Like the rest of his teammates on New York Islanders Clean Out Day, Bo Horvat reflected on Head Coach Patrick Roy’s impact coming in mid-season, optimistic about what he can do with a complete year.
“I’m sure for him, it was kind of a whirlwind,” Horvat said. “I'm sure he's going to want to get a full training camp under his belt to and kind of hit the ground running away from the beginning, not coming halfway through and try to piece everything together at once.”
Horvat described his own experience last year as a whirlwind when he arrived in January 2023. Adjusting to a new organization on the fly, Horvat was a catalyst upon arriving on Long Island, as the Islanders went 17-9-4 to make the playoffs. He contributed 16 points (7G, 9A), brought in leadership and a 200-foot game.
Those 30 games in 2022-23 were only a springboard for the London, ON native, who settled in his first full season with the team.
In 81 games, Horvat finished with 68 points, the second-highest total in his 10-year NHL career. His 35 assists were a career-high, and his 33 goals were one shy of tying of Brock Nelson for the team lead. Horvat’s 10 power-play goals tied for first on the team and his six game-winners ranked second. Horvat was an OT hero three times, netting both game winners against the Dallas Stars and another against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
From day one of training camp, the 29-year-old center worked extensively with Mathew Barzal to establish chemistry, which developed over the course of the full season and ultimately benefitted both of their games.
