The Peewees Meet the Pros: Mayfield and Pulock Surprise Kids at the Islanders Street Hockey Session

Nothing says summer like street hockey.

Over 40 kids participating in a New York Islanders Street hockey session were finishing up jumping jacks and preparing their sticks when two special guests arrived at the outdoor rink in Lynbrook on Monday afternoon.

All the kids jumped up and down in excitement when they saw Islanders defensemen Scott Mayfield and Ryan Pulock arrive to join the action.

“It's always fun in the summertime, it's nice to be able to come out to the community,” Pulock said. “All these kids, how excited they were to see us, I think it's nice to be able to give back a little bit. All year they're out cheering us on, so it's nice to be able to come and play along with them at little events like this.”

The defensemen ran several different stations, showing the kids some moves before standing on the sidelines giving tips and encouragement. Pulock spent quality time showing kids stickhandling, while Mayfield led the way when it came to the slapshot station. He started it off by shelfing the rubber ball into the net and the kids enthusiastically lined up to try. Mayfield fed them balls, and one kid took a good backhand shot but missed the net by just inches.

“That’s probably one he wants back,” Mayfield said with a laugh before setting him up with another shot that found the back of the net.

The best activity took place last, as Mayfield and Pulock took on the entire group of 40 kids in a scrimmage. The massive group swarmed the two defensemen at either end of the rink and it was a close game, ending in a tie at one apiece.

“It was fun being out there with the kids, they were having fun and running around at the clinic,” Pulock said. “It was fun playing a little game against them.”

“There was not a lot of room out there," Mayfield joked. "It was lot of fun, everyone enjoyed it and Ryan and I did too.”

The defensive duo are certainly familiar faces in the community, as both Mayfield and Pulock have been teammates on the Islanders for over 10 years. They’re regarded as role models on and away from the rink, so it was a surreal experience for both the kids and their parents.

“It’s exciting to watch them have fun with NHL players out there, especially those two, we love Mayfield and Pulock,” said David Sabatino from Valley Stream. “So it's really wonderful, that the Islanders did this.”

The Sabatino family have been huge Islanders fans for years and David’s two sons play street hockey all the time, but Monday was their first time signing up for an Islanders street hockey session. It was memorable to say the least.

“I was so happy. Pulock is one of my favorite players on the Islanders," said Thomas Sabatino. "It was so great to play with them, it’s a once in a lifetime thing.”

Every kid in attendance got the chance to meet Mayfield and Pulock, take a picture with them and receive a signed jersey. It was a rewarding experience for Pulock and Mayfield, who enjoyed spending a quality afternoon playing with the kids who look up to them.

“I'm hoping tomorrow they're telling all their friends about the fun evening they had,” Pulock said. “It’s special, maybe a day like today really makes a kid really love the game more and that's what it's all about.”