Barzal Returns After ‘Hardest Journey Of My Life’

For much of the past seven months, Mathew Barzal’s days were filled with uncertainty. The New York Islanders forward wanted to get back on the ice, but his leg wasn’t always responding — and he didn’t know when, or even if, it would. 

Saturday morning felt different. Barzal woke up certain he was ready to play. 

He will make his season debut Saturday night when the Islanders face the Anaheim Ducks at 10 p.m. EST. 

“I just got here today, and I was like, I want to play,” Barzal said after morning skate. 

Preparing to face the Ducks brought a feeling he had missed. 

“Just a rush of excitement just to be around the boys, watching them get dressed for morning skate, preparing to get into a game again,” Barzal said. 

Before discussing what he could bring to the lineup, he reflected on what it had taken to get back into it. 

“I've had some hard days,” Barzal said. 

The game had been part of his life since he was four years old. Being unable to skate and compete left him facing questions that grew harder during stretches when his recovery stalled. 

“Honestly, it's been probably the hardest journey of my life,” Barzal said.

His return was about more than recovering from the initial injury, sustained Feb. 1, 2025. Barzal estimated he played at roughly 80% last season. Even then, he led the Islanders with 72 points (19 goals, 53 assists) in 81 games, averaging 20:39 of ice time. 

When he tried getting back on the ice a few weeks after the season ended, his leg wasn’t responding well. As weeks passed without the progress he wanted, he acknowledged wondering whether he would be able to return. 

“If you ask any athlete, there are times when you know you feel like things are very stagnant, or even worse than they were before, and can't seem to get the wheels back on track, that thought kicks into your mind,” Barzal said. 

Through those stretches, he leaned on the people closest to him. 

His mother visited for two or three weeks at a time during the summer, cooking meals and keeping him company when the frustration of rehabilitation and a stalled recovery followed him home. 

“My mom is such a rock,” Barzal said. “She is the best.”

His family will be watching from home. Barzal said he made the decision to play early Saturday, and flight disruptions prevented them from getting to Anaheim in time. 

The progress that brought him to that decision has come gradually. Barzal said he did not undergo another procedure and found an approach that began working for him about two months ago. 

Rebuilding strength required a daily commitment. He described spending four or five hours a day on rehabilitation, working on his leg three times a day. 

Now, Barzal feels he is beginning to address the physical deficit that has lingered since the injury. He acknowledged there could still be growing pains, but expressed optimism that continued progress could bring him to a point where he no longer has to worry about it. 

“I think I'm on the right track,” Barzal said.

By Saturday, that track had brought him back to the lineup. 

“It's a good day; he's back in the lineup, so that's a step,” Islanders Head Coach Pete DeBoer said. “He's missed some time, so I think he's got to transition back into full speed. We're gonna work him into that. But it's great that he's available to play.” 

“But we've had positive news the more we've ramped him up, and now he's ready,” DeBoer said. 

Watching the Islanders has also given Barzal reason to be excited about where he fits. He sees the pace DeBoer wants the team to play with as a natural match for his strengths. 

“I feel like we're playing fast, which I think plays right into my game,” Barzal said. 

The Islanders plan to ease Barzal back into game action. For a player who has spent months waiting for the chance, managing that excitement will be part of the adjustment. 

“I know as soon as I hit that ice that I'm gonna want to go,” Barzal said.