Isles Embracing New Normal of July Training Camp

There's nothing normal about NHL hockey in July. But as of Monday, it was - and will be - the new normal for the New York Islanders, as they kicked off Day 1 of a midsummer Training Camp in preparation for their Stanley Cup Qualifier against Florida that will begin in Toronto on August 1.

The process of getting into the rink itself requires a new routine as well. There are the precautions of mask wearing, testing for COVID-19, temperatures taken upon arrival, no sharing of towels or water bottles during trainings and post-skate media availability is done via Zoom calls. Even throughout those obscure steps, a sense of normalcy was gratefully restored on the ice once the Isles took their familiar places.
"It was just exciting to be back in the mix, back with the boys and back on the ice," Isles' captain Anders Lee said. "There's definitely a different side of that mentally. It's July 13 and in the middle of the summer. At the same time, once we get back out there the coaches are out there and the whole team, you fall back into old routines and old feelings and get back at it."

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With at least two weeks until their first exhibition game (TBA), the coaching staff strategically structured the format of the camp accordingly. On Day 1, the group of 30 skaters and four goaltenders invited to camp were split into two separate sessions.
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Group one consisted of forwards; Mathew Barzal, Derrick Brassard, Michael Dal Colle, Jordan Eberle, Ross Johnston, Tom Kuhnhackl, Anders Lee, and JG-Pageau. Noah Dobson, Andy Greene, Grant Hutton, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock were the defenseman. In between the pipes was Semyon Varlamov and Christopher Gibson.
In group two, Josh Bailey, Anthony Beauvillier, Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck, Otto Koivula, Andrew Ladd, Matt Martin, Brock Nelson and Oliver Wahlstrom, made up the forward group. The blueline was assembled with Johnny Boychuk, Thomas Hickey, Scott Mayfield and Devon Toews. In net was Thomas Greiss and Gibson, rotating as needed.
Sebastian Aho, Kieffer Bellows, Leo Komarov, Nick Leddy and goaltender Jakob Skarek were not available, per Head Coach Barry Trotz.

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The Isles were in good company with Casey Cizikas and Adam Pelech back on the ice. Both players were sidelined with respective injuries at the time of the NHL's pause back on March 12 and both were ecstatic to rejoin their teammates.
"I've been looking forward to this day for a long time," Cizikas said. "I know Pelly has too. He's been out a little bit longer than me. It's been about almost six months for me since I've been skating with the guys. To be out there was fun - just battling with them, getting to do the drills - it was fun."
Along with the boosted morale, the players were appreciative that this version of training camp wasn't quite as grueling as the last two they've experienced under coach Trotz, though full-ice sprints were in order.
"Thankfully, it wasn't one of Barry's opening training camp days," Lee said with a smile. "I think we might've had a few more guys in the training room if that were the case. But I think today was a great first step. It's good to get back on the ice, get into our drills and all those old things, find those old habits. No matter what, it's going to get your heart going."

With two weeks ahead to tweak lines and d-pairings, there was some familiarity for the lines and paring that stayed intact from the time of the NHL's pause, namely the Islanders' top line consisting of Lee, Barzal and Eberle.
Even so, as the Isles eventually consolidate their training camp into one session and begin inter-squad scrimmages, the play will dictate the final lines and pairings that will suit up for the first exhibition game.
"It's really about finding your way on a line," Trotz explained. "If you're not a line right now on a consistent basis, then find yourself working yourself onto a line. What you'll see in the next three or four days is probably some movement based on the lines. We'll be taking another look at some of the things that are going on the ice and some maybe will be a reward for guys who are earning the opportunity to move up the lineup."
Despite a welcomed sense of normalcy and routine on the ice, the Isles and the rest of the NHL are still equally navigating uncharted waters and diligently preparing themselves for the unique situation that lies ahead.
"The biggest thing is the frame of mind," Lee said. "There's nothing to worry about with the guys' conditioning or anything like that. This is going to be a challenge mentally. Going into a hub city, staying into a hotel, having that bubble and quarantine life, none of us have been through that so we don't know what it's like. It's going to be a different thing...This is just going to be a mental challenge. The hockey stuff is going to fall into place. When we play our game we give ourselves a chance like anybody else."

As uplifting and exciting as it is to have hockey officially returned, Day 1 was a reminder of the reality that this training camp, similar to the current global circumstances, is unlike any other. Monday was a promising start, but the Islanders still have a hefty task to ready themselves for in the coming weeks, one that the organization is fully embracing.
"The mindset has to be that we're playing for a playoff series," Trotz said. "So, let's get that mindset and go from there. "That's all you can ask is to attack the day, attack the challenge, accept what's in front of you and don't try to get around it - just work through it just like how we're going to have to work through it. Don't try to get around that series, we're going to have to play right through it."