Isles Day-to-Day: McWard Recalled, Will Play Saturday Against Maple Leafs

Cole McWard will make his New York Islanders debut on Saturday night.

The defenseman, who was recalled from the Bridgeport Islanders on Saturday morning, is slated to skate on a pairing with Scott Mayfield. McWard, a right-handed defenseman, will play on the right side, with Mayfield, also a right-hander, playing on his off side.

Saturday will mark McWard’s first game with the Islanders and first NHL game since Nov. 28, 2023 with the Vancouver Canucks.

“It’s been an exciting day,” McWard said. “So many people to thank for just supporting me, my fiancé, Juliana, my parents, my brother, everyone that's helped me get here and be in an NHL locker room, it's amazing.”

Saturday will also mark McWard’s seventh NHL game, but first in over two years. McWard said his game has “matured” since then, playing two full seasons for Vancouver’s AHL affiliate in Abbotsford and 29 games this season with Bridgeport. He said playing – and having success – against first lines in the American Hockey League has also increased his confidence for his most recent NHL recall.

“I've gained a lot of experience playing the American League, playing against good players, guys that go up and down every night,” McWard said. “Playing against first line guys down there, is helping me to defend against better players up here.”

As for his playing style, the 24-year-old year is a self-described “puck-moving defenseman” with two-way abilities.

“I focus on my breakouts and trying to play with the puck instead of defending too much,” McWard said. “But when it comes time to defend, I need to take care of business, so I just try to be solid and be mobile in all areas of the ice.”

McWard has 16 points (5G, 11A) in 29 games for Bridgeport this season. He caught the eye of Head Coach Patrick Roy during the Islanders coach’s recent trip to Bridgeport.

“He played really, really well,” Roy said. “He was pretty steady in a way that [broke the puck] out really well and defended really well. So [I’m] curious to see how he's going to do it at this level.”

While McWard is still new to the organization, he’s got a familiar face in Marc Gatcomb, as the two played together in Abbotsford and were roommates during McWard’s first training camp.

“He's an awesome guy, super talented, works really hard,” Gatcomb said. “It’s kind of a full circle moment, and it's cool to be here with him.”

McWard said his fiancé will be in attendance on Saturday night and so will a friend who initially came out to see him play in Bridgeport. McWard joked that he had to call him and tell him about the change of plans. After a two year wait to get back to the NHL – it was a good call to make and the defenseman is just excited to be back.