Notes and Observations from 2026 Islanders Blue and White Scrimmage

Playing in the Blue and White Scrimmage has a different purpose for each prospect.

Some players are showcasing themselves for an eventual run at a spot on the New York Islanders roster, while some are simply trying to grow their game with NHL instruction. For Gleb Veremyev, Wednesday night offered a chance for him to regain confidence and show the Islanders faithful the player he is.

“I felt like I had something to prove,” said Veremyev, who recorded a hat trick. “I learned a lot about myself last year and was happy to get a fresh start.”

Team Blue skated away with a 6-3 victory after pulling away with four unanswered goals in the second period.

Team White struck first 3:31 into the game when Lincoln Kuehne and Kashawn Aitcheson connected on a give-and-go, with Kuehne finishing the play past Josh Kotai. Team Blue answered quickly as Isaiah George forced a turnover and set up Danny Nelson for the equalizer before Veremyev and Tomas Machu scored to build a 3-1 lead. Cole Eiserman cut the deficit to 3-2 in the closing seconds of the opening frame with a backdoor finish.

The second period belonged to Team Blue, as Tomas Poletin, Michael Hagens and Veremyev, who added two more goals to complete the hat trick, broke the game open. Daniil Prokhorov scored in the final minute for Team White to cap the 6-3 final.

PRO ENVIRONMENT IN THE SUMMER

On a scorching-hot Wednesday in July, Northwell Health Ice Center was packed with fans, eager to watch live hockey again. They cheered on the next wave of Isles talent on for a second straight summer, leaving a lasting impression on prospects who hope to one day skate at UBS Arena. Hearing a “Let’s Go Islanders” chant before the National Anthem makes the experience feel surreal for the prospects.

“It gave me goosebumps,” said Victor Eklund, who made his NHL debut on Apr. 14 “It never gets old.”

The game presentation reflected what fans are used to during the season. Public address announcer Alex Anthony was the in-house voice, while radio broadcaster Alan Fuehring was on the call for fans tuning in from home with Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck offering color commentary. The Islanders warmup playlist was going during warmups. In the stands, Sparky and Nyisles kept the crowd entertained with t-shirt tosses, helping create a gameday atmosphere. 

It’s part of why the players love playing in front of the Islander faithful.

“It’s amazing that they came out in July to support us,” Eklund said. “They’re the best fans in the league.”

GLEB GOES OFF

Gleb Veremyev introduced himself to Islander fans last preseason as he scored against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. During the Blue and White Scrimmage, Veremyev put his scoring touch back on display for the Islander faithful with a hat trick.

Veremyev’s shot was a highlight of the evening. His first of the contest beat Burke Hood from the right circle, before later going bar down and sniping another from the hashmarks in the second. After a challenging season in Bridgeport and Worcester, Veremyev came into tonight with added motivation.

“I got down at times last season,” Veremyev said. “I’m trying to take everything in this summer, and I feel like I have something to prove for the rest of my career. Veremyev gave the fans one last treat in the shootout, securing two goals and the winning tally for his squad.

FULL AITCHESON EXPERIENCE ON DISPLAY

Fans have come to expect a certain style of play from Kashawn Aitcheson.

While he has yet to make his professional debut, the 17^th overall selection in the 2025 Draft was on full display on Wednesday night, giving fans a hopeful glimpse into the future.

Aitcheson joined the rush on the first goal of the day, dashing into the play before delivering a pass to Kuehne, who netted the opening tally for Team White.

His booming presence was felt  in the second period.

As Eklund carried the puck across the red line, he was met by the 6’2, 203 lbs. 19-year-old defenseman who leveled the Swede – it was the type of play Isles fans have grown accustomed to seeing from their youngster on social media.

“Yeah, I brought it [physicality] a little bit,” Aitcheson said with a laugh. “Not too much considering these are my future teammates, but it’s fun playing intense games.”

In the postgame shootout, Aitcheson sniped a wrister over the shoulder of Daniel Hauser to cap off his well-rounded performance.

DEFENSEMEN LIGHT THE LAMP

In a four-on-four contest, defenseman are punished much less for jumping up in the play and attempting to create offense.

In tonight’s scrimmage, Islanders’ blue liners displayed their offensive ability as two defensemen found the back of the net and six recorded a point. Kuehne, the Islanders’ fourth-round pick in the 2026 Draft, opened the scoring on a feed from Aitcheson, a fellow blue liner.

“I felt like we had a really good connection out there,” Kuehne said. “The biggest thing was our communication and the fact we were talking out there.”

Machu notched a wrister from the point, which put Team Blue up 3-1 followed by a goal from Hagens.

EISERMAN STRIKES BACK

Cole Eiserman entered Wednesday night’s scrimmage eager to show off his shot that he is well known for. Eiserman turned pro at the end of the 2025-26 campaign and played his first 12 games at the AHL level with Bridgeport, poised to start his first full season pro in the fall. 

Selected by the New York Islanders in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft (20^th overall), fans are excited to follow his development. The 19-year-old gave the fans exactly what they came for with his late period goal for the White team.

With just four seconds left in the first, Eiserman delivered an exciting moment to the crowd. With assists from Bobby Cowan and Henry Nelson, Eiserman buried a late goal that bridged the gap between the White team’s 2-point deficit. 

In the postgame shootout, Eiserman took advantage of another opportunity to show off his impressive shot for the crowd to see.