Lee Led From Sidelines After Injury

Barry Trotz cracked a smile when questioned during his end-of-season media availability about the off-ice role that Anders Lee played throughout the team's 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinal run.
After giving it some thought - and a chuckle - the Islanders head coach recalled a 'great story' that embodied not just the role Lee proudly assumed off the ice, but the precise pulse the Islanders' captain had on his team as the group was en route to the biggest game of the season and for some, the biggest game to-date of their careers.
As the Islanders took a bus from their hotel to Amalie Arena for their do-or-die Game 7 semifinal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 25, they were greeted with a roadside surprise.

"We're going to Game 7 and there's a business just on the other side of the bridge [we were crossing]," Trotz recalled. "We're going over the bridge and four players; they don't have their shirts on, they're holding flags on top of the roof and they're going crazy cheering us on. That's the kind of group that loves to play for each other. It was fantastic. Lee was the center of that. He was making sure that as a leader, he had their back."

The season ended that night in a disappointing and heartbreaking 1-0 shutout to the defending Stanley Cup champs. And while Lee wasn't on the ice battling with his team, he still made his presence felt.
The 30-year-old left winger was sidelined during the second half of the regular season and for the entirety of another historic playoff run for the franchise after suffering a torn ACL on March 11 against the New Jersey Devils.
Despite having to trade his net-front office for a seat in the press box and the adrenaline of game action for the grind of tedious rehabilitation sessions, the Islanders' captain didn't let his devastating injury hinder his responsibilities or contributions to helping the team.
Lee made any and all efforts he could.
Whether it was watching film with the group to break down plays and the opposition, continuing to travel on road trips despite not suiting up, joining the team for limited on-ice workouts following their morning skates, jazzing up the group up by announcing the starting lineup or lightening the mood as he did ahead of a tense and high-pressure Game 7, he made a constant impact.
"Leadership, there's no analytic for it," Trotz said. "You have it or you don't. And he has it. He has great qualities. Players want to follow him. He thinks about the group always before himself.
"He does a lot of those little things that are great for breaking the ice for understanding that this guy will go to war with you, that type of thing," Trotz continued. "That's something you can't put a number on, he's got that type of quality. We really missed him in the playoffs. He could have been a real X Factor that we just didn't get a chance to see. But the way he worked and all that, it just tells you how much he cared for that group."

Following a seemingly harmless collision with Devils forward Pavel Zacha on March 11, the first Isles home game with fans in over a year and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee went down and immediately required help off the ice to the Islanders' dressing room.
Upon undergoing an evaluation and subsequent imaging, Lee received the devastating news that his season was over - as was his 295-game ironman streak. He had torn his ACL and would need to undergo surgery and subsequent intensive rehab, to target a hopeful return for next season.
"I didn't understand it at first; it's kind of painful and then it goes away," Lee recalled. "By the time I got back to my room, I had a little bit of hope that it wasn't as serious as it was because it's not painful. But you get checked out and the doctor doesn't like the way your knee feels. Then, you go for the MRI and try and hope that it's not what it really is. In hindsight, I did feel it, but then I tried not to believe it until you're forced to deal with it."
Given the unique circumstances of; playing one final season at Nassau Coliseum, the return of fans in the stands and the group's dedicated desire to forge another deep playoff run, the diagnosis was not just frustrating for Lee, but also disheartening.
But the natural leader didn't dwell on his individual impediment. Instead, he embraced the new perspective and leadership role.
"I definitely had to take a different approach," Lee said. "In terms of accepting what had gone on and embracing this new challenge of still being who I wanted to be throughout all this and not have the injury or what happened take over. I took it on as a new way to be challenged and reflect on myself and do the best that I could to help our team win.
"From early on, I had a good mindset of what I wanted to do not only in terms of my rehab, but just within the room and being as involved as I could," Lee continued. "You miss out on being on the ice, on the bench, and being in the room between periods, that's where battles are lost. You just want to be out there with the guys."

The Islanders certainly felt his absence immediately, as his 12 goals led the team at the time. On the ice, the team missed out on the advantage of Lee's 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame and elite netfront abilities. His commanding and inspiring presence also has a way of willing the best out of his teammates.
"He's our leader, he's our guy," Islanders alternate captain Josh Bailey said. "Not having him on the ice for us, it was tough. You know how bad he wants it and how hard he works, but to have him around and being a part of everything was huge for us. He's that guy who we all look to and we all lean on. We missed him, but he was there really pushing us forward."
His linemates Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle, missed the almost automatic synergy that the trio has developed with a little over three seasons spent alongside each other.
But with Lee, everyone adapted to the temporary circumstances. In turn, the team was there to support their captain just as he was there, every day, cheering on his team and putting in the grueling work necessary to make a hopeful return this fall.
"He obviously brings a light-hearted energy," Barzal said. "Especially, when he's not playing, he's doing everything that he can to keep it positive, keep it fun, keep it light and keep it loose. That's what makes him a great captain, he's got that side of him as well. But when the puck drop or game day rolls around, he's dialed in and focused. That's something you can jump on the back of. Having him along with the rest of the scratch guys, they didn't waste a day in terms of sitting around or not trying to make an impact on game day. They always had a smile on their face, it didn't matter if they were playing or not. Just as a group, that goes a long way, the camaraderie between everyone."

Lee confirmed during his end-of-season availability that he has been on track and even a bit ahead of schedule so far, his ACL recovery and is trending towards a full-participation return by the start of training camp for the 2021-22 campaign.
"I was prepared to handle the injury and knew it was going to be hard, but you just want to be out there with the guys," Lee said. "I'm looking forward to the fall and getting back out there."
"He was very involved, but that's just who is he," Islanders alternate captain Cal Clutterbuck said. "He's one of those guys that walks into a room - it doesn't matter if he's playing or not - he has the aura about him. He's, our guy. Everything that the public sees with Anders is who he is and so much more behind the scenes. We're lucky to have him as our leader."