Isles Helping Shabanov Settle In

After a long practice on Sunday morning at UBS Arena, Max Shabanov and Cal Ritchie remained as the lone skaters on the ice, feeding each other one-timers and chatting.

They weren’t talking breakouts, but rather barbeque, as Ritchie explained the premise of the Islanders Season Ticket Member Fan Fest BBQ to the Russian. For Shabanov, the assists from teammates are coming both on and off the ice these days.

“My teammates help me,” Shabanov said. “They’re good guys. Always help me. The Russian guys, we speak the Russian language. It’s good, but I’m trying [to speak] English.”

Shabanov has already made strides in speaking English in a few short weeks. The 24-year-old appreciates his North American teammates like Ritchie, a native of Oakville, Ontario, just as much as he appreciates his fellow Russians on the team, like Alexander Romanov, Max Tsyplakov, Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov.

“He’s been great, he’s trying to learn English, and we were able to have long conversations, about nothing really, to be honest, but picking stuff up here and there.” Ritchie said. “It’s been great to get to know him and he’s obviously he’s a great player.”

Shabanov is coming off a career year in the Kontinental Hockey League, putting up 67 points (23G, 44A) in 65 games for Traktor Chelyabinsk, becoming the league’s third-leading scorer in the process. Making the jump from the KHL to the NHL is definitely an adjustment, but Shabanov has the resources to make the transition with the help of his teammates.

Even before he signed a one-year deal with the Islanders on July 2, Shabanov had two future teammates in his ear - Romanov and Tsyplakov – with good reviews about the organization.

“We just said it’s a great place to play hockey, great fans,” Romanov said. “We’re waiting for you.”

Shabanov was eager to get to know the area, asking Sorokin about the best beaches on Long Island when the two met during training camp. Sorokin has confidence that Shabanov will find his way, but is happy to lend a helping hand, the same way he was looked after when he was a rookie in the 2020-21 campaign.

"He's a very good player,” Sorokin said. “We can see his skills. He has confidence and he's a key player for us. He doesn't need much help, he can find a way by himself. If he needs, we have a lot of Russian guys here.”

Aside from his fellow Russian teammates, Shabanov has another resource with shared experience in Tony DeAngelo, who spent half of last season in the KHL, suiting up for the SKA St. Petersburg and picking up the differences between the two leagues.

Although he never played against Shabanov and Traktor, DeAngelo remembers seeing Shabanov’s raw skill and talent on video. When Shabanov arrived to camp and showcased his ability to get quick one-timers offand silky moves around defense, DeAngelo wasn’t surprised to see it.

“I would get to watch him a lot right before I played,” DeAngelo said. “Really impressed with him then, skill-wise and stuff, never got to see him live. He looks good though, he looks the part, nothing surprising. Super skilled and smooth, and for being a light guy he’s pretty strong on the puck.”

Shabanov “popped off the page” to Bridgeport Head Coach Rocky Thompson said when he ran Islanders Rookie Camp, which was a good runway before training camp kicked off. Through two weeks of training camp and three preseason games, Head Coach Patrick Roy wants the feisty forward to absorb as much as he can before the regular season kicks off on Oct. 9 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While Shabanov started training camp with Bo Horvat and Jonathan Drouin, Roy has since paired him with JG Pageau and Simon Holmstrom, a pair of defensively-responsible forwards, who can help Shabanov acclimate.

“I want him to feel good out there, play his game,” Roy said. “I just want him to be himself, to play his own game, learn and get some experience and be ready when the season starts.”

Lacing up for an NHL game is a dream Shabanov had since he was a kid, and through the support from his teammates and coaches, he’s making strides every day.

“It’s my dream,” Shabanov said. “I think every boy [gets] chills and dreams about the NHL. It’s my dream and I want to try and help the team.”