more changes than they get credit for this off-season, and with Patrick Roy behind the bench for his first full season, there is excitement that this team can move beyond being a fringe playoff team and become a contender.
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📰 NEWS: After wearing the “A” in the preseason, it was made official on Tuesday that Bo Horvat will be an alternate captain this season. "It just felt natural," said Patrick Roy. "We have so many good leaders in this club. When talking with Lou [Lamoriello], we felt like he was ready. He was the captain in Vancouver, and he was ready to step up there.”
"Anytime you get an opportunity like this, it's special," Horvat told The Hockey News. "You don't take that lightly. You just try to work with class, perform every single game, and lead by example.
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders open up their 2024-25 season at home on Thursday night against Utah Hockey Club. The puck drops at UBS Arena at 7:30 PM
📊 STANDINGS:
APP-ETIZER
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📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, the Isles are 3-5-0 on Opening Night over the last eight years, and they are only 6-12-3 in their previous 21 Openers. Overall, the Isles are 14-26-11 on Opening Night (11-20-8 on the road and 3-6-3 at home). Only four (all Original Six teams) have opened their season on the road more often than the Isles.
🎥 ISLES REWIND: Hello, Brooklyn! On October 9, 2015, the Islanders played their first regular season game at Barclays Center, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks 3–2 in overtime. Artem Anisimov scored the first regular-season goal for the Islanders, and Tavares scored the first for the Isles in their new arena.
🔗 Three takeaways as the Islanders begin their regular season by Andrew Gross, Newsday “The coach, entering his first full season with the Islanders, has gone out of his way several times to emphasize president/general manager Lou Lamoriello constructs the roster and he just works with what he has. “My job is to prepare the team,” Roy said. “Lou will decide who’s going to stay on our team. That’s his job.”
🔗 Patrick Roy, then and now: How he’s evolved as a coach, from the Remparts to the Avs to the Islanders by Arthur Staple, The Athletic “Not everyone who played for Roy during his first stint coaching in the Canadian junior ranks has the same warm feelings. Even those players who enjoyed playing for Roy, like Duclair and Adam Erne, who came up from Connecticut as a heralded young player and stayed with the Roys for his first few months in Québec, will tell you Roy was tough. He was demanding.”
And we leave you with this…congrats to Jordan Eberle, named the second captain in Seattle Kraken history before their home opener on Tuesday night.
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