While the dog days of summer may have set in, things were cooling off at Northwell Health Ice Center as Matt Martin hosted his fifth-annual Hockey Academy put on by his foundation. 

Roughly 180 campers partook in the week-long clinic which focused on fun, instructional, and competitive hockey development. The camp is designed to ensure participants receive plenty of one-on-one attention from coaches, including Martin. The campers are split up by age and competition levels and learn everything from the mechanics of skating, edgework, stickhandling, to proper nutrition, conditioning exercises, and stretching.

  "I want to beat the Rangers very badly." -- Bob Bourne, Islanders, Spring 1983

At least a dozen-and-a-half teammates seconded Bob Bourne's motion.

Approaching Round Two of the 1983 playoffs, the Islanders believed that this time their intense rivals from Seventh Avenue in Manhattan would be an even more formidable foe than before, when the Isles vanquished them in 1982.

It wasn't merely a matter of Olympic hero Herb Brooks, the crafty and inspirational coach being behind the Blueshirts bench. The challenge would be much more than that because of the Rangers deep offense.

Semyon Varlamov has arrived on Long Island! 

The Islanders new goalie, who inked a four-year deal on July 1, is settling in on the Island, skating with some of new teammates in the leadup to training camp. NewYorkIslanders.com dropped by the rink for a Q&A with Varlamov, covering his first impressions of Long Island, summer in Texas, goals for the season and more. 

NewYorkIslanders.com: So, what are your first impressions of Long Island?

Semyon Varlamov: We just came here with my family last week. We haven't had a chance to look around that much, we've been busy with the house situation and everything and trying to get settled. It's been a busy week, but what can I say, Long Island is a beautiful place to live. There's a lot of nice places here and you live near the ocean, what can be better than that?

Derick Brassard's free agency lasted longer than he'd expected, as the veteran center weighed his options for 2019-20. 

Ultimately, a meeting with Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello tipped the scales, as Brassard inked a one-year contract with the Islanders on Wednesday. 

Derick Brassard is the newest member of the New York Islanders after signing a one-year deal on Wednesday afternoon. The 31-year-old center is a 12-year NHL veteran, featuring stints with Columbus (2007-13), the Rangers (2013-16), Ottawa (2016-18), Pittsburgh (2018-19), Florida (2019) and Colorado (2019). The Quebec native stands 6-foot-1, 202-pounds, shoots left and was drafted sixth overall by Columbus during the 2006 NHL Draft. 

Here are seven things to get to know the Isles newest player.

The New York Islanders announced today that center, Derick Brassard has agreed to terms on a one-year contract.  

Brassard, 31, has scored 451 points (176 goals and 275 assists) in 786 career NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. He was a first-round pick (sixth overall) of Columbus in the 2006 NHL Draft. The 6'1, 202-pound center has produced 60 points (23 goals and 37 assists) in 99 career playoff games.

Just as quickly as the 2018-19 hockey season wrapped up and the offseason set in, the upcoming 2019-20 season is just around the corner. For Islanders seasoned center Casey Cizikas, he's itching to get back at in the game action.

Cizikas, who is coming off of a career-high, 20-goal season - a first in his eight-year NHL career, doesn't feel pressure to duplicate his production from last season. Individual numbers do not align with the Islanders' team-first culture that was adopted by the arrival of Barry Trotz last summer. Rather, Cizikas' singular strides were a byproduct of the entire team's collective commitment towards a united goal.

The New York Islanders announced today forward Michael Dal Colle has agreed to terms on a two-year contract.

Dal Colle, 23, recorded his first NHL points this past season, finishing the year with three goals and four assists in 28 regular season games. The 6'2, 198-pound wing began the season with the Islanders American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, averaging a point-per-game with 34 (18 goals and 16 assists) in 34 games. He was selected to represent the Sound Tigers, along with Sebastian Aho, at the 2019 AHL All-Star. Dal Colle was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending December 16, 2018.  

The New York Islanders announced today that forward Josh Ho-Sang has agreed to terms on a one-year contract.

Ho-Sang, 23, recorded 43 points (eight goals, 35 assists) in 56 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League. His 35 assists were third most on the team. He added one goal and one assist in five AHL playoff games. Ho-Sang scored two points (one goal, one assist) in 10 games in the National Hockey League last season.  

A running feed of New York Islanders transactions:

August 21, 2019: Derick Brassard agreed to terms on a one-year contract.

August 19, 2019: Michael Dal Colle agreed to terms on a two-year contract.

August 19, 2019: Josh Ho-Sang agreed to terms on a one-year contract.

July 15, 2019: Simon Holmstrom agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract.