Boychuk Beloved by Islanders Teammates

There was an outpouring of love for Johnny Boychuk when news broke in November that his playing career was over,
due to an eye injury
from a skate cut he suffered in March.
The hockey world took to social media to celebrate one of the
game's good guys
, with a series of heartfelt Twitter and Instagram posts from present and former teammates.

On Sunday, the Islanders were asked to elaborate on what Boychuk meant to the team and what they'll miss not having number 55 patrolling the blue line, or livening up the locker room on a daily basis.
"It is a professionalism, an attitude, it is a father figure, it is the intangibles," Head Coach Barry Trotz said of what Boychuk brought to the team. "He makes it fun without cheating on the work. He grabs young players and gives them a sense of belonging. He sets a standard in terms of his commitment. You see that on the ice. Those are the intangibles that we're going to miss."

Boychuk's boisterous personality was one of his calling cards, as he was known for livening up the locker room on a daily basis. That positivity didn't encroach on his on-ice intensity, or competitiveness, as evidenced by the big hits he dished out, or his selfless blocks. He may not be with the team on the ice anymore, but he'll have a key to the room and will still be a sounding board for guys when they need advice or a laugh.
"He's a special person and a special guy in our locker room," captain Anders Lee said. "Anytime you have a cornerstone like him move on, you're going to miss him no matter what. Those things happen, unfortunately, and Johnny will still be around. He won't be on the ice obviously, but he's going to be with us… we all get to see him, so as much as we're going to miss him on the ice, we're not going to miss him in the room."

Nick Leddy will miss Boychuk the most on the ice, since the two have been partners for nearly their entire tenure dating back to October 2014. Leddy said he's comfortable playing with anyone on the Islanders deep defense, but acknowledged what Boychuk meant to him and his career.
"We came in on the same day together and have been together every day since, so I'll definitely miss him a lot," Leddy said. "Playing together, learning so many different things from each other and he just helped the whole d-corps, whether it's positioning, special teams, his whole presence is huge with him."
Trotz said character guys like Matt Martin and Leo Komarov will have to help fill the void in the room, while the defense as a whole will help fill Boychuk's on-ice role by committee, as the veteran was second on the team in hits (135), blocks (128) and shorthanded TOI (132:01).

"Everyone knows how he is in the locker room and what kind of guy he is," Scott Mayfield said. "It's a big miss and a hole that needs to be filled."
Boychuk is back on Long Island, so he'll be around for the team to help out how he can. While he'll be missed, having him on the Island is better than not.
"To have [an injury] end a career is tough. You hate to see it with a guy everyone likes to have fun with around the rink, he's always got a positive attitude, he's won and you can lean on him for experience," Brock Nelson said. "At the same time, I don't think it means that he's going to go away, he'll still be around in some capacity. A guy that everyone will keep in touch with because he means so much to everybody and is a good friend. Can't say enough good things about him."