Isles and Youth Hockey Players Enjoy Special Practice at Ed Westfall Arena

Eleven-year-old Patrick O’Rourke had an extra pep in his step on Sunday morning.

Not only was it gameday for him and the Peconic Wildcats 12U Minor team, but he couldn’t wait to for the opportunity meet the New York Islanders when the team stopped by the Ed Westfall Arena in Calverton for practice.

The peewee netminder ended the day with over a dozen player signatures on the rim of his Islanders hat, having fulfilled his dreams of meeting his heroes up close and personal.

“He was smiling ear to ear,” said Sean O’Rourke, Patrick’s father. “Getting to meet Ilya Sorokin and Patrick Roy on the same day, he’s loving it, he loved meeting all those guys.”

For the Islanders, the feeling was mutual.

“We’re in positions where they look up to us, so you still pinch yourself a little bit,” Captain Anders Lee said. “To put a smile on their face, sign an autograph, sign their hat, that’s what it’s all about.”

Teams from the Wildcats organization, ranging from their U8 squads all the way up to the U18 level, make the 50-mile journey to UBS Arena throughout the season to watch the Islanders play, so the Islanders were more than happy to return the favor and visit their home rink.

“It’s a bit of a hike for them to get to UBS Arena on a game day and they make that trip once in a while,” Ryan Pulock said. “So, it’s nice to come out here. It was a great day.”

The whole Wildcats U8 Major team had the opportunity to join the Isles on the ice and take a group photo after practice. Although the Wildcats’ U8 Minor team had a game conflicting with the Isles ice session, they got a piece of the action too, greeting the team when they stepped off the bus.

“With the whole team out on the ice practicing and to see the kids’ reactions and interactions with them, it was a great day for everyone,” said Jim Tamburino, General Manager of the Peconic Ice Rinks. “The opportunity means a lot to the kids, it’s about bringing community together, celebrating the game.”

Ed Westfall Arena was dedicated by the Peconic Hockey Foundation nearly two years ago. Since the facility’s inception in Nov. 2023, the complex has greatly contributed to the community and expanded access to hockey on Long Island.

“It’s such a great location,” O’Rourke said. “We have kids from Southampton and Montauk, and for them this is the closest rink. It’s nice to see hockey out on the east end of Long Island, and to be affiliated with the Islanders.”

Sunday’s practice was attended by Ed Westfall himself. The Islanders’ first captain in felt emotional when reflecting on the family-oriented environment the complex provides, while he enjoyed watching the Islanders take the ice.

“It’s exciting to watch the team skate here,” Westfall said. “I wonder how many of them remember when they were little kids skating at a place like this, I’m sure there’s quite a few of them.”

The complex brought back some nostalgic for the Isles, but the rink’s dome stood out as a unique flare.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Isaiah George. “You walk in, and it reminds you of when you’re a little kid going to tournaments playing in rinks like this. Can’t say I’ve played hockey in a dome before though, I thought it was cool.”

Sunday’s special scene included all the good vibes. The Islanders took advantage of a beautiful 80-degree day and played soccer outdoors ahead of practice which capped off a weekend of team bonding where they spent time in the Hamptons before regular season action kicks off on Oct. 9 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“We had a wonderful team bonding weekend, spending some great time together,” Lee said. “To finish it off, getting a good practice in at a cool community rink like this, it means a lot to the area and it’s fun for us.”

The day was special for another reason, as it was Head Coach Patrick Roy’s 60^th birthday. The Wildcats gathered outside and sang Roy happy birthday, while surprising him with a birthday cake. The squad of youth hockey players included O’Rourke, who his teammates call “O’Roy,” as an ode to the Hall of Fame goaltender.

The Islanders gave their coach a happy birthday song too, but their main birthday gift was a solid practice to cap off a successful team bonding weekend.

“We sang him a song,” Lee said. “I don’t think he wanted much more from us, I think he was happy with how we worked out there today. We had a great weekend and spent some quality time as a team.”